Panera Mac and Cheese Recipe (2024)

Is Panera mac and cheese your favorite entree to order at this popular restaurant? If you answered yes, we've got you covered with our copycat recipe. It's rich, creamy, and spot on. Make this at home and wow your friends and family.

If you love eating at Panera, you'll want to check out our copycat recipes for their broccoli mac and cheese and 10 vegetable soup.

Ingredients

The ingredients for our Panera mac and cheese recipe are easy to find except for the Boar's Head white American cheese and the Barilla pipette pasta. I needed to go to a more upscale grocery store to find these two ingredients. The American cheese was sold in the deli section; ask for a chunk, and you can grate it yourself.

• Pasta: We used pipette pasta, which is a bit smaller than what Panera uses.
• Fat: We used salted butter for the roux.
• Flour: We used all purpose flour, but you can also use your favorite gluten free flour.
• Spices: We used coarse kosher salt for the pasta, coarse sea salt, white pepper, garlic powder, dry mustard, and a small amount of Tabasco.
• Dairy: We used heavy cream and whole milk to make this extra creamy, along with white American cheese and white Vermont extra sharp cheese.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

• Cheese: Use either sharp or extra sharp Vermont white cheddar to make it taste like Panera's. Fontina with mozzarella would be a nice change to make it taste different.
• Need this gluten free? Use your favorite gluten free flour and pasta (Dakota Growers pipette).
• Want meat? Add crumbled bacon, shredded chicken, chopped steak, or lobster.
• Want veggies? Add broccoli, carrots, spinach, or green onions.

How to Make

Gather all the ingredients. Grate the two cheeses and keep them out so they warm up to room temperature.

Cook the pasta in salted water for 1 minute less than the package directs, then drain well without rinsing. Set aside and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes.

1. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. While the butter is melting, mix the coarse sea salt, white pepper, and garlic powder with the flour. Add the mixture and whisk constantly for one minute to cook the raw flour.
2. Lower the heat to medium and slowly pour the heavy cream while whisking to create a smooth sauce.

3. Whisk in the whole milk. If necessary, lower the heat, as you don't want the sauce to boil.

4. Sprinkle in the dry mustard and add a few dashes of Tabasco sauce for flavor. Continue whisking for 5 to 7 minutes until the sauce thickens.

5. Turn the heat to the lowest setting and gradually add the grated American cheese one handful at a time while whisking. Repeat with the grated Vermont extra sharp cheese. The sauce should be smooth when done.

6. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Take it off the heat and allow it to thicken for 5 minutes.

7. Gradually add cooled pasta to the cheese sauce. Fold it in with a large spatula or wooden spoon until the pasta is well coated.

8. Enjoy while it's still hot!

Recipe FAQs

Serve

• Panera serves this with your choice of a French baguette, a bag of kettle chips, or an apple. You can also upgrade and have your cup of pasta served in a sourdough bread bowl.
• To round out your meal, you'll also want to serve some less carb-heavy choices like a fresh green salad, roasted broccoli, or a fruit salad.

If you're looking for other pasta recipes, you'll want to try our recipes for Panera broccoli mac and cheese, Chick-fil-A mac and cheese, creamy bow tie pasta, American goulash, Caprese pesto pasta salad, and alfredo basil sauce.

Store

• Leftovers: Store in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days in an airtight container.
• Reheat: Place in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium low heat. Stir in a little bit of whole milk and gently heat for 3 to 6 minutes until it's warmed through. If you reheat in the microwave, you'll have a greater chance of having the sauce separate.
• Freeze: Since this sauce contains lots of dairy, I wouldn't recommend freezing it. The pasta would soften too much, and the sauce would separate once it's reheated.

Expert Tips

• Use the best quality cheese that you grate yourself. (We found Boar's Head cheese in the deli section at Publix and Harris Teeter.) Make sure it's at room temperature before adding to the sauce, as that will help it melt more evenly.
• Don't let the sauce boil, and make sure to constantly whisk it.
• Allow the cheese sauce to cool for 5 minutes before adding the pasta; it will thicken up.

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