White Cheddar Mac, Trail Version
Panera's white cheddar mac rebuilt out of powder, oil, and a shelf-stable cheese block.
- calories
- 790
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 144
- protein
- 24 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 3 min
- cook
- 12 min
- total time
- 15 min
- water
- 600 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Campfire coals
- Backpacking
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Small elbow macaroni | 6 oz | small shapes cook faster and use less fuel |
|---|---|---|
| Whole milk powder | 1/3 cup | |
| Flour | 1 tbsp | thickens the sauce without a roux |
| Butter powder | 2 tbsp | or 1 tbsp olive oil at camp |
| Extra sharp white cheddar | 3 oz | a solid block, not shredded |
| Dijon mustard | 1 tsp | single-serve packets |
| Salt | 3/4 tsp | |
| Black pepper | 1/4 tsp | |
| Hot sauce | 1/2 tsp | packets, or leave it out |
Method
- At camp, cut the cheddar into small cubes. It melts faster than a chunk and you are not carrying a grater.
- Boil 600 ml of water and add the macaroni. Cook until just soft, about 8 minutes, stirring so it does not stick.
- Do not drain. Pull the pot off the heat and let it sit 30 seconds so the water stops rolling.
- Sprinkle the dry mix over the top a spoonful at a time, stirring hard after each. Dumping it in at once makes lumps.
- Return to low heat for 2 minutes until it thickens. Stir constantly.
- Kill the heat, add the cheese cubes, mustard, and hot sauce. Stir until the cheese is gone.
The original is a home recipe: a butter-and-flour roux, milk and heavy cream, pasta boiled and drained in a second pot. None of that travels. Milk powder plus a spoonful of flour does the same job dry, and the pasta water becomes the sauce base instead of going down the drain — which saves a pot, a strainer, and about half a liter of water.
Cheese is the one thing worth carrying wet. A hard aged cheddar keeps for days out of a fridge and melts into a real sauce; powdered cheese does not. Cube it before it goes in, and add it off the heat — boiling a sharp cheddar breaks it into grease and grit.
Packing
Milk powder, flour, butter powder, salt, and pepper go in one bag; pasta in another. The cheese rides on its own, ideally near the outside of the pack where it stays cooler.
Variations
- A foil packet of chicken turns it into a bigger dinner.
- Dried chives or a pinch of smoked paprika stirred in at the end.
- In cold weather, use 1 tbsp olive oil instead of butter powder. It is cheaper and does not clump.
https://domesticsuperhero.com/panera-mac-and-cheese-copycat-recipe