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
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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!
It was OK if you like pepper. 1 teaspoon pepper was WAY too much and it was all you could taste. It was also really thick compared to Panera’s. I would make it again, but use maybe 1/4t pepper to start with and the sauce a bit thinner.
Is it regular white cheddar or sharp!? I want to make sure I buy the right cheese 😉
How can I prepare this ahead of time and then reheat it?
Some people have luck making it in advance and warming it up on the stove with a little extra milk. I think it’s so much better fresh.
I made this last night and it was soooo good! Very creamy and delicious! My husband loved it and said it’s the best recipe for mac & cheese so far! We added sauteed onions and browned up a can of Spam into diced pieces. It was soooo good. This will definitely be my go to recipe for macaroni & cheese. Next time I make it, I will still use the Cabot but will divide it with a more sharper cheese. Oh yeah, I’m staying at my inlaws and they had no dry mustard. I used regular mustard hahaha. It still came out good. That could have been what took away my sharpness in the flavor. I’ll be sure to stock their cupboard with the dry mustard for next time. And that won’t be too far away. Thank you for an awesome recipe! =)
I make this all the time, it’s so delicious. As with all recipes I eventually made it my own, but I did absolutely love it with the original recipe too. That said, I’ve made a variation on basically all of it lol! So my way is 1/2 cup whole milk, 2 1/2 cups whipping cream, the entire block of cabbot’s, 1 1/2 tsp salt (I’ve done it with kosher, sea salt, and regular. Always the same!) 1/2 tsp of white pepper (I just do not like the black pepper in this recipe), and 2 tsp dry ground mustard. The extra mustard makes it a bit sharper and the extra whipping cream makes the sauce thicker, which I love. I know some want it less thick, I imagine you could go the opposite way and just add more whole milk and less whipping cream. Thanks for this awesome recipe!
So is this 1/2 pound uncooked to become 1 pound cooked. Or start with 1 pound uncooked weight? Thanks
It’s one pound of uncooked pasta, that has been cooked. It says “one pound pasta cooked” not “one pound cooked pasta”
Who cooks a roux for 1 minute??? I’m not being “that guy” but unless you enjoy the taste of raw flour, you need to cook your roux much longer.
Nope. For this small amount of flour, a minute is more than enough. Try the recipe before you run your mouth. It came out perfectly.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made this. Great quick preperation.
Best I’ve ever had!
It was wonderful! Never had Panera’s. I made an error and read 2 pounds of cheese instead of 2 cups. No problem! I added 1 more teaspoon of salt,pepper, mustard and 1 more cup of half and half . I then cooked up another half pound of cavatappi blended it all and enjoyed! Thank you for the recipe! I used the Cabot cheese and it was smooth and not the least bit gritty.
Simple and easy! I 1.5x the sauce (2x the seasonings), and added two chopped heads of broccoli to the last three minutes of the boiling noodles. I added some cubed leftover ham also. It was a great one pan meal! My husband doesn’t even like Mac and cheese, but he said he liked this one!
Just made this recipe and it’s delish! Love the creaminess
Just made this recipe and it’s delish! Love the creaminess.
Thank youuuuu! I tried it and it’s perfect! Just what I needed.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Just what I needed! ❤️