Creamy white cheddar macaroni and cheese just like Panera. Give this copycat panera mac and cheese a try. Oh and it’s quick and easy on the stove top too!!
For more traditional mac and cheese try my favorite Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe or my Gouda Bacon Mac and Cheese.
Copycat Panera Recipe
My kids are so predictable sometimes when it comes to ordering from restaurants. I like to order something different every time I go out, it’s fun to try new things.
But at Panera, we all seem to be creatures of habit. We all get the same soup, sandwich or salad..EVERY TIME.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Orange Scones, and a big bowl of Mac and Cheese. Don’t forget the kitchen sink cookies!
I thought it would be fun to try to recreate this recipe at home. I’m good at making the main dish for dinner, but it’s the side dishes that always get forgotten. And peanut butter fudge is the perfect ending to any meal, right?
We usually end up having applesauce and a roasted broccoli because I can’t seem to wrap my head around making side dishes.
- Made on stove top in minutes!
- Creamy and cheesy!
- Kid and adult approved.
Ingredient Notes
With just a handful of ingredients, you can make this stove top mac and cheese at home.
- Pasta- use what you love. Cavatappi is a great choice, but shells or elbows work great too.
- Cheese- good quality cheese is a must. And shredding it yourself is key to the creamiest mac and cheese. Bag of shredded cheese won’t give you the same results, you’ll find it more grainy. Use white cheddar to mimic Panera.
- Ground Mustard- or dry mustard. This does not give your mac and cheese a mustard flavor, but instead ENHANCES the cheese flavor. Don’t skip it!
- Milk & Cream- for the thickest mac and cheese, use heavy whipping cream and whole milk.
- Salt and Pepper- season as directed, adding more after serving if necessary.
Step by Step Instructions
- Cook pasta- according to package directions while making the sauce. Drain and set aside until ready to use.
- Make the roux- In a large saucepan on medium high heat, add butter until melted. Whisk in the flour and cook for about one minute. Reduce heat to medium and add milk, heavy cream, salt, dry mustard and pepper.
- Add cheese- Continue whisking until it begins to bubble. Reduce to low and add white cheddar. Stir until melted.
- Add pasta- Add cooked pasta, stirring until combined. Remove from heat and allow to sit about 5 minutes to thicken. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. ENJOY.
Recipe FAQs
I prefer a white cheddar, like Cabot’s. Don’t use the packaged shredded cheese, as it usually has thickeners on it. Buy a block and shred it yourself for the creamiest results.
1/2-1 tsp of dijon mustard would work well with today’s mac and cheese recipe. It doesn’t make the recipe taste like mustard, but instead enhances the cheese flavor!
Absolutely! Start with about 1/4 teaspoon. This will give the pasta great flavor without making it spicy. Add more if you want spice!
Tips and Tricks
- While your noodles are cooking, you can whip up the roux (flour and butter mixture). Then add remaining ingredients. By the time your noodles are done, your sauce should be ready. Easy!
- When ready to reheat your leftovers, you may need to add about 1/2 cup milk. Warm it up on low on the stovetop. This recipe is about two meals for us as a side dish, for our family of 4.
- Use the video tutorial below to follow along!
Serving Suggestions
- Buffalo Chicken Sliders
- Meatball Subs
- Instant Pot Hamburgers
- Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches
- Mississippi Pot Roast
Copycat Panera Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 pound pasta cooked (cavatapppi, shells, or elbow)
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions while making the sauce. Drain and set aside until ready to use.
- In a large pot on medium high heat, add butter until melted. Whisk in the flour and cook for about one minute. Reduce heat to medium and add milk, heavy cream, salt, dry mustard and pepper.
- Continue whisking until it begins to bubble. Reduce to low and add white cheddar. Stir until melted.
- Add cooked pasta, stirring until combined. Remove from heat and allow to sit about 5 minutes to thicken. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
Notes
- Use a good quality cheese for best flavor. We choose Cabot white cheddar for best results.
- Shred your own cheese!
Video
Nutrition
Copycat Panera White Cheddar Mac and Cheese recipe is perfect for an easy weeknight side dish!
