For all you fans of Panera Mac and Cheese, I’m about to blow your mind. This is the actual Panera Mac and Cheese recipe that the company had posted on their website some time ago. Thank goodness my neighbor saved it for all of us to enjoy!
I thought my favorite was my stove top macaroni and cheese recipe, but boy this sure makes it hard to decide!
How to Make Panera Mac and Cheese at Home
This creamy, delicious copycat Panera mac and cheese tastes just like the restaurant. Aside from the pasta, please adhere to the ingredients listed below. As with all copycat recipes, if you want it to taste like you bought it there, you have to make it like they do. If you change any ingredients, you will change the recipe.
We even sought out the same pasta Panera uses, just to make it authentic. We found ours at Trader Joes, but there’s a little Italian grocery store by me that sells it too. They are called pipette rigate and have a unique shape that the Panera chefs say hold the sauce the best. If you can’t find pipette rigate, you can use regular elbow macaroni instead.
What you need to make this recipe:
- Pipette rigate (or elbow macaroni)
- Butter
- All-purpose flour
- Milk
- Sliced white American cheese, cut into strips
- Vermont extra-sharp white cheddar, shredded
- Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt
- Hot sauce
Helpful kitchen tools:
Making this amazing Panera macaroni and cheese
- Follow the directions on the package of pasta to cook al dente.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, whisking constantly.
- Gradually whisk in the milk; cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat.
- Add cheeses, mustard, salt, and hot sauce, stirring until cheese melts and cheese sauce is smooth.
- Stir in the cooked pasta and cook over medium heat for 1 minute (or until thoroughly heated). Serve immediately.
Panera Mac and Cheese
IMPORTANT - There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 16 ounce pipette rigate or elbow macaroni
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cup milk
- 6 Slices white American cheese sliced into thin strips
- 8 oz Vermont extra-sharp white cheddar shredded
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon hot sauce
Instructions
- Follow the directions on the package of pasta to cook al dente.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, whisking constantly.
- Gradually whisk in the milk; cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat.
- Add cheeses, mustard, salt, and hot sauce, stirring until cheese melts and cheese sauce is smooth.
- Stir in the cooked pasta and cook over medium heat for 1 minute (or until thoroughly heated). Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Jenna says
Could I make extra of the cheese sauce and freeze it to have on hand? Any suggestions for how to thaw or reheat? Or would it not reheat well?
Thanks!
Nancy Osmond says
Jayme, when that happens to me it’s because the cheese gets too hot. I always remove the sauce from the burner to add the cheese and only put back on the burner if the cheese hasn’t completely melted. Hope this helps ☺️
Jamie says
Hello-
Can I leave this on warm in a crock pot for a party? Has anyone done this?
Nikki Boyle Sapp says
I’d like to make this for Thanksgiving, and I have to travel for about 2 hours. Should I make the whole thing beforehand and then reheat it at their house? If so, what’s the best way to reheat it? Or should I make the cheese sauce separately and cook the pasta at my house, but keep them separate until I reach their house. Then reheat the cheese sauce on their stove top at their house and mix the two together? Or??
Amanda Formaro says
I would make the cheese sauce at home, cook the pasta at your destination. When you heat up the cheese sauce you may want to thin it with a little milk.
Jayme says
Hello! I’ve made this twice and I really need some advice. Both times i’ve made this, the sauce has come out grainy and worsens as it cools. I shredded the sharp cheddar cheese myself and used Kraft American cheese. I followed the instructions to a T and still can’t figure why it won’t turn out.
Amanda Formaro says
What type of pasta are you using?
Martha Merza says
Can this be frozen? I have a lot to make for a baby shower and was hoping to make the mac and cheese ahead of time and freezing it so that all I have to do the day of, is reheat it. Just wondering if it would work without it ruining the mac n cheese.
Amanda Formaro says
We do not recommend freeing any type of pasta as it will lose its integrity.
Nikki says
What cheese brands do you recommend for both of them?
Looks awesome and I want to try it!
Amanda Formaro says
I get my sliced white American cheese from the deli counter, and for the Vermont cheddar I use Cabot.
Emily says
I have this page bookmarked and I come back to it at least once a month! I almost have it memorized by this point. We always make a huge triple batch and freeze the leftovers, so it freezes incredibly well. This recipe isn’t EXACTLY like panera but it doesn’t need to be because it’s better!!! Although it does come really close.
Jacqueline says
Delicious!!!
Cara-Leigh says
I use double smoked Gouda and mozzarella and add 1/4 teaspoon paprika and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and it’s even tastier!
Saje says
What Kind of hotsauceshould i use? Franks, Tabasco or Sriracha style??
Amanda Formaro says
I have used both Franks and Tabasco
Chad R. says
I am going to make this recipe tomorrow for a family get together. I am wondering what brand of cheeses that you recommend. I understand that you are not endorsing any one particle company. I just want to hit a homerun the 1st time I attempt this recipe.
Thank you
Amanda Formaro says
I have successfully used Cabot Vermont White Cheddar :)
Brad says
is the 8 oz of cheese before spreading or is it 8 fluid oz after shredding?
Amanda Formaro says
It’s best to use a kitchen scale if you have one. If you don’t, check the package. Many cheese companies package their product in 8 oz packages. Do not use a fluid ounce measuring cup, cheese is not fluid and it won’t yield the same.
Wendy says
Was horrible. Way to much mustard flavor. I threw it away.
Amanda Formaro says
I have not experienced that. Could be your taste preference, but sounds more to me like you may have measured something incorrectly.
Lindsey Mann says
I have a made a to of me made Mac and cheese recipes and this by far is the best one I’ve ever tried! Great combo of cheeses and would agree, this is better than Panera!
Brandy says
The best! I thought it actually tasted better than Panera. My son loves Panera but I hate spending the money on it when he only eats half of it (he’s 3.5 and they’re small is kind of big for him) and he gobbled this up. I only made 1/4 of the recipe and am freezing the rest of what he didn’t eat and am hoping it reheats well.
Lori Walsh says
Looks good!
DeeB says
Thank you for having a copy of this. The link to Panera that I have always used, no longer works!!! This is a family favorite!
Karen says
Clear and easy directions.
DELICIOUS!
I have made it several times and will continue to do so.
Brooke Kline says
This was good, but I felt like mine ended up having almost too much of a sharp taste. Any advice? I only had 3 slices of the white American cheese, but would it affect taste that much? Should I just use sharp white cheddar instead of extra sharp next time? I added a bit more Dijon to try and cut the sharpness but didn’t seem to help. If I could just figure out what it needs, it’d be great!
Amanda Formaro says
The adjustments of cheese and dijon could definitely have affected the sharpness. I hope you get to try it again with the recommended measurements :)