The Fast Food Mac And Cheese That's Actually Baked In-House

There's nothing quite like home-baked macaroni and cheese. The unique blend of cheeses you select, the perfectly tender macaroni, and, of course, the crispy layer of cheese (and maybe breadcrumbs) on top — it's tough to beat. If you're craving homemade mac and cheese but aren't exactly in the mood to go through the entire process yourself, good news; you can snag some of the good stuff from your local Chick-fil-A. We swear, it's a dead ringer for what mom used to make. While the mac and cheese isn't technically made in-house, it is baked in-house, giving it that perfectly baked top layer that homemade mac and cheese is known for.

According to alleged employees on Reddit, Chick-fil-A puts more effort into preparing its mac and cheese than other fast food chains. While the base of its mac and cheese is the same as other restaurants — one employee mentioned it's the exact same base mac and cheese served at Bojangles — Chick-fil-A adds shredded cheese to the top before baking it to create that almost-crunchy top layer that helps make the mac and cheese taste homemade. Whether you take an indulgent approach and try adding Chick-fil-A mac and cheese to the top of your sandwich or you enjoy it as a side, one bite sends you back to your childhood kitchen table, enjoying a big scoop of the cheesy goodness straight out of the oven.

Chick-fil-A isn't the only fast food joint to offer mac and cheese as a side — we've actually ranked the best and worst of fast food mac and cheese since there are a ton of them out there. Most chains don't bake their mac and cheese in-house, however. People who say they've worked at KFC mention the chain used to bake its mac and cheese, but now it's microwaved. According to social media, Popeye's also bakes its mac and cheese in-house, but the chain only bakes it for a few minutes compared to the 45 minutes Chick-fil-A does (reviews even say the mac and cheese is one of the items to avoid at Popeye's).

Chick-Fil-A also uses a serious blend of cheeses in its mac and cheese, including American, cheddar, parmesan, Asiago, Romano, and Monterey Jack. The only cheese on KFC's mac and cheese ingredient list is cheddar, for example, and Panera's mac and cheese ingredients list is similar, containing a few different variations of cheddar without any other varieties. While fast food mac and cheese is generally delicious, there's a reason Chick-fil-A's recipe is on a different level: It all comes down to the extra effort it makes to get that homemade-style top layer of cheese.