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5 from 22 votes

Copycat Chick Fil A Mac and Cheese

This Copycat Chick Fil A Mac and Cheese recipe is so easy to make. It's creamy, delicious and tastes just like the restaurant version of this dish.
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Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 630kcal
Author: Corinne Schmitt

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Saucepan
  • Casserole dish

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Elbow macaroni noodles
  • 2 ¼ cups Milk
  • 1 ¼ cups Heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ cup All purpose flour
  • 5 tablespoons Butter, unsalted
  • 2 cups Sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 ½ cups Parmesan cheese grated
  • ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cook the macaroni until the noodles are al dente.
  • In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
  • Sprinkle the flour into the saucepan with the butter, and stir to combine well. Saute for 1 minute.
  • Pour in the milk and heavy whipping cream.
  • Add the garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste, in the saucepan. Simmer until the mixture thickens.
  • Mix the cheeses into the sauce, and stir until completely melted and smooth.
  • Pour the cheese sauce over the noodles, and stir to combine.
  • Spread the mixture into a 9x13 baking dish.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the heat to low broil, and bake another 5 minutes until browned on top.

Notes

  • To get the perfect copycat of the restaurant version, use 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar; ¼ cup each of shredded white cheddar, BellaVitano Gold, and parmesan; 1 tablespoon of Romano.
  • Make sure that you cook your pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Each brand of pasta has a different cook time, so it's important to check the timing to avoid overcooked pasta.
  • Be sure to drain the classic macaroni noodles well to avoid adding extra water to your mac and cheese recipe.
  • For a recipe like this one, I like to use freshly shredded cheese instead of the pre-shredded cheese because it melts better.
  • If you find that the cheese sauce is too thick after adding in all of the ingredients, add a little more milk to thin it out.
  • I've found that sharp cheddar cheese gives the best flavor, but you can use different kinds of cheese if you prefer.
  • If you don't want a crispy top layer, you can skip the broiling step.
  • Unsalted butter really works best in this recipe, but you can use salted butter in a pinch.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 630kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 554mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1306IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 534mg | Iron: 1mg