Panera Mac & Cheese (Copy Cat)

My daughter eats Panera Mac & Cheese all the time so when I came across this recipe on a blog somewhere, I had to try it. While it's not identical to what she's used to eating at PB, she said this is pretty close and tastes great. She devoured her plate in minutes. I've tried many homemade mac 'n cheese recipes and all of them have been snubbed by her. However, this one has her APPROVAL to go into the recipe book. Super creamy. Will need to add a bit more milk when reheating to thin out the sauce. The recipe I found calls for hot sauce, but I forgot to add it. She seemed to like it just fine, but next time I'm going to add it and see if then tastes identical.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  lb pasta shells
• 1⁄4 cup butter
• 1⁄4 cup flour, all purpose
• 2 1⁄2 cups milk
• 6  slices  white American cheese, deli slice thickness
• 8  ounces  white cheddar cheese, extra-sharp, shredded
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1  teaspoon salt (I prefer sea salt)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  hot sauce

Directions

1. Prepare pasta according to directions on the package. While the pasta is cooking, prepare your cheese sauce.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
3. Add the flour and whisk constantly for about a minute.
4. Slowly add the milk and continue whisking until it thickens (just before it starts to bubble).
5. Remove from heat and add the cheeses, mustard, salt and hot sauce. Stir until smooth and creamy. If the mixture is too thick for your liking, slowly add a milk, while continue to whisk, until you reach your preferred consistency.
6. Add your pasta to the cheese sauce and serve immediately.