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KFC Mac and Cheese
KFC's mac and cheese is rich, creamy, and unmistakably cheesy with a velvety smooth sauce that clings to every elbow noodle — comfort food at its finest.
kfc · fast-food · side · pasta
🕑Prep10 min
🍳Cook15 min
⏱Total25 min
🍽Serves6
⭐DifficultyEasy
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 8 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed
- 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch of mustard powder
Instructions
- 1.Cook the macaroni. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the elbow macaroni to al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- 2.Make the roux. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute until bubbly.
- 3.Add the milk. Slowly whisk in the milk, continuing to stir until the mixture thickens, about 3-4 minutes.
- 4.Melt the cheese. Reduce heat to low. Add the Velveeta and stir until completely melted and smooth. Add the shredded cheddar and stir until incorporated.
- 5.Season the sauce. Stir in the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and mustard powder. The paprika adds warmth, and the mustard powder amplifies the cheese flavor.
- 6.Combine and serve. Add the drained macaroni back to the pot and stir until every noodle is coated. Serve hot as a side to fried chicken.
KFC Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
KFC added mac and cheese to their menu and it immediately became one of their most popular sides. It’s smooth, creamy, and unmistakably cheesy — the kind of mac and cheese that feels like it was made for fried chicken. The sauce is intentionally velvety rather than chunky, coating each noodle in a uniform blanket of cheese.
The Velveeta base is what gives it that ultra-smooth, fast-food consistency. KFC doesn’t use artisan aged cheddar — they use processed cheese blended with real cheddar, and the result is a sauce that’s impossibly smooth and never grainy. The small amount of real cheddar mixed in adds depth that Velveeta alone can’t achieve.
The Perfect Side for Fried Chicken
- Velveeta plus real cheese is the formula. Velveeta alone is too bland. Real cheese alone won’t get smooth enough. The combination gives you both texture and flavor.
- Don’t boil the cheese sauce. High heat makes cheese sauce grainy and oily. Keep it on low heat once you start adding cheese.
- Al dente pasta absorbs sauce. Slightly undercooked pasta soaks up the cheese sauce as it sits, reaching perfect doneness by the time you eat it.
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