COPYCAT CHICK-FIL-A MAC AND CHEESE

Ingredients

1 pound elbow macaroni
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground paprika
2 cups whole milk
1 egg yolk
8 slices American cheese
16 ounces freshly grated extra sharp cheddar divided
1 cup italian blend cheese shredded

COOK NOODLES
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add in the macaroni noodles and let boil for 20 minutes. Yes, 20 minutes. While I realize that this goes against everything that you know about cooking noodles, this is very important! The longer boiling time will give you super creamy results as the noodles won’t absorb too much of the cheese sauce & turn the noodles dry.

Drain the noodles and set them aside until needed.

MAKE CHEESE SAUCE
While the noodles are boiling, prepare the cheese sauce.

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter.

Whisk in the flour, salt, and paprika, and constantly stir until combined.

Slowly add in the milk, a little at a time, until fully combined.

Continue to whisk and cook for another minute or two or until thickened.

Temper the egg yolk by placing the egg yolk into a bowl. Add a spoonful of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk and whisk together immediately to combine. Wait a minute, and then do it again.

Add the egg yolk mixture to the milk mixture in the pot and whisk in to combine.

Reduce the heat to low and start slowly adding in the cheeses.

Tear the American cheese into pieces and add it to the pot.

Add in half of the cheddar cheese and all of the Italian cheese blend.

Whisk together to combine until the cheese has melted. This could take about 10-12 minutes of constant whisking. You can tell that the cheese has been fully incorporated when you lift the whisk, and the melted cheese is not pulling away from the sauce.

Copycat Chick-fil-A Mac and Cheese is super creamy & cheesy, just like the original! Easy macaroni and cheese recipe made at home with common ingredients. It’s our pleasure!

COMBINE
After all of the cheese has melted into the sauce, stir in the noodles.

Stir gently until everything is incorporated.

BAKE
Place the macaroni and cheese into a 9×13 baking dish and top with the remaining cheddar cheese.

Place under the broiler in the oven until the cheese top has just browned. do not take your eyes off of the dish, or else it will burn!

Remove from broiler and let cool slightly before serving.

TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR MAC AND CHEESE LIKE CHICK-FIL-A

Chick-Fil-a likes to use a blend of parmesan cheese and Romano cheese which is why we choose to use Italian cheese blends that already have these two kinds of cheese in them. And while you can cut time by using already shredded cheddar cheese, I do recommend grating it by hand for the best results because it will give you a much smoother sauce and a better top layer. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents on it, which keep it from smoothly melting and combining fully. Enjoy!