Do you love Chick-fil-A's mac and cheese, but don't want to break the bank? Learn how to make our easy copycat recipe with no roux. A special blend of 5 cheeses gives you the creamiest, cheesiest sauce ever.
Want to round out your meal? Try these healthier Chick-fil-A copycat recipes for market salad and fruit cup.
Why This Recipe Works
- Good-Quality Pasta: We like to use a good quality elbow macaroni like Barilla because it has ridges on the outside to help hold the sauce. We allowed the pasta to cool so the sauce will stick.
- Made with Sodium Citrate: This eliminates the need for a roux, helps prevent the cheese from separating because it acts as an emulsifier, and keeps the melted cheese soft.
- 5 Different Cheeses: We start with white American for our copycat Chick-fil-A mac and cheese sauce because it melts beautifully and is rich and creamy, then we add sharp cheddar, Parmesan, Parmigiano Reggiano, and end with a fruity, creamy Bella Vinto cheese (raspberry ale or merlot).
- Whole Milk: For a rich sauce, the full fat whole milk adds flavor, but is lower in calories than heavy cream.
- Crispy Top Layer: After the mac and cheese have been combined, it is placed in buttered ramekins and 2 kinds of cheese are sprinkled on top and baked under the broiler until brown.
Ingredients
The majority of the ingredients for our copycat Chick-fil-A mac and cheese are easy to find at your local grocery store. The exceptions are the white American cheese (Deli section) and the Bella Vinto cheese, which are found at a more upscale grocery store, and the food-grade sodium citrate can be purchased online through Amazon.
- Pasta: We used Barilla elbow pasta because it has ridges on the outside to hold the sauce better.
- Sodium Citrate: We used Judee's food-grade sodium citrate (affiliate). It comes in a powder and looks similar to fine table salt.
- Milk: We used whole milk to reduce the calories, but heavy cream would taste wonderful and is the better choice if you are making your sauce ahead of time.
- Cheese: We used a blend of 5 cheeses for the sauce: white American, yellow extra sharp cheddar, Parmesan, Parmigiano Reggiano, and BellaVinto raspberry ale or Merlot cheese. The BellaVinto one has a nutty, creamy, and fruity taste, so if you can't find that one exactly, use one with a similar flavor profile.
- Dried Spices: We used two small pinches of paprika and one small pinch of turmeric for color. We also use salt, to taste.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Don't want to use sodium citrate? Use a roux (butter and flour) to thicken the sauce, and 1 tempered egg yolk that acts as an emulsifier.
- Need this gluten free? Use gluten free pasta (affiliate).
- Need this keto? Use keto pasta (Great Low Carb Bakery) or roasted or boiled cauliflower florets.
How to Make Chick-fil-A Mac and Cheese
Cook the 2 cups of pasta in 2 quarts of salted boiling water for 1 minute less than the package instructions. (If you want soft, large pasta, cook for 20 minutes.) Drain, but don't rinse, and set aside to cool for at least 5 minutes. If the pasta is too hot the sauce won't stick.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat up the water for 2 minutes over medium heat, then sprinkle the food-grade sodium citrate on top and whisk it until it dissolves. (image 1)
- Reduce the heat to medium and gradually pour in the whole milk or heavy cream while whisking. Let the milk warm up for 2 minutes, whisking occasionally, but don't let it boil. (image 2)
- Reduce the heat to low and add the grated American cheese a handful at a time. This cheese melts the easiest. Whisk until it is melted. (image 3)
- Repeat with the other 4 cheeses. (image 4)
- Whisk in the paprika and turmeric for a little color and flavor. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt to taste. Allow the sauce to cool and thicken for 5 to 10 minutes. Slowly add the cooked and cooled pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to coat. There should be a good ratio of sauce to pasta. (image 5)
- Preheat the broiler to high. Divide the copycat Chick-fil-A mac and cheese evenly between the four buttered ramekins (roughly 220g per dish). You can also use a buttered 8x8-inch baking pan. Sprinkle the American and cheddar on top. (image 6)
- Broil for 2 minutes or until you have the color you want. This step will brown and melt the cheese on top and make it crispy. (image 7)
- Enjoy right away! (image 8)
Recipe FAQs
Most CFA reviewers agree that this mac and cheese has the taste of real cheese. The sauce is rich and creamy with a prominent cheddar flavor. The sauce has an appealing orange hue and no separation, and it sticks well to the pasta. However, many adults consider the macaroni to be overcooked and mushy. The crispy baked cheese is very satisfying, and overall it tastes best if eaten right away.
For a medium serving size (206g), there are 450 calories and 29g fat.
For a similar serving size, our copycat recipe has 567 calories (due to the 5 cheeses and whole milk) and 31g fat. For more nutritional information, please scroll to the end of the recipe card.
Chick-fil-A sums it up best on their website, describing it as a classic macaroni and cheese recipe featuring a special blend of cheeses including Parmesan, Cheddar and Romano. Baked-in the restaurant to form a crispy top layer of baked cheese.
