Copy Cat Panera Bread Mac & Cheese
This copycat Panera mac and cheese recipe is just as creamy and delicious as the real thing. Better yet, it’s easy to make, coming together in 20 minutes and much more affordable than taking your family out to eat!
I just love Panera.
Their soup, their salads, but most of all their velvety mac & cheese.
It’s downright iconic with its blend of white cheddar cheese and pipette rigate pasta.
Don’t you want to Panera all the time for a big bowl of it?
I know I do.
But, that’s not really budget friendly.
Especially since most of the time when I go to Panera, I have 4 very hungry boys with me and Panera runs get expensive fast.
I decided I needed a way to get my fix at home for much less money.
This copycat Panera mac and cheese recipe really does satisfy those cravings at home while saving me a ton of money.
It’s just as creamy and decadent as the real deal and it can feed my whole family for a fraction of the price of eating at Panera.
Plus, it comes together with just a handful of ingredients in under 20 minutes.
Can’t beat that!
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Pasta- For the most Panera-like results use pipette pasta
- Butter
- Flour– All purpose
- Milk– 2%. You could use whole, but don’t use 1% or skim.
- American cheese– 6 slices of white American cheese chopped
- Cheddar cheese– Shredded extra-sharp white cheddar
- Seasonings– Dijon mustard, salt, and just a touch of hot sauce
How to Make
This copycat Panera mac and cheese recipe is a snap to make!
Just cook the pasta in a pot of salted water, according to the package directions.
When the pasta is cooked, drain it and set it aside while you make the sauce.
To make the sauce, melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat.
Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour, stirring it until the roux is smooth and golden.
Then gradually whisk in the milk, stirring until the mixture comes together and is smooth before adding more.
Keep doing this until all the liquid’s been incorporated.
Cook the sauce over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and bubbles.
Remove the skillet from heat, and immediately stir in the cheeses, mustard, salt, and hot sauce.
Keep stirring until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is totally smooth.
Then stir the cooked macaroni into the skillet, tossing it so it is coated in the sauce.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
The cheese sauce will thicken in the fridge so when you reheat it you may want to stir a little milk in before microwaving it until warmed through.
Tips and Tricks
- The cheese color doesn’t matter for taste but for appearance. Panera’s mac and cheese is creamy white and not orange so for authenticity stick to white American cheese and white cheddar.
- It’s super important to stir the butter and flour until incorporated so the roux is nice and smooth. If you don’t the roux will be lumpy and that will give you a lumpy cheese sauce.
- Likewise, stir in the milk a little at a time, fully incorporating each batch of milk in before adding more. You can’t stir too much but if you don’t stir enough the sauce won’t come together properly.
Other Copycat Panera Recipes
This copycat Panera mac and cheese recipe is a spot on dupe of the classic dish from the casual restaurant.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other copycat Panera recipes?
Try these:
- Panera’s Tomato Soup Recipe
- Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Copycat Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- French Onion Soup
- Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
- Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese
If you’ve tried this PANERA MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Panera Mac And Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb pipette pasta
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup flour
- 2 1/2 cups 2% milk
- 6 slices white American cheese chopped
- 1 cup shredded extra-sharp white Vermont cheddar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp hot sauce
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a pot of salted water, according to the package directions.1 lb pipette pasta
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 60 seconds while whisking constantly. Gradually add in the milk, whisking until the mixture comes together and is smooth before adding more. Repeat until all the liquid's been incorporated.¼ cup butter, ½ cup flour, 2 1/2 cups 2% milk
- Cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove the skillet from heat, and immediately stir in the cheeses, mustard, salt, & hot sauce. Stir until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is totally smooth.6 slices white American cheese, 1 cup shredded extra-sharp white Vermont cheddar, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp hot sauce
- Add the pasta to the skillet, tossing to coat. Serve immediately.
Notes
- The cheese color doesn't matter for taste but for appearance. Panera's mac and cheese is creamy white and not orange so for authenticity stick to white American cheese and white cheddar.
- It's super important to stir the butter and flour until incorporated so the roux is nice and smooth. If you don't the roux will be lumpy and that will give you a lumpy cheese sauce.
- Likewise, stir in the milk a little at a time, fully incorporating each batch of milk in before adding more. You can't stir too much but if you don't stir enough the sauce won't come together properly.
Nutrition
Surprisingly there is very little cheese in this recipe. Looks so good.
It all comes together to form the most delicious creamy sauce.