Mac and cheese at chick fil a price

(FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) – Get ready to add more cheese to the already delicious and popular menu at Chick-fil-A. 

A South Carolina store is adding Mac and Cheese as a side option to their menu.

The South Carolina location, on Woodruff Road in Greenville, will start selling the cheesy goodness on Monday, August 12, they said.

The restaurant chain started testing the iconic comfort food in late 2018 at restaurants in four states, according to Business Insider. Chick-Fil-A first began experimenting with a Mac and Cheese menu item in July 2017.

The new side is made with macaroni noodles and a blend of cheeses including cheddar, parmesan, and Romano. It is available at select locations in:

Baltimore, Maryland
Greensboro, North Carolina 
Houston and San Antonio, Texas
Nashville, Tennessee
Phoenix, Arizona.
Business Insider reports that the fast-food chain experimented with a number of different mac and cheese recipes, including one that featured cauliflower, before settling on this one. 

The price for a side order of mac and cheese differs per market, but starts at $2.79 for a medium-sized side and $4.39 for a large side. Customers in the six test markets can also order mac and cheese off the catering menu as a small for $33 or large tray option for $64.50, Chick-fil-A said.

Chick-fil-A said the tests have gone well, but it’s unclear if or when the side will be available in all markets.

Chick-fil-A unveiled Monday its first permanent side addition since 2016. After passing a five-market test “with flying colors,” the chicken brand launched Mac & Cheese nationwide. It’s available with any lunch, dinner, Kid’s Meal as an alternative to waffle fries. It’s also an option for catering orders and as a stand-alone product.

“Mac & Cheese is the quintessential comfort food, and something we are so excited to offer our guests at Chick-fil-A. We think it's the perfect pairing with our Original Chicken Sandwich, nuggets and our grilled chicken offerings, but it's also great on its own as a snack,” said Amanda Norris, executive director of menu and packaging, in a statement. “Mac & Cheese is also available on our catering menu as a quick pick-up for a larger gathering. It has a delicious, homemade taste.”

Chick-fil-A’s new item, which piloted in Baltimore; Greensboro, North Carolina; Houston; Nashville, Tennessee; and Phoenix, features a blend of cheese, including Cheddar, Parmesan, and Romano. It was first introduced in New York for $3.15. The item will be baked in-store every day, the brand said.

“We have a very high bar when it comes to adding a menu item,” Norris added, “but the feedback from our customers in the test markets made this decision easy. I am excited it will be available for all of our guests across the country starting today.”

Chick-fil-A’s last permanent addition was the egg white breakfast sandwich in 2016.

Additionally, Chick-fil-A launched Frosted Caramel Coffee for a limited time, it announced Monday. The beverage combines cold-brewed coffee with Chick-fil-A’s vanilla Icedream dessert and caramel syrup. It will be available until November 9.

Chick-fil-A closed 2018 with 2,400 locations—145 more than the prior year. The company produced total systemwide sales of $10 billion on average-unit volumes of $4.167 million, the highest of any brand in this year’s QSR 50.

Market Force Information also named Chick-fil-A America’s favorite quick-serve in July. It’s topped the list for five straight years.

Chick-fil-A

Frosted Caramel Coffee combines cold-brewed coffee with Chick-fil-A’s vanilla Icedream dessert and caramel syrup.

Whether you love or loathe Chick-fil-A's politics, there's no denying the tastiness of the chain's chicken sandwich and related poultry-based menu items. The fact that their waffle fries are unlike anyone else's is icing on the proverbial cake.

Known originally (and still primarily) for its chicken sandwich, the menu now features dozens of items, with each one carefully considered, vetted, and launched. The fast-food giant increased its stranglehold on southern cuisine when it added mac & cheese to the menu nationwide in 2019, following successful tests in select markets. Although many people weren't all that upset about the deletion of classic coleslaw from the menu, this addition did help placate those who were pretty bummed. It all worked out well in the end, as Chick-fil-A ended up adding a valuable contingent of vegetarian (if not vegan) customers with this hearty offering.

Although mac & cheese is a beloved comfort dish, there's still plenty to know about Chick-fil-A's incarnation, whether you've noshed on it already or not.

How much does Chick-fil-A mac & cheese cost?

