Yes, Chick-fil-A has the quintessential comfort food now. You can get creamy mac and cheese as a side option. Their macaroni and cheese has the homemade taste you crave, so put down those waffle fries and try their classic macaroni and cheese recipe. There is no need to go to the drive-thru for this side dish.
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Creamy Mac and Cheese
So often when you enjoy mac and cheese, it is dry, pasty, and flavorless. The fast-food chain Chick-fil-A set a high bar and created a special blend of cheeses and made a creamy cheese sauce that you will love when you take your first bite.
Your taste buds will know that this is one of the best mac and cheese recipes you will ever try.
The CopyKat Analysis of Chick-Fil-A’s Recipe
What is Chick-Fil-A mac and cheese made of? I don’t believe it is made with a dry mix or powder, because the flavor is too good. I believe their special cheddar blend comes in the form of American cheese because of the mouthfeel, but the flavor is not straight-up American cheese, it is more sophisticated.
I think it also helps to account for the indistinct cheeses they mention in their original recipe. Romano and Parmesan can cut through American cheese to give you a better flavor, and a more interesting texture.
I topped my version with Colby Jack cheese. The Monterey Jack melts wonderfully, and it browns up a bit. If you pay much attention, you will notice the restaurant version has the browning as well.
Can’t get to a Chick-fil-A? Make it at home!
Why is it we all crave those chicken sandwiches and waffle fries on a Sunday? I have no idea. They added one of the first permanent side addition in a long time.
This recipe was tested in many select cities at many different local Chick-fil-A restaurants before being shared nationally. What’s the only drawback? You don’t have to be stuck with a small bowl of the new side dish when you may Chick-fil-A’s mac and cheese at home.
You can make this homemade mac and cheese pasta and share it with the whole family.
Chick Fil A Mac and Cheese Ingredients
This recipe is very straightforward. In my opinion, this recipe is very close to the Outback Mac and Cheese. My copycat recipe is made with several different kinds of cheese. For you to make this mac n cheese recipe you will need:
- American cheese – not Velveeta (that’s for Rotel dip) – go to your deli counter at your grocery store, and ask for this cheese. The deli version is rich, creamy, and full of flavor.
- Parmesan Cheese – just a little adds a touch of nice nutty flavor to the cheese sauce.
- Romano Cheese – is the perfect compliment to parmesan.
- Colby-Jack cheese – this is a combination of Monterey Jack cheese and Colby cheese. Use Colby instead of sharp cheddar cheese because it is milder and has a better melt than cheddar.
- Heavy Cream – This helps create a rich sauce and is best for reheating. You could use whole milk, but heavy cream is best for reheating.
- Evaporated Milk – this helps with the creaminess of the dish.
- Macaroni elbow pasta – Use a good brand like Barilla, or De Cecco.
How to Make Chick Fil A Mac and Cheese
- Cook the macaroni noodles according to the package al dente directions.
- Preheat the oven to its broil setting.
- In a large saucepan, you will make the sauce. Pour the heavy cream into the saucepan, and heat. You will then add American, Romano, and Parmesan cheeses to the pan.
- Whisk until all of the cheese has melted.
- Pour the cooked pasta into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Pour the cheese mixture over the macaroni into the baking dish. You can stir to coat the macaroni with the cheese sauce.
- Sprinkle shredded Colby Jack cheese on top.
- Place the baking dish under the broiler and cook for just long enough that the cheese begins to brown.
- Serve and enjoy!
Tips and tricks for making the best copycat macaroni and cheese.
- Use good quality cheese. This will make a big difference in the flavor of your dish. If possible, use freshly shredded cheese from the block.
- Cook the pasta al dente. This means it should be cooked until slightly firm to the bite. This will prevent the pasta from becoming mushy in the cheese sauce.
- Add the cheese gradually. This will help to prevent the cheese from curdling.
- Season the cheese sauce to taste. Add salt, pepper, and other spices to your liking.
Why should you use American cheese in macaroni and cheese?
American cheese has a bad reputation, and it shouldn’t. A good-quality American cheese has good flavor and one of the best melting profiles of any cheese. This sauce is made with heavy cream and American cheese.
You can find American cheese in the deli section of your grocery store. Ask them to cut off a large chunk of it, or you can ask them to slice it. Chunk or sliced, it doesn’t matter. You are going to be melting it!
American cheese melts beautifully, doesn’t get stringy, and does not separate from the oils. It is a good base for mac and cheese, and you can always add additional cheese for more flavor.
