I’ll be the first to admit that I was super skeptical when Chick-Fil-A announced they were adding macaroni and cheese to their menu. There’s nothing better than homemade macaroni and cheese, and there was no way Chick-Fil-A was going to one-up the recipe I’ve been making for years.
I was one of the first in line to try Chick-Fil-A’s macaroni and cheese and have to say….they came pretty darn close to beating my recipe. What gained them some major brownie points was the crunchy cheese topping. My word, y’all! There’s something about that broiled cheesy goodness that gets me every time. But, without that, Chick-Fil-A wasn’t in the running. So, it only made sense to take my classic homemade mac & cheese recipe and make it with the broiled cheese topping, combining two delicious recipes to make THE best homemade macaroni and cheese out there.
While Chick-Fil-A uses a combination of parmesan, cheddar and romano cheeses, I prefer a creamy mac that consists of leftover cheese from my fridge. It most often includes cheddar, American, colby-jack and cream cheese. The result is a smooth, creamy dish that my family can’t get enough of. Give it a try using the recipe below and let me know what you think!
BETTER THAN CHICK-FIL-A MAC & CHEESE
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Persons: 12
- Difficulty: Easy
- Ingredients
- 16 oz. elbow macaroni
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
- 4 cups whole milk/li>
- 4 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided
- 6 slices American cheese
- 1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare elbow macaroni accord to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in large saucepan. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute or until bubbly. Whisk in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture boils and thickens.
- Set aside 2 cups of cheddar cheese. Stir remaining cheeses into the milk mixture. Stir until mixture is smooth. Pour cheese sauce over the cooked elbow macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 13-inch x 9-inch casserole dish. Top with reserved shredded cheddar cheese and place in preheated oven.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly around the edges. Turn on the oven broiler and bake until the top of the macaroni and cheese is lightly browned. Remove from heat and enjoy!