Chick-fil-A/Twitter

Chick-fil-A's mac & cheese is readily sold in sizes small and medium via the app. Many stores also have a large size, but it is not available everywhere. As a result, it is typically only available in the drive-thru or at the counter at participating locations.

There is some price variation by location, but at one Atlanta location, the price for a small is $2.55 and a medium is $3.29. This is quite a bit more than a side of waffle potato fries (size small is $1.79, and size medium is $1.99). This is not terribly shocking, since mac & cheese is certainly more of a premium side, so you will likely pay a premium price for it. For the sake of comparison, a single serving of mac at KFC is the same as a size small at Chick-fil-A, but a large is $3.79.

What's the nutritional information for Chick-fil-A mac & cheese?

Chick-fil-A

Now for the bad news. Chick-fil-A has a number of fairly healthy options on its menu, but the mac & cheese is definitely not one of them. A small order of mac & cheese packs 270 calories, 17 grams of fat, 17 grams of carbs, and 12 grams of protein. A medium order comes in at 450 calories, 29 grams of fat, 28 grams of carbs, and 20 grams of protein. So, it's probably not the healthiest thing you'll put in your body on any given day.

Shockingly, there are zero trans fats in Chick-fil-A's mac & cheese. There are, however, 40 milligrams of cholesterol and 720 milligrams of sodium, neither of which are exactly good for you. In fact, one small mac & cheese contains more than one-quarter of the recommended daily sodium intake of 2,300 grams, per the FDA. It does contain only 2 grams of sugar, so there's a little bit of good news!

What ingredients are in Chick-fil-A mac & cheese?

Shutterstock

Chick-fil-A mac & cheese has more ingredients than just the two in the title. The restaurant primarily bills it as a special blend of cheeses. Indeed, there are plenty of cheeses to be found in the label, including Montamore, cheddar, Asiago, Parmesan, Romano, and others. There's also something called pasteurized process cheese spread filling in the gaps. 

The official ingredient list is long and comprehensive, and includes other bits and pieces like (obviously) macaroni, which contains niacin, iron and folic acid. All of those are good things. It's likely most people don't get enough folic acid in their daily diet, so if there's a positive to be found, that's it. There's also plenty of modified corn starch, soy lecithin, a preservative called sodium benzoate, natural and artificial flavor, soybean oil, nonfat dry milk, and many others to cull through. Concerned? Check out the full list on the corporate site.

How does Chick-fil-A mac & cheese taste?

Shutterstock

Reviews on Chick-fil-A's mac & cheese have varied from "exemplary rendition of a classic mac & cheese" (via Brand Eating) to "totally forgettable" (via Eat This, Not That). The dish is creamy, cheesy, and hearty enough to qualify as an entrée. It can also be described as a tad greasy, a certain turnoff to some people. "It tasted reminiscent of Stouffer's frozen mac and cheese, which is something I lived on as a teenager. I wouldn't swap waffle fries for it, but if someone added it to a catering order, I'd grab a spoonful," one Atlanta Magazine writer described. So, not the most glowing review, but not particularly damning, either.

Ideally, it's served nice and hot. Each restaurant bakes the dish on a daily basis for a fresh, quality experience. If it doesn't come out that way, simply ping a manager or a staff member, and they'll likely get you a better serving because Chick-fil-A is known as being one of the more customer experience-oriented fast-food chains out there.

How can I make my own Chick-fil-A mac & cheese?

Shutterstock

Chick-fil-A mac & cheese is baked fresh every single day (except for Sundays because the restaurant is closed), which is a major part of why people are so wild about the dish. It didn't take long for big fans of Chick-fil-A's mac & cheese to come up with copycat recipes to achieve the same taste and texture of the dish, but at a fraction of the cost. Even Mashed shared a copycat Chick-fil-A mac & cheese recipe that only takes 30 minutes to prepare. Notably, the Mashed test kitchen found that the dry milk powder listed in the official ingredient list is indeed better than standard liquid milk for this purpose. Who woulda thought, right?

Another option is an Instant Pot version from Mama Needs Cake, in which the author recommends steering clear of pre-shredded cheese. Shredding your own cheese takes a couple of extra minutes but will render a creamier final product than pre-shredded cheese that contains extra preservatives and starches.

How much is Mac & Cheese at Chick

How much is Chick

Is there a large mac and cheese at Chick

Do Chick