Panera’s mac and cheese has earned legendary status among comfort food lovers, and for good reason. This incredibly creamy, rich side dish features pasta swimming in a velvety white cheddar sauce that’s impossible to resist. The secret lies in the perfect combination of two cheeses and one surprising ingredient that elevates the entire dish. Now you can recreate this beloved restaurant favorite at home whenever cravings strike, without the drive or the premium price tag.
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Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
The magic of Panera’s mac and cheese comes from the strategic combination of white American cheese and sharp white cheddar. American cheese provides unmatched meltability and creates that signature smooth, creamy texture without graininess. The sharp white cheddar adds complex flavor depth, while a touch of Dijon mustard enhances the cheese’s natural sharpness and adds subtle tang that prevents the dish from becoming one-dimensional.
Ingredients
- Dijon mustard – The secret ingredient that enhances cheese flavor and adds subtle complexity
- Shell pasta – Holds the creamy cheese sauce in every curve and hollow, you can use elbow macaroni in a pinch
- Butter – Forms the base of the roux and adds richness
- All-purpose flour – Creates the thickening agent for a smooth cheese sauce
- Whole milk – Provides a creamy liquid base and helps achieve perfect consistency
- White American cheese – Delivers unparalleled melting properties for ultimate creaminess
- Shredded sharp white cheddar cheese – Contributes bold, tangy flavor that defines the dish
Ingredient Notes
If you can’t find pasta shells you can use any other type of pasta that you like. Macaroni tastes just like the shells.
You can buy white American cheese in the deli section of your local grocery store. Walk up to the deli counter and ask them for about a pound of the cheese.
You can let them slice it any way you like. You are going to melt the cheese so it doesn’t matter if it is sliced or not.
You will use about a pound of American white cheddar and about 1 cup of sharp white Cheddar.
The cheese isn’t the real secret to the recipe – it is the Dijon mustard.
Mustard has a way of enhancing the flavor of the sharp cheese. Mustard gives it a little extra punch. I like to use a good two teaspoons for this recipe.
I also thin the cheese sauce a bit with whole milk. So all of the ingredients are common and easy to find.
How to Make Panera Mac and Cheese
- Prepare the pasta according to the package directions.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the flour. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly add milk, stirring until it is thickened.
- Add the white American cheese. Whisk the mixture and cook until the cheese has melted.
- Add the white sharp cheese and Dijon mustard. Stir and cook until the cheese has melted.
- Drain the cooked pasta and put it in a large bowl.
- Add the sauce to the pasta. Stir to combine the cheese and the pasta together.
Serve this delicious homemade macaroni and cheese immediately.
I hope you give this recipe a try.
Chef’s Notes
The key to preventing grainy cheese sauce is temperature control. Keep the heat at medium and never let the mixture boil once cheese is added. If the sauce seems too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water or additional milk to reach the desired consistency.
Storage & Reheating Instructions for Leftovers
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator
- Reheating Method: Reheat gently on the stove top over low heat, adding a splash of milk to restore creaminess. Stir frequently to prevent sticking
- Microwave Option: Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until warmed through
- Freezing: Not recommended, as dairy-based sauces typically separate when frozen and thawed
More Panera Bread Copycat Recipes
- Honey Walnut Cream Cheese
- Panera Autumn Squash Soup
- Panera Black Bean Soup
- Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Panera French Onion Soup
- Panera Potato Soup
Favorite Pasta and Macaroni Recipes
- Fast Food Mac and Cheese
- Homemade Macaroni Salad
- Instant Pot White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
- Lubys Mac and Cheese
- Martha Stewart Macaroni and Cheese
- Pasta con Broccoli
- Stouffer’s Macaroni and Cheese
Check out more of my easy side dish recipes and the best Panera Bread recipes here on CopyKat!
Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound shell pasta
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 3/4 pound white American cheese
- 1/4 pound shredded white sharp Cheddar cheese
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Make the sauce while the pasta is cooking.
- Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat.
- Add the flour. Stir and cook about 1 minute.
- Slowly add in the cold milk, stirring constantly.
- Continue to cook and stir the sauce until it is thickened.
- If the white American cheese is not sliced, cut it into cubes.
- Add the white American cheese into the sauce. Stir and cook until the cheese has melted.