I love Panera’s mac and cheese and was so excited to see a copycat recipe. I made this tonight was very disappointed. I followed the recipe exactly and this tastes nothing like Panera’s. It had absolutely no taste. I had to add lots of salt and pepper to it to make it the least bit palatable. I will not be making this recipe again.
Oh, that’s unfortunate. Did you use Cabot White Cheddar? A good quality white cheddar cheese makes a world of a difference! Also keep in mind Panera mac and cheese comes from a bag with lots of processed ingredients, so the flavor will be different, but in my book, better!
This is better then Panera. Unfortunately there’s is a plastic pouch of kraft that is heated up in hot water or steam.
I’m in love with j Alexander’s (Redlands grill) Mac and cheese I hope u will make a copy cat version of that one day!
Made it right away. Cooks up in a snap. I grew up with fresh tomatoes swirled through,guess the garden always had plenty. I added them . Great quick dinner.
I agree…I don’t use any other cheese in my Mac & Cheese recipes but Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar, but I use the orange one. EXCELLENT brand!!
Can you cut this recipe in half for less? it’s a lot of pasta and I’m just cooking for 2. It’s absolutely delicious though! I just feel bad that there is so much left over and much of it gets thrown away.
Sure…just divide all the ingredients in half 🙂
While the recipe itself tasted great, hard cheese does not keep well after one day even in the fridge. The macaroni clumped together and when I heated it up the milk solids separated from the oil and it was an oily gloopy mess. In the.future I would use a white cheddar cheese bit not sharp.
Could i put this in a crockpot? If so, should i do more sauce to keep it from getting dry?
I’ve never made this in the crockpot, sorry! If you try it, let me know!
When I saw this recipe I was so excited because Panera’s mac n cheese is delicious!
But I just got done eating it, and it tasted horrible! I followed all of the directions..
Wouldn’t recommend this to anyone!
Just wasted a 1lb of delicious noodles :,(
This is definitely a keeper! My very picky family has enjoyed this recipe very much! Thank you!
It’s great to know people love this as much as my family!!
I wanted to love this recipe. I followed the recipe exactly. I found it to be very bland.
Oh no!! It’s definitely not bland, but maybe it was the brand of cheese you used?
I made this recipe tonight with Cracker Barrel white cheddar and added a little more salt as suggested by others when using the alternate brand cheese. I let it sit almost 10 minutes to get to the perfect creaminess. I have not tasted Panera mac and cheese but I can say this recipe is delicious. My teenage daughter commented that it tastes like “grown up” food, much more fancy then the blue box! Very easy to make, too!
So glad to hear you liked the recipe, my kids LOVE when I make this 🙂 Kid AND adult friendly!
This recipe has the look and texture of the Panera version. My two older children, wife and I think the recipe is fantastic! My 7-year-old, however, states again and again that it does not taste like Panera. I will have to tinker with the cheese to get to the Panera flavor.
I was really excited to make this… however I should have researched the recipe more. Please don’t call this a copy cat recipe, when it doesn’t even taste like Panera’s Mac and Cheese. This is way too sharp. I’m typing this as I am finishing up my small portion…
I found a different recipe that calls for 8oz white sharp cheddar, and 6 slices of white American (from deli!!), also a dash of hot sauce. This will make it more mild and probably creamer. Haven’t tried it yet, but seems like it would be a better “copy cat” than this one.
That looks yummy!
Really disappointed. Following the instructions exactly and this tastes nothing like Panera.
what is “dry” mustard?
Made this with the Cabot seriously sharp… It’s very good but doesn’t taste a thing like Panera. I also got a somewhat gritty texture
what about the mac & cheese from whole foods? dying to find that copy cat recipe… “help”
I’ve never had that one. Guess I better do some taste testing!!
Am I correct in believing that this recipe needs the block of cheese shredded at home, not the bagged stuff hanging at the store? Cabot now has both the block and the shredded in my store. So now I’m curious. I want to make sure I get the right product!
I prefer the block of cheese. It has no fillers (like cornstarch) and it melts smooth!