Panera adds Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese to its at home line

Panera makes it easy to eat vegetables with Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese.

Sometimes it is hard to choose a favorite and Panera thinks that you should not have to choose one over the other. For the first time, the brand’s at home line is launching a menu item mash up. Are you ready for the deliciousness that is Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese?

Many people love Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Considered the brand’s top selling soup and the number one refrigerated soup sold in the U.S., this soup hits all the right notes. It’s is creamy, comforting and makes it easy to eat some vegetables. Broccoli always tastes better when it is surrounded by cheddar goodness.

Additionally, Panera’s Mac and Cheese is a rich, comforting bite that might be better than mom’s recipe. Made with Vermont White Cheddar, each bite makes you go back for another. While it might be a little indulgent, you can’t help but want an extra helping.

For this first ever menu item mash up, Panera has combined the two menu items into a single dish. The Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese takes elements of both dishes to make a craveable dish that could become your family’s favorite.

The classic elbow macaroni is surrounded by a cheddar cheese sauce that is made from two distinct cheddar cheeses. Broccoli florets and julienned carrots are incorporated into the dish.

Recently, I had an opportunity to try the new Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese and I was pleasantly surprised with the new menu item for many reasons. First, the sauce’s flavor is intriguing. The combination of the two cheddars rounds out the flavor.

Additionally, the sauce’s consistency is just right. It isn’t too rich that makes it hard to eat an entire bowl. It is creamy, luscious and the macaroni is smothered in that delicious sauce. At the end of a serving, you feel satisfied.

Most impressive about this dish is the broccoli pieces. Instead of the broccoli being completely hidden in the dish, big pieces of broccoli are scattered throughout. For the vegetable lovers, the bigger pieces are quite enjoyable.

On the other hand, there are julienned carrots and smaller broccoli pieces make it easy for parents to get kids to eat those vegetables. Parents know it can be a struggle to get kids to happily eat vegetables. This dish can stop that struggle. In my taste test, the kids approved and even asked for more.

Thinking about the Broccoli Mac and Cheese, the dish could be both a meal and a side dish. The versatility adds to its appeal for a family. Grocery options need to have multiple uses for a busy family.

This new menu mash up is a smart choice for Panera. By combining two favorite menu items into a new dish, it knows that its guests will be drawn to those favorite food options. Sometimes people are willing to try something new when it is based on the familiar.

The new Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese is part of the Panera at home line. This offering will start becoming available in stores now and will be more widely available this fall.

What do you think of the new Panera offering? Are you excited to try this Broccoli Mac and Cheese?