- Add the white sharp cheese and Dijon mustard. Stir and cook until the cheese has melted and the sauce has a smooth consistency.
- The cheese sauce should be ready the same time the pasta is done.
- Drain the pasta and put it back in the pot or in a large bowl.
- Add the sauce to the pasta. Stir to combine the cheese and the pasta together.
- Serve immediately.
Thank you for providing these awesome recipes!! Have made 2 recipes so far and will continue looking!! My picky 11 yr old even LOVES them!!
Thank you again!!!
I am so glad to hear that! Making food your family loves is important.
I made this recipe. My daughter worked at Panera for a year and she brought it home often. So I know the taste well. It’s more tart than this recipe. Upon further research, I found another recipe that claimed to be pulled from the Panera website itself. It was just like yours, but the portions of the white American and sharp cheddar were reversed. This is what I will try next time.
How did the reversal go of the two kinds of cheese? Some of the variation could also be the cheeses used. I am sure they have a proprietary cheese.
The directions have make the white sauce and add milk then in next paragraph in separate pot melt cheese and pour in milk. It is in two places to add milk. Did you mean make white sauce then melt cheese after pour in milk in same pot. Its a little confusing that you pour milk in both paragraphs.
I was wondering the same thing.
I also wondered about the mlk. I know making a roue for the base you add the milk after butter and flour. I add the milk, thicken it up, add the cheeese and add a but more milk to thinnif needed
Any advice about cooking this recipe in a crock pot?
I am sorry, I haven’t tried cooking this in a crock pot. I have actually never cooked pasta in a crockpot so I can’t offer any suggestions at this time.
No worries! Thanks for the fast response. If I try it, I’ll let you know how it comes out!
What about reheating this? It made more than I thought and was thinking of taking leftovers to Father’s Day but didn’t want to risk taste. Any pointers?
The video uses way more milk than what is listed in the recipe. Which one should I go with?
Please go with the written recipe. Sometimes in the editing we miss when I call out specific amounts. I wished I did a better job at this. I am sorry for the confusion.
I have always added mustard to any cheese sauce that I make. It is the “secret ingredient ” !
I am sure this is a delicious recipe, based on ingredients alone!
I can’t wait to try this! I’ve just discovered your site and everything looks amazing! I’ll be following you for a long time! I’m just about to order the cookbook!
Good Morning…. This may be a dumb question. But, what is the best way to melt the cheese?
Thank you Stephanie – I am new here but I can tell that a lot of research, work and prepping is required to post successful how-to videos and recipes. AND the best part is no annoying pop up ads! Great site!
Thank you. I hope you enjoy the site!
I thought that Panera used Vermont Cheddar in their mac n cheese.
I followed the recipe – but this is waaaaay thicker than Panera – very sad 🙁
I am so sorry that the recipe created sadness for you. You could have added a bit more milk to the sauce if you thought it was too thick. Again, I am so sorry the recipe made you sad.
The first 3 times I pulled this up, no recipe, no print. This time, via a different link, success. All depends on how you get here.
https://dicksstaffsoffer.us/copycat-panera-bread-macaroni-and-cheese/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=copycat-panera-bread-macaroni-and-cheese</p>
It’s there now. If you would like to shoot me an email, I don’t know why it isn’t working on your side, I will email you the recipe.
Where did the name Panera Bread come from for Mac and Cheese?
It is the name of the restaurant, I always include the name of the restaurant with the name of the recipe when it is a ‘Copycat’ recipe.
Why is everyone saying they don’t see a print button? It is there! Right under the recipe!
Can this mac & cheese be frozen & reheated or can I make half the re ipe. Love your recipes.
If you know you are going to have leftovers, I would store the pasta and the sauce separately.
I tend to think that pasta soaks up the sauce, and leftover pasta isn’t as good as it was the first time.
I don’t see the recipe or even a print recipe button ????
The recipe is back. Sorry about that.
Hi stephanie love the recipes keep them coming
No print recipe button —
It is in two places, once at the bottom of the recipe, then after the blue box where the recipe is right next to the social media call outs.
I’m not even getting a “print recipe” button…
I would like to see the recipe…
press the print recipe button and the recipe will appeaar
There isn’t any recipe provided \_(ツ)_/¯
It’s there, it may just take a minute or two to come up. That’s what happened for me. But it’s there 🙂