Copycat Chick Fil A Mac and Cheese Recipe

This copycat Chick Fil A mac and cheese recipe is every bit as flavorful and decadent as the original. A blend of three kinds of cheese combines to make the ultimate ooey-gooey creamy cheese sauce. Plus, the best part about this recipe is that it only takes 20 minutes to make!

Ingredients You'll Need

One of my favorite things about this copycat mac and cheese recipe is that it's made entirely with kitchen/pantry staples. In fact, there's a good chance you'll have everything you need to make it on hand already!

Anyway, here's what you'll need:

• 6oz. elbow macaroni noodles
• ⅔ cup milk
• 2oz. American cheese, chopped
• ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
• Salt, to taste
• ⅔ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• ⅓ cup mild Cheddar cheese, shredded

And to top it off:

• ¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• ¼ cup mild Cheddar cheese, shredded
• Sprinkle of parmesan cheese and romano cheese (optional)

How simple is that?

By the way, you can basically use every single one of these ingredients to make this old fashioned baked mac and cheese recipe as well. So if you end up with some extra ingredients after you make this recipe, put them to good use and give that one a try next.

Ingredient Substitutions And Suggestions

While I recommend making this Chick Fil A mac and cheese recipe with the above ingredients, there's still some wiggle room to switch things up and add your own spin to it. 

First off, this recipe calls for American cheese and two types of cheddar cheese, but with that said, you can really use a combination of any kind of cheese you want. Some other great options are grated parmesan cheese, grated romano cheese, shredded white cheddar cheese, or shredded Colby jack cheese. Don't be afraid to mix it up since there are really no wrong answers here!

Now, if you want to add a crunchy topping to your Chick Fil A mac and cheese, then you can top it with some crushed crackers - Ritz are my favorite - or bread crumbs before baking it. This is definitely optional, but I have to say it's been a much-requested add-on with the fam when I make this creamy mac and cheese.

How To Make Chick Fil A Mac And Cheese At Home

Now let's get down to the good stuff and go over the steps you'll want to follow to make this homemade Chick Fil A mac and cheese.

Again, making this recipe is almost as easy as making the boxed stuff. Everything comes together in just one pot before being put in a baking dish and getting baked to perfection.

How simple does that sound?

Anyway, let's stop wasting time and get cooking!

Step 1: Cook The Noodles

First, you'll want to preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and boil a pot of water. Then, as soon as it starts to boil, you'll want to cook the macaroni according to the package instructions.

Once your pasta cooks to your liking, you can drain it and transfer it to a baking dish. Next, you'll want to add the butter and gently stir the cooked pasta around until the butter melts. 

Step 2: Make The Cheese Sauce

Up next, you're going to make the deliciously creamy and cheesy sauce. To do this, take out a saucepot, add the milk to it, and heat it over medium heat. Then, once the milk is warm, you can add the American cheese and as much salt as you want to the pot.

Now you'll want to let it cook until the cheese has fully melted. As soon as it melts, you can add the mild and sharp cheddar cheese and stir until the cheese mixture melts together to make the rich sauce.

Step 3: Bake The Mac And Cheese

Once you've got your cheese sauce nice and creamy and melted, you can pour it over the pasta in the baking dish.

Then, to finish it off, you can top it with the remaining shredded cheeses and bake the macaroni and cheese for around 10 minutes. Oh, and if you want a more classic Chick-Fil-A flavor, you can add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and romano cheese on top of it before you do.

Anyway, you'll know the mac and cheese is done when the top layer of cheese is fully melted and bubbly. 

Finally, you can serve this Chick Fil A mac and cheese warm, and enjoy it!

How To Store The Mac And Cheese

This recipe for Chick Fil A mac and cheese makes 4 servings, so it should be the perfect amount for a big family dinner. If you're lucky, you may even end up with leftovers!

Speaking of leftovers, you can store any leftover macaroni and cheese in your fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend storing it in an airtight container, or if your baking dish has a lid, you can store it in that too.

Alternatively, if you want your mac and cheese to last even longer, you can freeze it. Again, you'll want to store it in an airtight container - or a freezer-safe bag - and it should stay good for up to 2 months.

How To Reheat The Mac And Cheese

When you're ready to enjoy your Chick Fil A mac and cheese again, it's definitely best reheated.

So, to reheat the mac and cheese, I suggest putting it back in a baking dish and reheating it at 350°F for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts and it reaches your desired temperature.

Alternatively, if you want to reheat a single serving, you can microwave it in 20-second intervals until it's warmed through. For me, that usually takes about a minute to happen.

My Final Thoughts

Well, that's how to make Chick Fil A's mac and cheese!

As delicious as the mac and cheese from Chick Fil A is, I think this homemade version is even better. It's just so fresh, so rich, so creamy, and so cheesy, it's hard not to fall in love with it. 

Whenever my family craves homemade mac and cheese, this is always one of our go-to recipes, and it never disappoints. 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this mac and cheese recipe as much as I/we do.

As always, if you give this recipe a try, be sure to leave a comment below and let me know how it went!

More Copycat Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe for Chick Fil A's mac and cheese, we have a ton of other copycat recipes on the blog you can try out next!

Here are some of my favorites:

• Chick Fil A chicken noodle soup
• Zaxby's chicken fingers
• Olive Garden chicken alfredo
• Chipotle cilantro lime rice
• Chipotle chicken
• Chick Fil A nuggets
• Chick Fil A sauce
• Cracker Barrel meatloaf 

Oh, and for even more deliciousness, be sure to follow us on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. We post new recipes on them almost every day!