#communalkitchen

Venturing into my old dorm hall, Jennings Hall, I asked University of Florida freshman Hanna Harwood what her favorite things to cook in her communal kitchen were.

"I like to get creative and recreate meals from my favorite restaurants," she said. "I don't have the luxury of going out to eat every night, so I started researching copycat recipes for my favorite dishes."

One of her favorites to recreate is Panera Bread's mac & cheese. Considering this is one of my favorite menu items Panera Bread offers, she had me hooked.

"There are hundreds of recipes online for it, but I like this one because everything is made in one pot and there are so little ingredients," Harwood said.

I immediately set aside 30 minutes of my time to make this. I ventured to Publix and picked up the only two ingredients I didn't already have: extra sharp white cheddar cheese and dijon mustard.

"It's really fun when everyone in the kitchen is super impressed with what you are making," Harwood said. "You basically throw all of the ingredients into one pot and let it do its magic."

Copycat Panera mac & cheese

2 cups pasta

2 1/2 cups milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. dijon mustard

1 tbsp. butter

1 cup (4 oz.) grated extra sharp cheddar

I gathered my ingredients and got to cooking.

Photo by Julia Harrison

I chopped up the cheese (because what college student has a cheese grater?).

Photo by Julia Harrison

On medium heat, I added the milk, butter, mustard, salt and pasta.

Photo by Julia Harrison

I let that come to a simmer, and then turn the heat down to low. Stir continuously for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked in the milk.

Photo by Julia Harrison

Add the cheese. I added some regular shredded cheddar, because why not?

Photo by Julia Harrison

Let it sit with a lid on for about 5 minutes and enjoy immediately!

Photo by Julia Harrison