What goes best with fried chicken?
Fried chicken is pretty delicious, as you guys all know, but unlike burgers, pizza or pasta, there's not a clear accompanying side dish that goes with chicken thrown in batter and hot oil. Fans of KFC will argue that mashed potatoes and gravy are the natural partner to fried chicken, but Chick-fil-A have something to say about that.
If we're talking officially, there's nothing we can talk about. Officially. But unofficially, over the last couple of months, there have been little hints that Chick-fil-A are trying out a brand new side dish to go with their particular brand of fried chicken. Mac and cheese, anyone?
This was the first sighting, back in mid-August. @Lexiefork was quick to sing the praises of Chick-fil-A mac and cheese, behaving as if the pasta dish had been there the whole time. But it hadn't, and @colin_maher81 had a response which was a lot closer to how I personally would react.
Look at those caps, friends. Look at the enthusiasm in that tweet! That's the kind of response I'd expect for fried chicken with mac and cheese, and this has reportedly been in the pipeline for quite a while. Chick-fil-A began testing their mac and cheese back in 2017, if reports are to be believed, teasing a new line of "Family Style Meals" available in select cities.
"We worked directly with a group of parents to design the new, all-in-one meal bundle to make eating lunch or dinner with a family (or small group of friends) a whole lot more convenient. Instead of worrying about the cooking, simply order and pick up the meal (for a party of four or more), serve it up and enjoy each other’s company!"
With the pasta dish one of two family-friendly sides reportedly available, if this is a test, then mac and cheese has definitely passed it. People all over are showering the side option with praise, and Chick-fil-A has (at times) sought to bask in the sunshine of their latest menu innovation.
"So I need EVERYONE to @ChickfilA and tell them to NOT TAKE MAC AND CHEESE OFF THE MENU!! Alright? Because @ChickfilA Mac and cheese literally keeps me alive! So, please, everyone @ChickfilA and tell them to not discontinue it. Or at least not discontinue it," begs @trollkrista.
She's not really making a lot of sense, but making a lot of sense at the same time - it would keep me alive as well, were I lucky enough to taste Chick-fil-A mac and cheese on my tongue.
So, there you have it, folks. Chick-fil-A might be second to KFC when you think of fast food chicken, but with mac and cheese on the menu, who knows how long that will last? And if you find yourself in one of those places which doesn't have mac and cheese at its Chick-fil-A locations, then maybe it's time to move?
Yeah, I think it might be.