If you’re a fan of fried chicken and mac and cheese, the KFC Mac and Cheese Bowl is for you. Read on to learn more about this menu item and when and where to get it, as well as some alternatives if KFC doesn’t have the bowl.
Overview of the KFC Mac and Cheese Bowl
The KFC Mac and Cheese Bowl is a limited-time menu item that first launched in 2019. It combines KFC’s famous mac and cheese with popcorn chicken and is very similar to the famous bowls the restaurant serves.
Unfortunately, the KFC Mac and Cheese Bowl is not available at this time. If you go to the menu, the page titled “Mac and Cheese Bowl” is just for their standard Mac and Cheese. This dish uses elbow macaroni and cheddar cheese sauce, giving you the standard flavor you’d expect from macaroni and cheese.
Whether you want the regular mac and cheese or the bowl of chicken, you should head to your local KFC to check prices and availability. And if you want the Bowl, be sure to follow KFC on social media for the next time they’re coming back.
Why buy the KFC Mac and Cheese Bowl?
When available, the KFC Mac and Cheese Bowl makes an excellent main meal. You can combine chicken and cheese pasta into one. It’s easier to eat the food than when you’re given chicken pieces and a side of mac, especially when you have to eat in your car, like on a road trip.
Also worth a try is the regular mac and cheese that is always available. For one, you can order an individual or large size. So if you are vegetarian you can eat something if all your friends want to go to KFC.
It’s also an excellent side dish with any KFC meal if you’re not a vegetarian. Plus, you can order it with popcorn chicken to easily recreate the mac and cheese bowl.
How to recreate the KFC Mac and Cheese Bowl
If you fancy the KFC Mac and Cheese Bowl, you might be able to order it. However, since it’s not a standard menu item, recreating the bowl might be your best option.
Luckily, this is quite easy when you go to KFC. Or maybe you don’t live near a KFC anymore, in which case you can buy the ingredients and make a bowl from scratch.
So you can put both plans into action.
Order KFC
If you live near a KFC, you should go to the nearest location. Then you can order a popcorn chicken appetizer with a side of macaroni and cheese. If you are quite hungry you can take the larger size of pasta.
Once you get both items, you can mix them together by yourself. You can do this in the restaurant but you have to be careful not to spill anything.
If possible, take your food home so you can use your own bowls. Then you can make sure the bowl is big enough to hold all of the chicken and pasta. You can also add any grated cheese you have at home.
Make the bowl at home
Another option is to recreate the KFC chicken and mac and cheese. You can find a variety of popcorn chicken recipes online. And of course, most macaroni and cheese comes in a box with instructions on how to make it.
While you are cooking the noodles, prepare and cook your chicken according to a recipe. Try to time the food to be ready and hot at the same time. You can ask a friend or relative to help you each focus on one thing.
Once both elements are ready, combine them as you would combine the KFC foods. Then you can taste the peel to see how you like it. For better or worse, this bowl probably won’t taste exactly like KFC’s, but it can still be a treat if you don’t live near a KFC restaurant.
Other fast food mac and cheese
If you don’t have KFC branches near you, you can satisfy your craving for fast food macaroni and cheese. Sure, you can recreate the Mac and Cheese Bowl at home. But if you don’t want to cook, you have options.
Many other fast food restaurants sell mac and cheese. These recipes aren’t quite the same as KFC, but you might like one or more of them better.
Noodles & Co
First, you might want to try Noodles & Company’s Mac and Cheese. You can get just the pasta and cheese sauce, which is great if you’re a vegetarian or otherwise just crave a side of the mac.
If you fancy chicken on your pasta, you can order the BBQ Chicken Mac and ask to remove the BBQ sauce and jalapeños. Alternatively, you can order the standard mac and cheese but add grilled chicken breasts or parmesan-crusted chicken breasts.
You could even order the regular mac and cheese and go home. Make some popcorn chicken to add to the dish. This way it will be more reminiscent of the KFC version.
Panera
Panera is another fast food standard that has some great macaroni and cheese. You can order a regular mac & cheese as a main and get it with a side such as bread. Or you can order it as You Pick Two with The Signature Take Chicken Sandwich.
Just ask for the chicken and no toppings on the sandwich. Then you can slice up the chicken breasts and add them to your mac and cheese for some protein. If you want some spice you can order the spicy version of the sandwich.
Again, you can take your Panera home and make popcorn chicken. This is a great idea if you like Panera Mac but want the flavor of popcorn chicken rather than chicken breast.
Popeyes
Popeye’s is probably the closest competitor of any fast-food macaroni and cheese, as it’s also a chicken restaurant. That makes it the easiest place to recreate the KFC Mac and Cheese Bowl if you can’t get to your local KFC.
You should order an 8 piece nuggets combo and upgrade your side to mac and cheese. Of course you can add the nuggets to your mac and cheese. The beauty of this option is that it comes with a drink and a cookie.
If you don’t need these, you can order just the nuggets and a side of mac and cheese. Combine the two to prepare your meal. While nuggets aren’t the same as popcorn chicken, they’re pretty close.
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A is another place to check if you want to recreate KFC’s Mac and Cheese Bowl. Like Popeye’s, you can order a nugget combo and choose a side of macaroni and cheese. This way you get the two most important things you need.
If you’re trying to eat a little healthier, you can also order grilled nuggets. They add a different flavor and texture to your own macaroni and cheese bowl. Of course you have to go between Monday and Saturday as Chick-fil-A does not operate on Sundays.
