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!
This looks awesome, Aimee! My daughter loves Panera’s Mac and cheese, and she will be so happy for me to recreate it!
This is pretty good but I will never understand how to make a roux that doesn’t have a flour-y taste to it. I am not sure I’ll make this again. I wanted to love it.
You have to let the flour cook for a few minutes before adding other ingredients.
This was amazing! So yummy. I’ve had so many problems in the past finding a good homemade mac and cheese recipe and this was perfect. Will now be used all the time for my family! Thanks for sharing it.
Simple and delicious! We seasoned ours with Old Bay and wow!! Thanks for a nice easy recipe that the family loved.
Old Bay? I’m going to try that!
Oh my goodness! I live in Cabot VT (and happen have an obsession with mac n’ cheese) so it’s so cool to see Cabot cheddar used in a recipe! 😀
I love cabot cheese! Especially since I’m lactose intolerant 🙂
Loved this recipe! Even my oldest, pickiest child loved it. Thanks so much!
Yay! You’re welcome 🙂
I’ve tried this mac cheese recipe. My son love it..Thanks for share this recipe aimee
Glad it was a hit!
Made this tonight and we absolutely loved it. I did add extra cheese because I can’t help myself! ???? Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I’ve never had PB Mac n cheese, nor made homemade M n C other than the blue box; however I had to search for Cabot’s white cheddar (I’m a cheese LOVER and you sold that, girl!) went to the website and saw it was at a nearby store I never shop at. Days later I was at Costco and stopped by a sample table and low and behold it was THE cheese!! It was the Vintage White and I just about lost my mind!! I felt that was the sign!! Lol
This M n C was delicious!! I should have 1/2 the recipe as its just two of us but being the first time I didn’t know ????, but it reheated beautifully…with a smidgen of milk it was just as good the 1st and second time; altho I added a lil grating of cheese. One note: when making the roux, next time I will cut down on the flour (or add more butter????) but I just bought more heavy cream and macaroni to make this again!! Didn’t even add the dry mustard and it was fantastic. Thank you.
Wondering if I could make this ahead? Or would it not be as good?
No, it defintely wouldn’t be as good!
Is Cabot Cheese available in Boise, Idaho?
You can check here for your closest location, but it appears it’s available at Albertsons! https://www.cabotcheese.coop/where-to-buy
great recipe! i added half a bag of riced broccoli from trader Joe’s and it was great!
Great idea!
so happpyyyy that you recreated this recipe-it looks crazy amazing
Thank you! ENJOY!
I need to make this in a bulk amount for a post game tailgate. What are your suggestions for making sometime before game and keeping warm so can be served to team after game. We may not have access to electrical outlets and was going to keep in covered dish in cooler, but was afraid pasta would soak up all the sauce and be dry if stored for several hours.
Oh yummy! I tried to look through the comments for a link, but can you pretty please tell me where you found the wee handled bowls in that lovely blue? I’m on the hunt and would love to know! Thanks Aimee!
I got these online from Cost Plus World Market a couple years ago. I know they still sell some similar ones!
PB does have good mac and cheese. Love this copycat version. So creamy!!!
Omg. No wonder it’s so good. Two cups of heavy cream. ???? I just don’t know if I should try it. I might. It stop eating it.
Was excellent kiddos loved it
This recipe works just great as is. The only problem I have is that I can’t stop eating it.
I like mine extra creamy, so I added more milk, cheese and spices. I prefer cornstarch as a thickener instead of flour, using 1/8c. cornstarch diluted in 1/8 c. water.
Cook your pasta half way through. Shock in cold water. Let it cook the rest of the way in the creamy cheese sauce.
Cabot is excellent. They usually sell it at Walmart. You can use any kind of melty cheese. I live in Wisconsin near a cheesemaker. I have lots of varieties of cheeses I could add to this dish.
If your cheese is too soft, freeze it then shred it while its frozen.
It tastes absolutely nothing like Panera mac and cheese but it’s good