Chick Fil A Mac And Cheese (Copycat Recipe)
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Chick Fil A Mac and Cheese is deliciously creamy and easy to recreate at home. Enjoy it for dinner or a tasty addition to any comfort food meal. It’s time to put a spin on your classic macaroni recipe, and make this famous mac instead. You’ll love this mac and cheese copycat!
We like to recreate our favorite restaurant meals at home, especially now that the cost of eating out has become so expensive.
When you’ve got several people to feed, those dollars can add up quickly!
So, I ordered a container and set out to compare recipes, ingredients, and flavors.
While it’s not an exact replica of Chick Fil A® mac n cheese, I think this copycat recipe is just as tasty.
If you’re a fan of the restaurant, I have other Chick Fil A recipes that you can easily make at home, and for a lot less money!
Start with my recipes for their tortilla soup, spicy chicken sandwich, chicken cobb salad and the original Chick Fil A sauce.
By the way, the sauce tastes amazing drizzled on the mac n cheese!
Chick Fil A Mac N Cheese
A dreamy combination of Parmesan, Romano, two types of cheddar, and a few slices of American are in the homemade Chick Fil A cheese sauce that coats every bite of tender macaroni.
Although the restaurant bakes the Chick Fil A sides in-house, our version is a stovetop mac and cheese.
To give the dish that baked goodness, at the very end, it will go under your oven broiler. That crispy, golden top makes it taste even better!
Copycat Chick Fil A Mac and Cheese Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Pasta – The macaroni noodles in the restaurant version are larger than traditional size, but not quite as big as the “large” elbows found at the store.
Whatever you can find will work just fine. You could even use a different type of small noodle, like cavatelli pasta or rotini, if you’d like. - Cheese – One of the three varieties in the original version of Chick fil A mac and cheese was BellaVitano.
It’s an award-winning, aged cow’s milk cheese made by the Sartori company.
According to the restaurant website, the three cheeses currently used in the Chick fil A cheese sauce are Romano, cheddar, and parmesan. - Spices – Paprika and turmeric add subtle flavor, but they are mainly for color. Feel free to leave them out if you prefer.
Chick Fil A Mac and Cheese Recipe Tips
- Shred your own cheese for the best results. Pre-shredded bags are convenient, but they contain anti-caking agents that give the shreds a waxy texture.
They also prevent them from melting down very well. - Adjust the cooking temp. If the Chick Fil A cheese sauce seems to be taking a while to come together, you can turn the temp up to medium-low until everything is fully melted.
Be sure to stir often, and watch it closely, so it doesn’t burn. - Tip for easy broiling: Place the individual dishes on a baking sheet so it’s easier to get them in and out of the oven.
Start checking around the 3 minute mark since the tops can burn easily.
Storing and Reheating Chick Fil A Mac N Cheese
Store leftovers in an airtight container for 4-5 days in the fridge. They will last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
To reheat, place in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until hot. If it seems dried out, you can add a little bit of milk to moisten it back up.
Chick Fil A Mac N Cheese FAQ
Absolutely! I recommend using room temperature milk, as cold milk can create lumps in the sauce.
Just measure out 8 ounces of milk, then set it on your counter 20 minutes or so before you get started on the copycat Chick fil A mac and cheese recipe.
According to the nutrition information on their website, a small size order has 260 calories, 17 grams of fat, and 17 carbs.
Enjoying it in moderation is probably a good idea. Comfort food like this is usually not very low calorie. 😉
Not at all. While the recipe card has specific cheeses listed, you can easily use different kinds of cheese. American cheese, romano cheese, parmesan cheese, white cheddar cheese, and any other different types of cheeses work great. The best part is that since this recipe uses simple ingredients, you can mix and match the cheeses used on this homemade mac n cheese recipe.
This is the best mac recipe, ever. Even though it’s the quintessential comfort food, there’s literally nothing that this gooey mac doesn’t pair well with. You can add this simple recipe to pair with waffle fries, a chicken sandwich, or even use this homemade version as the best side dish for the holidays.
Creamy mac and cheese is even delicious the next day to warm it up and eat it on its own. There’s no denying the creamy texture of the leftover mac. It literally reheats the same and tastes fresh and new.
If you’re a fan of chick-fil-a, you’re going to want to make this your new favorite mac and cheese recipe. You’ll love the simple homemade taste and the way that the cooked pasta stands out from the rest of the dishes!
Forget about heading to the fast food restaurant, and make this original recipe right at home. I think that making it homemade has a much better flavor and taste!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Chick-Fil-A Mac and Cheese Recipe Copycat
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 4 slices American cheese, chopped or torn
- 1/2 cup freshly grated extra sharp cheddar
- 1/2 cup freshly grated extra sharp white cheddar
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Romano cheese
- 1 dash paprika
- 1 dash turmeric
Garnish
- shredded cheddar and white cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Boil water in a medium pot and cook macaroni noodles with salt according to package directions, continuing to cook for an additional 9-10 minutes or until noodles have doubled in size. Drain the water.
- In a mixing bowl combine water and dry milk powder. Set aside.
- In a large pot, add unsalted butter and melt over medium heat until melted. Whisk in flour to create a roux. Gradually add in the milk powder mixture, whisking to combine. Continue to cook until it simmers. Then, turn the heat to low.
- Slowly add in american cheese, stirring to combine until completely smooth. Slowly add in cheddar cheeses, parmesan, and romano. Stirring to combine. Continue to cook and stir often until smooth. Stir in paprika and turmeric. Remove from heat and allow to thicken.
- Preheat the oven to broil at 500°F.
- Stir the macaroni noodles into the cheese sauce. Divide the pasta mixture into 4 oven-safe individual dishes. Top each one with shredded cheddar and white cheddar cheeses.
- Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese on top has browned. Remove from the oven and serve. Enjoy!
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published April 2021, updated and republished January 2024
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Sounds wonderful. I’d like to make, but would like some sort of crumb topping. Would panko and butter work? Any other suggestions?
Hi Carol,
Yes panko and breadcrumbs will work, we also add some fresh grated parmesan cheese. Hope this helps!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
We save the broken potato chip crumbs left in the bottom of the bag and use them for our Mac n cheese topping 🙂
This is by far better than any of the mac and cheese i’ve had from chick fil a, and cheaper too! This is amazing, and makes me wonder how I haven’t been making homemade mac and cheese my whole life.
Why do you over cook the pasta?
over cooking the pasta actually help keep the pasta from absorbing too much of the cheese sauce when you are broiling it in the oven..
Can you substitute anything for the milk powder?
I was wondering if I could use just regular milk instead of the powdered milk.
Hi !
Can a bake this in one large dish ?
If I want to make a large portion for a gathering, can I skip the last step of broiling if I don’t put the cheese on top after taking it off the stove top?
this recipe is amazing! So easy to make and tastes just like Chick Fil A’s Mac and Cheese. Donna and Chad are geniuses!
Hi Nathan!
We’re so glad you enjoyed!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
donna’s recipes are always a hit in my house, and this Chick Fil A Mac and Cheese is no exception! I added a pinch of garlic powder for some extra flavor, and it turned out amazing.
HI Taylor!
We’re so glad you enjoyed!!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
Wow, I can’t believe how close this is to the restaurant version. So creamy and delicious!
Hi Caleb!
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe!!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn