Copycat Panera Broccoli Mac 'n Cheese

My son's favourite.

I'm a soup, sandwich and a pastry gal, myself, so normally split a 'Buy Two' between us if we're out: mac 'n cheese for him, sandwich for me. Crisps - shared :)

As I was trying to cajole him in to the house one day this summer, I tried his - pretending or actually stealing his food is sure to get him wherever the food is.

I was surprised - it was actually quite good! Way too salty, obviously. But the texture - no chew - no cheese? I wondered if there were any cheese in it at all. Turns out, according to #panerabread ingredients on their website, there is...

After googling a bunch of copy cat recipes, none really matched the taste profile for me. I was adamant there was chicken broth, but Panera did not list it in their ingredients. What there was, however, was an obvious and often overlooked savory addition: celery salt!

Some copycat recipes cook their pasta in chicken broth. Obviously I am not the only one to note that chickeny flavour. As always, though, I did my own thing. So here it is.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsps butter - vegan alternative if, like me, you're dairy intolerant or allergic...or just plain vegan

• 1/4 tsp paprika

• 1/4 tsp celery salt

• 2 cups water

• 2 tsps vegetable or chicken bouillon

• 4 oz cream cheese/Neufchatel/vegan alternative

• 4 oz goat cheese/cheddar/vegan alternative ( I used goat as sometimes I'm ok with it, sometimes not. The joy of an intolerance and GI condition rather than a straight out allergy)

• 1 tbsp tomato paste/puree - whatever you call it!

• 1-2 cups cream (I use country crock vegan) - depends if you want your macaroni cheese as I did - a little looser but not soupy. Use just 1 cup cream if you like it 'sturdy'

• 2 cups broccoli - chopped to bite size portions if fresh or leave whole and chop post cook if frozen

• 2 cups dry pasta - macaroni or orecchiette (that is my choice and featured in picture above)

• 1 cup carrots - julienned

• salt and pepper to taste

Method

You can either cook your dry pasta in the cheese 'soup' OR add precooked or fully cooked pasta to the 'soup' and then bake'. It depends how you like your pasta.

If precooking (5-10 minutes tops), bring large pan of water to the boil (I boil water in kettle, then add to pan and bring back to boil) then salt it once water reaches boiling point/rolling boil. Then, add your pasta. Drain in colander once cooked.

meanwhile...

1. melt butter in a smaller pan

2. add dried spices and bouillon. stir to combine

3. add tomato paste and cream cheese, stirring to combine whilst slowly adding 2 cups water - you'll end up with 'soup'

4. add 1 cup cream and stir to combine

5. stir in your cheese, chopped broccoli and julienned carrots

6. place cooked pasta in gratin dish, add sauce and stir to combine,

7. bake at 400F/200C for 30-40 minutes. add the remaining 1 cup cream now if you think you need it (I did, plus it cooled down the food for my toddler to eat)

OR

if cooking pasta in sauce without using oven - add dry pasta to cheese 'soup' with vegetables and cook as per packet instructions plus approximately 5 minutes. the sauce is thicker than water therefore will take longer to cook your pasta.

Serve with a good and crunchy green salad with olives, red onion slices and shavings of parmigiano Reggiano - should you wish - and drizzle with French or Italian dressing. croutons optional...

possibly.