Categories: Dinner

Ingredients

• 11 oz medium pasta shells
• 5 TB butter
• 4 TB flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup heavy cream (use a 2nd cup milk instead)
• 4oz grated sharp Vermont white cheddar cheese
• 4oz white American cheese, crumbled (maybe use all cheddar?)
• pinch of salt
• pinch of white pepper (or cayenne)
• 1 TBS mustard (from Panera's official recipe - Joanna says less)
• croutons / cornflake crumbs for top

Directions

1. Boil pasta shells until just cooked and tender. Drain.

2. Microwave milk

3. Melt butter

4. Add flour to butter, slowly

5. Mix until smooth and stiff

6. Slowly stir in hot milk

7. Stir until sauce thickens

8. While sauce is hot, add grated cheddar and American cheese in small handfuls while stirring to melt all cheese into the sauce. If all of the cheese does not melt completely, you can heat the whole mixture up a little bit and keep stirring.

9. The sauce should be liquid-y and creamy, and have a taste that is not too sharp. You want to taste the cheddar but not have it be overpowering.

10. Season sauce with a pinch of white pepper and a pinch of salt (and mustard).

11. Mix pasta shells and sauce together in serving dish.

12. Add croutons, or add a bit extra milk, cornflake crumbs, and some retained cheese and broil until top is crispy

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