This copycat Panera Mac and Cheese tastes just like the stuff you buy in the famous bakery but is easy to make at home and only requires one pan!
So, let’s just start this by saying that our Panera Bread has a drive-thru.
It’s bad for my wallet. I don’t like fast-food, but I like food to be fast. Especially with two kids and there is NO way I’m getting out of the car with both kids to grab food. Forget that, I’d rather go home.
So Panera’s drive-thru is both the answer to my prayers and a huge nightmare. But it’s mostly a good thing.
And their mac and cheese! Oh my, their mac and cheese. It is soooo good. Ultra creamy and so amazingly delicious. I usually order it for E but I always snag a bite or two before giving it to her. Don’t tell!
What makes this recipe great is not only the fact that it is creamy and amazing just like the stuff you get at Panera, but this mac and cheese is made in one pan and one pan only. It cooks in the milk for a super creamy and thick texture.
You’ll want to use a really good, high quality white cheddar for this macaroni and cheese. And in my opinion, the sharper the better. And keep stirring. The whole time. It’s important to keep the pasta from sticking together.
Save yourself some money and enjoy this copycat Panera mac and cheese at home!
Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese (one pan!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked medium shell pasta
- 2 and 1/2 cups whole milk (MUST be WHOLE milk for this recipe to work)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup freshly grated extra sharp white cheddar (4 ounces) – do not use pre-grated
Instructions
- Rinse uncooked pasta under cold water.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine milk, pasta, salt, mustard and butter. Stir frequently and bring to a simmer. Reduce to low. Stir frequently (almost continually) for 15-20 minutes while pasta cooks and milk is absorbed. Remove from heat, stir in cheese and cover for 5 minutes. Enjoy immediately (not good reheated — gets grainy).
Notes
- Using store-bought grated cheese instead of freshly grated cheese could cause this recipe to fail because of the additives (anti-clumping agents) in grated cheese.
- Using milk that has a lower fat percentage than whole milk will also likely cause this recipe to fail and the milk to curdle.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
This looks so rich and creamy! And who can say no to mac and cheese!
NOTHING is better than this mac and cheese. I’m sure of it :)
Love easy simple ingredients.
I need this NOW!!!
Do it!
I can fix that Pan Mac-N-Cheese addiction, it’s premade & all they do is warm it, imagine the salt content!!
I had heard everyone rave about how good Panera Mac & cheese was but had never tried it myself. The nearest one is 2.5 hours away so one night I decided to find a copycat recipe. This one looked delicious so I decided to try it, and I was not disappointed! I fell in love immediately! Fast forward a couple weeks and I finally try Panera’s mac, and I find I actually like this recipe a lot more than I like theirs! I love making it, thank you!
Ahhh thank you SO much! I’m so glad you had success with this recipe and love it. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.
Help! I made this for a company potluck but I think I added too much mustard. It’s overwhelming. It’s currently in a crockpot in the break room. Can I melt down some extra cheese to mix in and even out the flavor? Do you think that would work??
I’m guessing it might be too late, sorry! :( That’s a tough one to recover from – I would say more cheese and pasta…did you figure something out?
Any ideas how to convert to crockpot version?
No, I’m sorry! This recipe is slightly temperamental so I think putting it in the crockpot would cause it to fail. I am working on a different crockpot mac and cheese recipe though, so stay tuned!
This may be an obvious answer but just want to double check before I try this out- when you say butter did you use salted or unsalted butter? Can’t wait to try this recipe- love love love Panera Mac and cheese but the closest one is 1.5 hours away :(
Either way would be great! Just taste it when you’re done and add salt to your tastes. :) Hope you love it!
My daughter has been craving this since she was hospitalized and had no appetite. Panera mac and cheese was what got her eating again…and again and again. Anyway, I can’t keep buying it at $5/cup. In doing a little shopping around for copycat recipes, I’ve found that most contain hot sauce and a little more dijon. This surprised me. Do you know anything about this? I’m thinking less dijon and no hot sauce for my 8 and 10 yr old sounds good.
Both hot sauce and dijon are only there to provide extra flavor, so you could absolutely leave them out and still get good results. :) However, they’re likely in such small amounts (at least it is in my recipe) that you (and she) wouldn’t even notice it. Hope your daughter is okay!