White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese (Panera Copycat)

From The Sophisticate's Guide

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 12  ounces pasta shells
• 4  tablespoons butter
• 8  tablespoons flour
• 2  cups milk
• 6 -8  ounces  grated vermont white cheddar cheese
• 1  ounce  grated American cheese (optional)
• 1  egg (optional)

Directions

1. Boil 2 oz of pasta shells. Slightly undercook the pasta. Set aside.
2. Microwave 4 tbs of butter with 8 tbs of flour for two minutes, stirring with a whisk after each minute.
3. Then slowly add 2 cups of milk, stirring with the whisk constantly.
4. Microwave the entire mixture for several minutes, stirring after each minute, until sauce thickens and takes on a matte finish. How many minutes will depend on the power of your microwave. (Mine took about 6 minutes).
5. Add grated Vermont white cheddar to sauce. The sauce should be hot enough that the cheese will melt as you stir. If not, you may add the cheese then microwave a little more.
6. For an extra creamy sauce, pour a small amount of the pre-cheese sauce into a separate bowl, add one egg and beat vigorously, then return the reserved sauce to the original sauce.
7. Add cheese to taste. I used an entire 8oz block.
8. Add a dash of grated American cheese (optional).
9. Combine pasta and sauce, then pour into a well-greased baking pan. The pasta will absorb some of the liquid, so don't worry if the mixture seems more liquid-y than the way you would normally serve pasta. I used a 9 by 9 inches pan.
10. Bake at 350 degrees covered for about 25 minutes or until bubbling and starting to become golden.