Ask any small child and they’ll tell you that KFC has not only always had mac and cheese on the menu, but has always had mac and cheese with bits of chicken cut up and tossed around in the bowl. It’s a hand-mixed taste sensation that’s usually left half-eaten and thrown away by a mom tired of fighting with a child that won’t cooperate with a lunchtime meal.
From these literal mouths of children comes Kentucky Fried Chicken’s latest bowl du jour, the Mac & Cheese Bowl, an easy-enough concoction that brings the famous side to the forefront and makes it a blessed entrée for any adult that needs their food in a somewhat compact form, available in both original and, of course, spicy.
Despite the trouble ordering just the bowl at my area franchise — my server told me it’s only available as a “fill up” and I did not feel like arguing — when it arrived quickly on my tray, I immediately noticed it looked far less plump than the advertisements hung all around the store made it seem. While the pictures depict the bowl as a heightened foodscape of chicken and cheese dreams, in real life, it is just a low-lying valley of flat nuggets and buried cheddar.
Popping the plastic top and letting the scented heat waft upwards though, the smell was a peppy delight of warm Nashville hot sauce and melty cheddar cheese. There was a decent enough ratio of chicken to macaroni, always a plus. The spicy chicken popcorn nuggets seemed to cover the top, my fork gently stirring the mac and cheese from the bottom, like a perverted variation of yogurt.
While the spicy Nashville flavor of the chicken overpowered the well-meaning mac and cheese, it still worked here. The underlying cheesy taste is a heavenly layer of yellow deliciousness that manages to break through the thick wall of clucky goodness. It’s a taste that combines very well and, honestly, probably something that many of us already did before this even came out.
Sadly, as tasty as this is, I don’t think it makes a better combination than the typically perfect chicken and mashed potato Famous Bowl, which seems like more of a natural dish, one that has a sprinkling of cheese on it already, along with a few bits of corn. Still, if you’re ordering a Mac & Cheese Bowl, you know what you’re getting and, in that case, you’re going be mighty happy.
But, you know, if this meal doesn’t make you happy, chances are you’re just a fussy four-year-old with great reading skills.
Purchased Price: $5.00 (Fill Up Meal)
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Unavailable at post time.
It’s reviews like this that make me distrust you guys. I know that different people like different things, which is great, but there are some things that are just universally vile, and KFC’s mac & cheese is one of them! It is SO FREAKING DISGUSTING!!!!!
If another person liking something that you hate makes you distrust their opinion on food you are going to be a very untrusting person…of other peoples food opinions.
They have claimed to like way too many food items that were actually terrible. It makes me think that they might be accepting bribes.
Wow. That is a pretty significant accusation there, but I assure you we do not accept bribes. If you feel you don’t trust us as reviewers, then might I suggest visiting my friends Grub Grade or Junk Banter for your fast food and junk food review needs. Also, if you’re going to accuse us of accepting bribes, then maybe you should also accuse this person, this person, this person, this person, and these people. Or maybe KFC is spending some of its advertising budget on bribing YouTubers. Look, I can totally accept you hate this, and I don’t think your opinion is invalid, but it’s not “universally vile” as you said in your previous comment.
Needlessly rude.
I had this yesterday and was underwhelmed. It was ok. The chicken was tasty, but the mac and cheese was just so-so. I would not order it again. My son got a chicken sandwich and I was jealous because he said his was great. I too would rather have the regular bowl with potatoes and gravy. However, I had to try it and now I know. I say bring back the Cheetos Chicken Sandwich because that rocked!
I appreciate your honest opinion and think if the others mistrust your integrity they should go elsewhere rather than criticize. Taste is subjective. I love twinkies, but a lot of people turn up their noses at them. Does that make me suspect? Thanks for your honest reviews.
I like the Mac & Cheese bowl. I add tobasco to it because I prefer controlling the heat level
I thought it was OK (got the spicy version) but far from great. The Famous Bowl is way better. For great fast food M&C, Chick-Fil-A is by far the best I’ve ever tried. It’s only available as a side dish though.