Taste Test: KFC’s Mac ‘N Cheese Bowl is one for nacho lovers

If you’re a mac and cheese lover you’ll probably be elated to know that the Mac ‘N Cheese Bowl has made its highly-anticipated return to KFC restaurants on Oct 3. It comes with three set meal options for you to satisfy your cheese craving.

Over the years, KFC has released unique menu items which incorporate its signature chicken. The Mac ‘N Cheese Bowl is no exception.

As someone who’s never tried any of these elusive meals, I figured that this was a good opportunity to see what the hype was all about, and what made this item deserving of its place on KFC’s limited-edition menu. 

At first glance, the Mac ‘N Cheese bowl didn’t look very promising. With a seemingly small portion that came with a few chunks of popcorn chicken, I wasn’t exactly salivating at the sight of it.

But don’t be fooled, you’ll likely find yourself satiated after a couple of bites.

A typical mac and cheese dish would be made with cheeses such as sharp cheddar or mozzarella – which melt nicely to give the dish its signature texture. 

So with the generous albeit unconventional use of nacho cheese in the Mac ‘N Cheese bowl, it didn’t taste or look much like a traditional mac and cheese. 

If you were expecting a stringy, melt-in-your-mouth mac and cheese, you might be disappointed as the nacho cheese is rather thin and runny. 

Due to its consistency, most of the cheese had pooled to the bottom of the bowl. However, this was easily remedied with a quick stir.

Flavour-wise, the first few mouthfuls of nacho-coated macaroni isn’t overpowering enough to be off-putting. However, after a few more bites, you might find that the creaminess starts to get heavy.

The macaroni was also somewhat chewy, ideal for those who like their pasta cooked al dente. 

The star of the Mac ‘N Cheese bowl was KFC’s signature popcorn chicken, which offered sanctuary from the heaviness of the nacho cheese.

Even though the copious amounts of cheese and its runny consistency resulted in the popcorn chicken losing its crisp, it had no effect on its taste. 

The bite-sized chicken chunks went perfectly alongside the macaroni, balancing the otherwise soft texture with a firm and satisfying bite.

If you find yourself getting sick of the nacho cheese, taking an occasional mouthful of chicken is a surefire way to cleanse your palette.

While KFC’s Mac ‘N Cheese bowl isn’t exactly groundbreaking, it is worth a try. 

For nacho cheese lovers, this meal would probably be a bang for your buck. However, if you’re a small eater or are simply curious about this limited edition menu item, it might be a better idea to share it with a friend.

The Mac ‘N Cheese bowl is available at most KFC outlets for the rest of October, with the exception of the outlets at Singapore Polytechnic and the Singapore Zoo.