Additional Parmesan and Romano cheeses are added to the cheese sauce to really bring out the flavor. When you combine different kinds of cheeses, you will get a side of mac and cheese that tastes just like Chick-fil-A’s.
How to Store Leftover Mac and Cheese
I recommend storing any leftover mac and cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. You can also freeze mac and cheese leftovers in an airtight container for up to three months.
How to Reheat Copycat Chick Fil A Mac and Cheese
I personally like to reheat this mac and cheese in an oven if I have a lot of it leftover. I place it in an oven-proof dish, place foil over the top, and reheat at 350 degrees until has warmed through.
Can’t get enough Chick-fil-A? Try these copycat recipes!
- Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing
- Chick fil A Chicken Nuggets
- Chick fil A Chicken Sandwich
- Chick fil A Sauce
- Frosted Coffee
- Frosted Lemonade
What Goes with Mac and Cheese
- Deep Fried Turkey
- Honey Baked Ham
- KFC Fried Chicken
- Oven Brisket
- Ritz Cracker Chicken
- Roast Beef
- Smoked Whole Chicken
Take a look at more of my easy side dishes and the best copycat restaurant recipes.
Chick Fil A Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 16 ounces elbow macaroni pasta
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 1/4 pounds American cheese sliced
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon Romano cheese grated
- 4 ounces Colby Jack cheese shredded
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the macaroni noodles. Cook according to package al dente directions.
- Preheat the oven to its broil setting.
- In a medium saucepan, add the heavy cream and evaporated milk. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Add the sliced American cheese, Parmesan cheese, and Romano cheese to the saucepan. Whisk until all of the cheese has melted.
- Pour the cooked pasta into a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni.
- Sprinkle the shredded Colby Jack cheese on top.
- Place the baking dish under the broiler and cook for just long enough that the cheese begins to brown.
Keith
Finally tried Chic Fil A Mac N Cheese and it was delicious. So I tried this recipe to see how it would compare and my family actually said this recipe was better tasting than the actual Chic Fil A Mac n Cheese…
Thank you!!!
PATTY
Rue is roux, if anyone is interested in looking up what it is. thank you.
Lori Putnam
If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would. I’d NEVER made homemade mac/ch before until this recipe. It was “Holy crap!” good! Made in August of 2019, and then again last night (4-8-20). Luckily it froze decently, as it was SO rich, and made a big batch. Mind you, I have no idea if I followed the recipe exactly the first time – I doubt it, as I wouldn’t have had Romano cheese on hand, but I would have purchased the American and we always have Parm here. THIS time, I used 1.25 lbs Velveeta as we are under quarantine, AND we are using up what we have due to moving and so all food must be eaten. And then used some Parm/Reg I had in the freezer to replace the parm and romano. I did use the colby jack shreds, and oh my goodness, it was just marvelous. AND easy. Can’t ask for more than that! Thanks for creating/posting! 🙂
Stacy
If I were to freeze this what would you recommend for reheating time? Thanks
Stephanie
Reheating at 350 degrees from a frozen state could take between 45 minutes to 1 hour. I would begin to look in on it after about 30 minutes or so.
Ashlyn Perrodin
Amazing! I whipped this up & it was spot on! I did use Sharp Chedder cheese & boiled the noodles for 10 minutes though 🙂
Diane M
Can you tell how much sharp you used? Did you replace one of the other cheeses for it?
Thank you!
Cathryn
The recipe I would love to find a copycat for, is WoodRanch restaurant. It is OMGFABULOUS! Haven’t had the one at Chick’s, but am anxious to try your recipe for it. (Pretty sure WoodRanch has american as it’s main cheese type ingredient too)
Stephanie
Thanks for the suggestion.
Sandy B
While yours is a VERY tasty recipe for classic Mac & Cheese, I’m here to say that is not the recipe used by Chik fil A. Their wonderful version is not made with Colby Jack. And yes, the base is made with milk and American cheese. But you can, in fact, use Velveeta. But you shouldn’t use any type of Kraft American cheese. The American cheese you use needs to have sodium citrate listed in the ingredients. Velveeta has it. Kraft does not. I use Boar’s Head American. It has what you need. Chik fil A also uses sharp yellow cheddar, Vermont white cheddar, parmesan, Romano and a type of cheese that is very close to Belavitano Gold, which is harder to find, but is usually in the specialty case of most grocery stores. But I think one of the biggest and most important steps that they use is cooking the elbow macaroni for a full 20 minutes. You DON’T want al dente. You want the elbows to absorb as much water as possible and get big and soft. (Not mushy, just cooked through for 20 minutes.)
