KFC rolls out new mac ‘n’ cheese bowl, topped with extra cheese and fried chicken

Fast food’s eternal mac ‘n’ cheese battle has seriously heated up this week with the news that fried chicken giants KFC are stepping into the arena. Supplementing their standard potato-based bowl options, the chain have decided it’s high time that their customers got creamy macaroni, covered in cheese and scattered with crispy pieces of OG recipe chicken. Finally, our prayers have been answered. 

The new dish is scheduled to hit shelves on August 26th, and will mark the chain’s first major change to their bowls for several years. According to a report in Insider, the recipe will feature a three-cheese blend, as well as several nuggets of popcorn chicken, making it easily one of the most mouthwatering options on the menu. 

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In an official statement heralding the news, KFC’s US CMO, Andrea Zahumensky, said, “Mac and Cheese has a cult-like following, and bowl food is a trend that isn’t going away anytime soon. So, it made perfect sense to call up a favorite side dish to the big leagues, in a way that only we could, with Mac and Cheese Bowls.”

While news of the release will certainly be a relief to KFC fans, the truth is that the chain have been relatively slow on the uptake. Controversial chicken chain Chick-Fil-A have already stolen headlines this year, after they launched their own mac ‘n’ cheese side – the first permanent change to their side menu since 2017. 

This change prompted something of a mac ‘n’ cheese war on social media, with rival brands throwing various amounts of shade in each other’s direction. Boston Market, for instance, greeted the news of Chick-Fil-A’s entry into the marketplace with a derisory tweet, writing, “Customer: Can I get something like Boston Market mac & cheese but mediocre? Other guys: My pleasure.” Whether KFC’s move prompts a similar response remains to be seen.