Panera Mac and Cheese Copycat
Small, hollow pasta coated in glossy white cheddar sauce gives this stovetop mac and cheese its familiar look. Sharp white cheddar provides the flavor, while a smaller amount of white American cheese helps the sauce melt smoothly. The milk base thickens before the cheese goes in; then the pot comes off the heat to keep the finished sauce creamy rather than grainy. Serve it straight from the pot, without baking or adding a topping.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pipette rigate pasta (340g)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (about 45g)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (about 25g)
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk, plus a little more if needed
- 8 ounces sharp white cheddar, freshly shredded (about 225g)
- 4 ounces white American cheese, cut or torn into small pieces (about 115g)
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste and for the pasta water
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon mild hot sauce
Yield: 6 servings. Time: 10 minutes prep, 20 minutes cook, 30 minutes total.
How to Make Panera-Style Mac and Cheese
- Prepare the pasta and cheese: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Shred the cheddar and cut or tear the white American cheese into small pieces.
- Cook the pasta: Add the pipette rigate to the boiling water. Follow the package timing, checking 1 to 2 minutes early. Drain when tender with a slight bite; do not rinse. Make the sauce while the pasta cooks.
- Cook the roux: Melt the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Use a pot large enough to hold the sauce and all the cooked pasta. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, until smooth and lightly bubbling but not browned.
- Thicken the milk base: Whisk in the first splashes of milk gradually, smoothing out each addition before adding more. Whisk in the remaining milk. Cook uncovered over medium to medium-low heat, whisking frequently and scraping the bottom and edges of the pot. After about 5 to 8 minutes, it should gently bubble and lightly coat the back of a spoon.
- Melt the cheese: Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the white American cheese and cheddar in several additions, letting each addition melt before adding more. Stir in the Dijon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and optional hot sauce. The sauce should be smooth and glossy. Taste before adding more salt; do not boil the cheese sauce.
- Coat and serve: Fold the drained pasta into the sauce off heat until evenly coated. If the sauce is too thick to flow around the pasta, stir in a small splash of milk. Serve promptly, without a topping. If the pasta has cooled, warm it briefly over low heat, stirring gently.
How to Keep the Cheese Sauce Smooth
Thicken the milk base before adding cheese. Gentle bubbles and a light coating on the back of a spoon mean the flour has done its job; the cheese then needs only to melt into the sauce, not cook in it.
Shred cheddar from a block rather than using pre-shredded cheese, which can melt less evenly. Add the cheeses in portions off heat, and avoid boiling the finished sauce. Pasta continues to absorb liquid after it is mixed in, so serve soon or loosen the coating with a little milk.
Choosing Pasta and Cheese
Pipette rigate has small, curved tubes that catch sauce while leaving their hollow openings visible. Small shells or elbows work if pipette is unavailable.
Sharp white cheddar gives the sauce its main flavor; white American cheese helps it melt smoothly. The small amount of Dijon stays in the background rather than making the sauce taste mustard-forward. For a cheddar-only version, replace the white American cheese with 4 ounces of freshly shredded white cheddar. The sauce may be less forgiving, so take particular care to melt it off heat.
Storing and Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat over low heat with a splash of milk, stirring gently until creamy. For a microwave portion, add a little milk and stir during reheating. The sauce will be thicker after chilling than when freshly made.
Freezing is possible but not preferred: the dairy sauce may separate or reheat less smoothly.
Nutrition
Approximate per serving, based on 6 servings: 540 calories, 24g protein, 27g fat, and 52g carbohydrates. Approximate per 100g of prepared mac and cheese: 180 calories, 8g protein, 9g fat, and 17g carbohydrates. Values vary with the cheeses used, cooked pasta yield, and any milk added to loosen the sauce.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Large saucepan or Dutch oven
- Whisk
- Colander
- Box grater
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pipette rigate pasta (340 g)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (about 45 g)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (about 25 g)
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk, plus a little more if needed
- 8 ounces sharp white cheddar, freshly shredded (about 225 g)
- 4 ounces white American cheese, cut or torn into small pieces (about 115 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste and for the pasta water
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon mild hot sauce
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Shred the cheddar and cut or tear the white American cheese into small pieces.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package timing, checking 1 to 2 minutes early. Drain when tender with a slight bite; do not rinse.
- While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, until smooth and lightly bubbling but not browned.
- Gradually whisk in the first splashes of milk, smoothing each addition before adding more. Whisk in the remaining milk.
- Cook the milk mixture uncovered over medium to medium-low heat, whisking frequently and scraping the bottom and edges, until it gently bubbles and lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the cheeses in several additions, letting each addition melt before adding more.
- Stir in the Dijon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and optional hot sauce. Taste and add more salt if needed; do not boil the cheese sauce.
- Fold the drained pasta into the sauce off the heat until evenly coated. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a small splash of milk. Serve promptly without a topping.
Tips
- Shred cheddar from a block for a more even melt.
- Thicken the milk base until it lightly coats the back of a spoon before adding cheese.
- Add the cheeses in portions with the pot off the heat, and do not boil the finished sauce.
- Serve soon after combining, or loosen the sauce with a little milk if it thickens.
Variations
- Cheddar-Only Version: Replace the white American cheese with 4 ounces of freshly shredded white cheddar, and melt it carefully off the heat.
- Alternative Pasta: Use small shells or elbow pasta if pipette rigate is unavailable.