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Chick-Fil-A Macaroni and Cheese Copycat

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Creamy and cheesy, this Chick-Fil-A Macaroni and Cheese Copycat is a delicious copycat of the popular restaurant dish. Made with simple ingredients, this mac and cheese will be your new family favorite!

Scoop of macaroni and cheese.

If you love macaroni and cheese, then you are going to love this Chick-Fil-A Macaroni and Cheese Copycat. With four types of cheese, this dish is creamy, cheesy, and oh so delicious. Plus, it is a copycat of the popular restaurant dish, so you know it is good!

The real Chick-Fil-A Mac & Cheese is “A classic macaroni and cheese recipe featuring a special blend of cheeses including Parmesan, Cheddar, and Romano. Baked in-restaurant to form a crispy top layer of baked cheese.”

This recipe makes a large batch and is baked in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, making it great for potlucks and serving a crowd. It’s comfort food at its finest!

📝 Ingredients

To make this Chick-Fil-A Macaroni and Cheese Copycat, you need the following:

  • 16 ounces elbow macaroni
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 10 slices American Cheese chopped or torn
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup white Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • ½ cup Parmesan-Romano cheese

Topping

  • 1/2 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • ½ cup white Cheddar cheese, shredded
Ingredients to make a Chick-Fil-A mac and cheese clone.

👩🏻‍🍳 Instructions

Fill a pot of water with 4 quarts of water and season with salt. Bring to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions + an additional 2 minutes. (This will help create larger, more tender noodles.)

Strain the water out afterward and add the pasta to an oven-safe 9×13-inch baking dish with a tablespoon of butter to keep it from sticking.

While the pasta is boiling, make the cheese sauce. Add milk, American cheese, butter, and salt to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until the cheese has melted, whisking often.

Grated cheese, parmesan cheese, and grated Romano cheese.

Remove from heat and add 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, 1 cup white Cheddar cheese, and the Parmesan-Romano. Stir until melted. Allow the sauce to sit and thicken for about 5-7 mins.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

After the sauce has thickened pour it over the noodles in the prepared dish. Top with ½ cup of shredded Cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of shredded white Cheddar cheese to the top.

Cheese sauce on top of elbow noodles.

Place in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes. Turn the broiler to HIGH and bake until the cheese begins to brown.

Remove from the oven and serve!

Homemade mac 'n cheese in a white baking dish.

✏️ Notes

  • Shredded cheese off the block will have more of a stringy cheese pull than the pre-shredded cheeses, it will also make it more creamy.
  • Look for a blend of Parmesan and Romano cheeses in the grocery store aisle near the spaghetti sauce. If you cannot find the cheese blend, you can use 6 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese + 2 tablespoons of grated Romano cheese.
  • I tested this recipe using an 8-ounce package of Land O Lakes American cheese. (I found it in the specialty cheese cooler near the deli counter.)

🙋🏻‍♀️ FAQ

Can this recipe be halved?

Absolutely! This recipe can easily be halved making enough to serve six as a side dish. Simply use a smaller baking dish like an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch pan.

Chick-Fil-A mac 'n cheese copycat.
Scoop of macaroni and cheese.

Chick-Fil-A Mac N Cheese Copycat

Lynda – Southern Kissed
This creamy, cheesy macaroni and cheese is a delicious copycat of the popular restaurant dish. Made with simple ingredients, this mac and cheese will be your new family favorite!
4.75 from 8 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 409 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 stockpot
  • 1 9 x 13-inch baking dish

Ingredients
  

  • 16 ounces elbow macaroni
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 10 slices American Cheese chopped or torn
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 cup white Cheddar cheese shredded
  • ½ cup Parmesan-Romano cheese

Topping

  • ½ cup sharp Cheddar cheese shredded
  • ½ cup white Cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions
 

  • Fill a pot of water with 4 quarts of water and season with salt.  Bring to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions, adding an additional 2 minutes to the cook time.
  • Strain the water out afterward and add the pasta to an oven-safe 9×13-inch baking dish with a tablespoon of butter to keep it from sticking.
  • While the pasta is boiling, make the cheese sauce. Add milk, American cheese, butter, and salt to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until the cheese has melted, whisking often.
  • Remove from heat and add 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, 1 cup white Cheddar cheese, and the Parmesan-Romano. Stir until melted. Allow the sauce to sit and thicken for about 5-7 mins.
  • Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • After the sauce has thickened pour it over the noodles in the prepared dish. Top with ½ cup of shredded Cheddar cheese and ½ cup of shredded white Cheddar cheese to the top.
  • Place in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes.  Turn the broiler to HIGH and bake until the cheese begins to brown.
  • Remove from the oven and serve!

Notes

Nutrition information is an approximation and will vary depending upon brands used.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 409kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 19gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 823mgPotassium: 205mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 674IUCalcium: 544mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @SouthernKissed or tag #SouthernKissed!

Be sure to come back and tell us how your macaroni and cheese turned out!

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2 Comments

    1. Excellent question! (Forgive me for the omission of that detail – I have corrected it thanks to you.)

      The Parmesan-Romano gets added in Step #4 during the process of making the cheese sauce.

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