Unfortunately, it happens to be the least healthiest side dish on their menu with more calories and fat than their famous waffle fries. They also list processed cheese as their second ingredient and use margarine. If you crave mac and cheese, you're better off making your own, so you can use real ingredients that are fresh and simple.
Make Ahead: Use heavy cream instead of whole milk, as it helps keep the sauce creamy when reheating. Make only the cheese sauce ahead of time.
Leftovers: If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days.
Reheat: Reheat the ramekins with foil on top in a 350°F oven until heated through.
Freeze: This entree has 5 kinds of cheese plus whole milk, so the sauce will not be the same once it is frozen and reheated. The pasta will also be very mushy, so for the best taste, make a smaller batch and eat it all up when it's still fresh.
Serve
At this famous fast food chicken restaurant, they sell their mac and cheese as a stand-alone side item, in small and medium size, so it's not specifically paired with something else.
At home, this can be served as an entree or a side. To round out the meal, this should be served with healthier choices which are low in calories and fat, like grilled chicken breast, crisp green salad, and fresh fruit.
Looking for other CFA copycat recipes? Make sure to try our recipes for Chick-fil-A chicken tortilla soup and Chick-fil-A sauce.
If you're looking for other pasta recipes, you'll want to try our recipes for Panera mac and cheese, Panera broccoli mac and cheese, Chick-fil-A mac and cheese, creamy bow tie pasta, American goulash, Caprese pesto pasta salad, and alfredo basil sauce.
Expert Tips
- Grate your own cheese with a box grater (affiliate). Pre-shredded cheese doesn't melt as well.
- Don't substitute the sodium citrate. This ingredient can be easily ordered online, but is hard to find in the grocery store.
- Make Ahead? Use heavy cream instead of whole milk as it helps keep the sauce creamy when reheating. Don't cook the pasta ahead.
- Want a creamy cheese sauce? Add the cheese gradually (¼ cup at a time) and whisk over the lowest heat until melted.
- Want soft, large pasta? If you want your pasta more like CFA, cook for 20 minutes to get it as soft as possible. This will increase your yield by 2 servings, so you'll have to increase the cheese sauce, or cook less pasta.
Other Chick-fil-A Recipes
Recipe
Chick-fil-A Mac and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- 2 cups dried elbow macaroni, Barilla brand
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
For the Cheese Sauce
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon food-grade sodium citrate
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 cup Boar's Head white American cheese, grated
- 1 ¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- ¼ cup BellaVinto Gold, Raspberry Ale, or Merlot cheese, grated
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan, grated
- 1 ½ tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
- 2 pinches paprika, for color
- 1 pinch turmeric, for color
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Topping
- ½ cup Boar's Head white American cheese, grated
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Cook the 2 cups of pasta in 2 quarts of boiling salted water for one minute less than the package directions. (Cook for 20 minutes if you want soft, large pasta. See recipe notes.)
- Drain the pasta, but don't rinse it. Allow the pasta to cool for at least 5 minutes. If it's too hot, the sauce won't stick.
- In a large heavy bottomed skillet, heat up the water over medium heat for two minutes, then sprinkle in the sodium citrate and whisk until dissolved.
- Reduce the heat to medium and slowly whisk in the milk, and heat for two minutes while whisking constantly. Don't allow the milk to boil.
- Turn the heat to low and gradually add the grated cheese one handful at a time, roughly ½ cup, while whisking. Whisk in the paprika, turmeric, and salt. Taste and adjust seasonings. Allow the sauce to sit for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken. Preheat the broiler.
- Add the cooked and cooled pasta to the sauce a little at a time. There should be a good ratio of sauce to pasta. Stir gently with a spatula or a large wooden spoon until it's evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
- Divide the mac and cheese evenly between the buttered ramekins and place on a cookie sheet or use a buttered 8x8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the grated American then the cheddar. Broil on high for 2 minutes, or until it has browned on top. Enjoy immediately.
Video
Notes
- Grate your own cheese with a box grater. Pre-shredded cheese doesn't melt as well.
- Don't substitute the sodium citrate. This ingredient can be easily ordered online, but is hard to find in the grocery store. It will act as an emulsifier and keep the sauce soft.
- Make Ahead? Use heavy cream instead of whole milk as it helps keep the sauce creamy when reheating. Don't cook the pasta ahead of time.
- Want a creamy cheese sauce? Add it gradually (¼ cup at a time) and whisk over the lowest heat until melted.
- Want soft, large pasta? If you want your pasta more like CFA, cook for 20 minutes to get it as soft as possible. This will increase your yield by 2 servings, so you'll have to increase the cheese sauce, or cook less pasta.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Alex
The elbow macaroni is perfectly soft, and the delicate cheeses blend nicely together. The crispy top is my favorite part. This warm mac and cheese makes you feel nice and toasty.
Emma
We're glad you enjoyed it, Alex!
Beth
This is a cheesy, creamy mac and cheese with a crispy top. One of my favorite parts is the golden cheese on top. This is fairly close to the Chick-fil-A version.
Emma
Thank you for your kind comment, Beth!