I found a copy recipe of Panera’s mac and cheese and decided I had to try it out! It wasn’t bad, but adding in some herbs and spices made it way better. The original recipe had a ton of pics, misspelled words, and personal opinions and stories so that is the reason I am not posting the original as I normally would. Also, this recipe didn’t call for ANY herbs and I just can’t imagine pasta without garlic at least. The original recipe that I found (not on Panera’s site) called for dijon mustard and tobasco but I don’t partake of either of those things. My tongue is very sensitive to those 2 flavors. There was even a disclaimer that a lot of people find the mustard to be too much so I removed them. I am also a cheese addict, so for mine, I added far more than the recipe called for but I feel like that made it even better! Personally, I think I enjoy my creation more than the original. You can also add a bit of kitchen witchery and intention depending on what else you decide to throw into it!
Decide what intentions and healing you want to add to your food. Some herbs are good for the blood, others are good for the mind, and some are great for setting forth intentions. If you plan to do some divination later, you could use herbs that would help open your psychic eye. If you plan to do a love spell, you could use herbs related to sexual energies. I always ground myself with food before doing magic and pasta is a very versatile food! It’s hard to ruin! Herbs are a great way for you to set your intentions in your food to help manifest your intentions! So without further ado…..
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
Total Time:30 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients:
1 box medium shells pasta
4 Tbsp butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups milk anything but skim milk
4 oz (about 6 slices) sliced white American cheese from the deli counter, cut into thin strips (I added 10)
8 oz extra-sharp white Vermont cheddar shredded (I added 14) from the deli counter
1 Tsp kosher salt
1 Tsp garlic powder
½ Tsp onion powder
2 Tsp basil
1 Tsp fresh Thyme
½ Tsp oregano
½ Tsp rosemary
Directions:
Prepare pasta according to package directions. In large saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in milk; cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, herbs, and salt, stirring until cheese melts and sauce is smooth. Stir in pasta and cook over medium heat for 1 minute (or until thoroughly heated). Serve immediately.
I think it took longer to cook the pasta than it did to whip everything together. This worked great for a meal prep and I added some shredded turkey on top as a protein garnish. It tasted amazing!
From our altar to yours, with love from the sea,
