“Panera’s latest craveable fall menu drop combines Panera’s signature Mac & Cheese, layered with fontina and mozzarella cheeses, sprinkled with Parmesan crisps and sandwiched between slices of classic White Miche, toasted to perfection,” said the September press release announcing Panera’s new Grilled Mac & Cheese Sandwich.

Congrats! Who’d have guessed that a chain with a decent selection of salads would be among the first to serve a pasta sandwich?

We already eat too many refined carbs like white bread, pasta, rice, and flour tortillas. But combining two to create an entrée? Genius!

What’s next—a fried rice sandwich?

Panera’s Grilled Mac & Cheese has 860 calories. That dwarfs a Big Mac (550), and even tops a Burger King Whopper (660) or McDonald’s Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (740).

Not to be outdone, the Grilled Mac’s saturated fat (24 grams) and sodium (1,650 mg) also beat all three burgers.

And that’s without the Mac’s side: a bag of chips, an apple, or—why not?—a 180-calorie white-flour baguette?

It’s “the ultimate collaboration that our guests never knew they needed,” said Panera’s Head Chef and Chief Food Innovation Officer.

Needed like a hole in the head.

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