Chick-Fil-A Mac and Cheese (Copycat)

by Sabrina Snyder

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5 Comments

5 from 2 votes
12
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
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This Chick-Fil-A Mac & Cheese is a creamy baked pasta with a special blend of cheese and tender macaroni. Best ever comfort food side dish!

It’s been a while since we did a Chick-Fil-A Copycat Recipe but this new side for Chick-Fil-A Nuggets just had to be copied. Who can resist comfort food like fried chicken and Mac & Cheese?

Sabrina’s Chick-Fil-A Mac and Cheese

Baked Macaroni and Cheese is one of those dishes that you only expect to get at a restaurant, unless you (or Grandma) make it at home. I think we can all agree that it’s hands down the best way to make a classic Macaroni & Cheese. So, when a fast-food restaurant decides to come out with a version, you know it’s going to be a hit.

Recipe Card

Dinner, then Dessert

Chick-Fil-A Mac & Cheese Recipe

This Chick-Fil-A Mac & Cheese is a creamy baked pasta with a special blend of cheese and tender macaroni. Best ever fast-food meets comfort food side dish!
Yield 12
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
Mac and Cheese being spooned from baking dish 4x3
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Ingredients
 

  • 16 ounces macaroni
  • 1  tablespoon  salt
  • 1 1/4  pounds  American cheese , chopped up or shredded
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon Romano cheese
  • 2  cups  heavy cream
  • 4 ounces Colby Jack Cheese , shredded

Instructions

  • Cook macaroni according to package directions for al dente. Let pasta sit in hot water for 10 minutes.
  • Turn the oven on to broil, on high.
  • In a medium sized pot add salt, heavy cream, American cheese, Parmesan cheese, and Romano cheese. Melt cheeses with heavy cream over medium heat. Stir frequently.
  • Place cooked pasta into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Pour melted cheeses over the pasta.
  • Add shredded Colby Jack cheese to the top of the pasta. Place under broiler.
  • Broil just until the cheese begins to brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 492kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1355mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1128IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 607mg | Iron: 1mg

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About This Recipe

The special blend of cheese is what really makes this comfort food a winner. They use parmesan, Romano, and rumor has it a special cheese from Wisconsin called BellaVitano. Now, I know I had a hard enough time trying to find BellaVitano in my grocery store, so I did replace it with a blend of cheeses that is just as spot-on.

Chef’s Note

What holds the cheddar sauce in Chick-Fil-A’s Mac together is the addition of American cheese. It’s important to note that this is not Velveeta cheese, it’s the creamy sliceable cheese you can get from the deli counter. There is a natural salt that is in American cheese that keeps the fat from separating from the remaining cheese blend.

Can this be Made Ahead of Time?

This mac & cheese can easily be made ahead of time and stored for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer. Follow the recipe directions to make the cheese sauce and combine it with cooked pasta in the baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and then foil. If freezing, allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bake the Mac & Cheese at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until hot. Top with the additional blend of cheeses and broil until cheese is browned.

What to Pair With

Naturally, the first time I made this, I had to make a batch of copycat Chick-Fil-A Chicken Nuggets to go along with it. But if you are looking for a lighter way to make this a full dinner, try it with my Market Salad Copycat. Or you can compromise on the KFC versus Chick-Fil-A debate and serve with Original Fried Chicken. You could even add another side with my KFC Coleslaw Copycat.

How to Store

  • Serve: Mac & Cheese can be kept at room temperature for no more than 2 hours before it should be stored.
  • Store: Allow Macaroni and Cheese to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Freeze: Freeze for up to 2 months in a sealed container or tightly covered with plastic wrap and foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

FAQ’s

Why leave the pasta in hot water after boiling?

By leaving the macaroni noodles in the hot water, they will soften to the super tender consistency that is common for Chick-Fil-A’s Macaroni and Cheese. The pasta will be extra starchy to absorb the creamy melted cheese mixture, which is a perfect contrast to the bubbly crunchy topping.

Can I use low-fat or fat-free cheese for Macaroni and Cheese?

If you replace the cheese or heavy cream in this recipe for lower fat versions, the texture will definitely be altered. Fat is hugely important to keeping this delicious recipe authentic to the restaurant. However, making adjustments to fit your dietary preferences is one of the many perks to making food from scratch at home! So go ahead and swap it out if you’d like to.

How do I make Gluten Free Chick-Fil-A Mac and Cheese?

You can replace the elbow noodles with gluten free macaroni noodles to make this Macaroni and Cheese recipe friendly for a gluten-free diet. You’ll want to cook the gluten free noodles until just al dente before following the rest of the macaroni directions.

Variations

  • Loaded Mac & Cheese: Top the mac & cheese with crumbled cooked bacon before broiling. Once the Mac comes out of the oven, add diced scallions.
  • Breadcrumbs: Give your macaroni a slightly crunchy topping by adding panko breadcrumbs or Italian breadcrumbs before broiling. You can also use crushed up crackers or garlic croutons for a buttery, flavorful option.
  • Pasta: Instead of elbow noodles, use fusilli, rotini, small shells, or your favorite short pasta variety. You can also swap out the pasta for a gluten free version like brown rice pasta or lentil pasta.
  • Veggies: Mix in diced and cooked bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, green beans, peas, or wilted spinach to add a colorful and nutritious twist on Chick-Fil-A Macaroni and Cheese.
  • Cheese: You can swap out the Colby Jack cheese for white cheddar and sharp cheddar cheese. I would also recommend using the nuttier BellaVitano if you can find it!
  • Taco Mac: Brown ground beef and stir in taco seasoning to make seasoned taco meat. Fold the warm taco meat into your pasta and cheddar sauce.

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Collage with mac and cheese being prepped, served, and in a bowl

Photos used in previous versions of the post.

Serving mac and cheese with melty cheese coming off the fork
Process collage adding homemade cheese sauce to macaroni
Finished cheesy mac and cheese in a baking dish
Mac and cheese in white serving bowl

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. This recipe is a game changer! It tastes just like Taco Bell but even fresher. It’s so easy to whip up when that craving hits.

    Reply

  2. Is the tablespoon of salt added to the pasta water while the noodles are boiling or is it added to the heavy cream and cheese mixture while it’s melting on the stovetop? Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Thanks for asking! I’ve corrected the recipe instructions to say add salt to the heavy cream and cheese mixture!

      Reply

  3. Sabrina,

    This is so good. Chick fil a has my favorite Mac and cheese. This tastes so much like theirs. My kids loved it too. And it is so much cheaper making it myself. Thank you!

    Reply