So that’s their secret But I gotta tell you, YOUR recipe is wonderful. Absolutely delicious! Thank you for providing it.
Stephanie
Thank you for your reply. I’ll have to try it with the modification in the pasta. I still find white bites of cheese with a stretchy melt on the top of the mac and cheese that I purchase. Are you opposed to cheese with sodium phosphates over cheese with sodium citrate? I personally love Land O Lakes Deli American Cheese because of the flavor and how it melts.
Margie
My daughter says it taste the exact same as chick fil a. I used white American cheese, which I got in the Deli section of grocery store. I torn it to smaller pieces to melt down in the heavy cream. The about of heavy cream and cheeses makes plenty of sauce so it is not dry but creamy.
margie
Wanted to add I used the Land Of Lakes American cheese. And local store brand Colby jack cheese- from the deli section of store.
Andy
Not quite there. It was bland. I would suggest adding some cream of chicken to it or more spices. Tasted nothing like Chikfila. Also the American cheese was not the right cheese to use in this.
Stephanie
Thanks for letting me know your thoughts. American cheeses aren’t all equal. My favorite is Land o Lakes. I am sorry this recipe wasn’t disappointing for you.
BERNIE
YOU FORGOT TO ADD SEASONING TO YOUR CHEESE MIXTURE. WHAT GIVES THE MAC AND CHEESE THAT FLAVOR IS THE DRY MUSTARD, ALSO SOME MORE SALT AND PEPPER.
Jessica Wooten
I went looking for a copycat recipe for this and found this one first. I haven’t made either yet but maybe this would help you if you want to tweak yours ☺️
Stephanie
Thank you. While I won’t refer to that recipe to week my own, I felt my recipe was good as is. You should go with what recipe you think is best for you.
Penny Hart
My family has been obsessed with the Mac and cheese from Chick-fil-A since the day it came out and we’re about to go to the poorhouse buying it every other day. This recipe is as close as you can get to the real thing!!!!!!! Everyone LOVED it and even asked me to make it for thanksgiving this year! On top of all that this as EASY and FAST to make as a box of Mac and cheese. Thank you SO much for the recipe!
Stephanie
I am so glad you enjoyed it.
Renee Murphy
Can regular whole milk be used in place of the heavy cream ? As that is what I have….Thank you
Stephanie
It will work ok, but the heavy cream will reheat better.
Jen
Hi there! Wondering what American cheese you used/ suggest? I could only find singles at all of our grocery stores. Thanks!
Stephanie
Go to the deli department of your grocery store, they have it there. Land O Lakes has great American cheese.
Amanda
I just made this. Without realizing it, I purchased cavatapi noodles. It still tasted amazing. So creamy and pretty much spot on with the real thing. I’ll be making this many more times! My family also loved it. Next time I make it, I think I’ll try adding some bacon, just to see how it tastes. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Stephanie
I don’t think it matters what shape of pasta you use 😉 I often keep a container of odd shape leftover pasta. I just grab that for mac and cheese. I bet this would be great with bacon.
Kelly
Making this for a party, do you think you can make this ahead of time and then take it out of fridge, let it come to room temp and then broil it?
Stephanie
I don’t know how long you intend to leave it at room temperature, I wouldn’t leave it out for more than 90 minutes before broiling.
Kelly
I had to make this a few hours before the party, so I put it in a crockpot on warm and just had to add some milk when we were ready to eat, delicious!!!
Stephanie
I am glad it worked out well for you!
HoustonFit
My kids loved this! I thought the recipe was very close.
Copycatmac
Loved it but I think it should have a touch of some sort of sharp cheese in it? I’m a beginner though! Thanks for the recipe
Stephanie
I didn’t pick up a flavor of sharp Cheddar in there, if you want to change the recipe, I would add the sharp Cheddar into melted cheese.
Lori Putnam
Thanks for posting that review! I’m about to make tomorrow, and am debating needed cheese substitutions. I PROMISE not to gripe if I end up changing the recipe and it doesn’t turn out well. :O
Jacinthe
I had the original chick fil a one yesterday and made copycat recipe today and they are pretty similar, good job! This recipe is very very close to the original and taste great it’s a keeper!
Stephanie
Thank you! I am glad you approved.