If you like fried chicken and mashed potatoes, then you definitely need to try our copycat KFC Mashed Potato Bowl!! It’s a homemade version of the famous KFC chicken bowl recipe with layers of potatoes, corn, cheese, gravy and chicken all served together in a bowl.
Do you love KFC Famous mashed potato bowls? If so you're in for a treat because now you can easily make them at home, saving some money and a trip to pick them up.
Copycat KFC Famous Bowls recipe makes a mouthwatering dinner that’s so hearty and comforting. The whole family will love it! I can almost guarantee it.
As of late, instead of preparing individual serving bowls like we used to, we make a casserole and serve everyone right from there. We have found that making an entire casserole or even individual KFC mashed potato bowls makes weeknight family dinners that much easier.
This KFC mashed potato bowl is one of our favorite comfort dinners EVER. It was inspired by another chicken casserole recipe on Kitchen Divas and tastes great with these air fryer green beans or a simple preparation of your favorite vegetable.
These KFC Mashed Potato Bowls are super easy to prepare. Especially when made into a quick and easy casserole. Such a time saver and so much simpler to do too. If you make casseroles often, then you definitely need to try French Onion Beef Casserole and this easy Frito Casserole.
Why You Will Love This Bowl Meal
- An easy weeknight dinner the whole family will enjoy!
- A one-pot casserole and comfort food meal that’s incredibly hearty and satisfying.
- Eating bowls helps manage portion control. They make you feel more satisfied.
- Eating from bowls may be comforting and can improve your mood.
What is a Bowl Meal?
Bowl meals have been around for thousands of years. The KFC mashed potato bowls are just one of the more recent ones! Around the world, many cultures prioritize bowl use over plates.
There is a physical connection you get with your food when you eat it from a bowl that is more comforting. That's probably why bowl foods like soup and macaroni and cheese are referred to as comfort food.
Typically, we think of bowl foods using rice as a base. It's the most common across various cultures. Noodles of some sort are the second.
But the more you delve into it, the more you will come to see how prevalent food bowls have become and how they have evolved.
Bowl meals in America have risen recently in the pop-culture consciousness for a variety of reasons such as the increase in the one-pot cooking method, dietary restrictions, and foods that are easier to eat on the go.
KFC Mashed Potato Bowl Ingredients
This easy comfort food recipe is prepared using simple, easy-to-find ingredients to quickly prepare this dish for a weeknight dinner.
- russet potatoes
- cream cheese
- butter
- salt
- garlic powder
- pepper
- crispy chicken bites, nuggets, or strips
- sweet corn
- cheddar cheese
- brown gravy mix
How to Make Copycat KFC Famous Bowl Recipe
This recipe goes together quickly, in just a few steps. If you want to see step-by-step images, check the recipe card.
Step 1: Cook the Potatoes
Add diced potatoes to 8 cups of boiling water. Boil for 12-15 minutes or until potatoes become tender. Remove from water and drain.
Step 2: Make Mashed Potatoes
Add cream cheese, butter, salt, garlic powder and pepper to the potatoes. Mix thoroughly until mashed potatoes are creamy and smooth.
Step 3: Assemble the Casserole
Grease bottom of 9x13 casserole dish. Layer the bottom of the dish evenly with mashed potatoes. Add chicken bites and corn evenly on top of the potatoes.
Sprinkle with cheese and set aside and begin to preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step 4: Make the Gravy
Cook gravy according to package instructions and when it’s ready, pour over the dish evenly.
Step 5: Bake in the Oven
Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese has melted into the dish.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Choosing the Chicken for a KFC Chicken Bowl
KFC serves up their mashed potato bowls with crispy chicken bites made with chicken breast and a crunchy crispy crust. You can do something similar or change up your potato bowls with a variety of different preparations of chicken.
Here are just a few of my favorites:
- Want traditional but homemade? Then I think you will love these Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Prefer dark meat over white? Then you will love these Air Fryer Chicken Thighs.
- Is time a factor? Then pick up a bag of popcorn chicken at the store and use Air Fryer Frozen Popcorn Chicken to prepare it!
- Want chicken without a breading? Then these Parmesan Ranch Chicken Tenders are the perfect option for your KFC mashed potato bowl!
- Love it spicy? Then these Nashville Hot Chicken Strips will give you all the added spiciness you love!
- Want to chicken with a little more flavor? Try these Garlic Parmesan Popcorn Chicken. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
Substitutions
- Run out of potatoes? Use instant potatoes instead to quickly make this casserole for dinner.
- Want to save time? Buy chicken nuggets, chicken strips, or popcorn chicken and bake them from frozen instead.
- Don't like package gravy. Then use canned, make it from scratch or your favorite gravy.
Variations
- Vegetarian: Ditch the chicken and pile on the veggies! Don’t forget to swap out the brown gravy mix for a vegetarian option.
- Healthier: Swap out the crispy chicken for grilled and use a tad bit less cheese!
- Mac and Cheese Bowl: Swap out the mashed potatoes with macaroni and cheese and ditch the gravy and corn. So good!
Expert Tips
Use russet potatoes for the fluffiest mashed potatoes.
To make individual mashed potato bowls instead of a casserole, add the ingredients in single servings in a bowl and then heat them to melt the cheese. Use the oven if you have oven-safe bowls or the microwave if you prefer.
If using chicken breasts, thighs, or tenders, cut it up into smaller bite-sized pieces to make it easier to eat.
FAQs
Here are some popular questions I get about making this recipe.
Any mashed potatoes are going to taste great, but they don't all taste the same and cooking the different types changes too.
When it comes to homestyle KFC mashed potato bowls nothing beats the russet or Idaho potato. Russet potatoes are large so they are easier to deal with in terms of peeling the skin.
They also have a very high starch content, which is highly desirable for mashing. Russet potatoes result in a fluffy and more buttery-tasting potato when mashed.
Aside from russets, Yukon Gold potatoes also make the top of the list of the most mashable potatoes but it's not the way KFC mashed potato bowls are made. This mashed potato bowl with peeled russet potatoes is comfort food perfection.
You can use a vegetable peeler to peel your potatoes. However, there are alternatives that don't cost too much of an investment.
Whether you think about it or not, those kitchen gadgets, particularly for food prep, can make or break your willingness to go through with cooking food you truly enjoy.
A small $15-$25 purchase makes prep time much easier with a potato peeler you crank, or even an automatic one that makes prep time for this KFC famous bowl recipe feel more like playtime.
Mashed potatoes, bite-sized crispy chicken nuggets, kernel corn, brown gravy, and cheddar cheese. Once piled on it’s heated just to melt the cheese.
KFC Mashed Potato Bowl Copycat Video
More Easy Dinner Recipes
KFC Mashed Potato Bowl Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 brick (8 oz) cream cheese
- ½ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ cups sweet corn
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 can (10.5 oz) beef gravy or 1 pkg beef gravy made
- 2 cups crispy chicken bites or nuggets, store bought or homemade see notes for homemade options
Instructions
- Get out and measure you're ingredients.
- Prepare store bought chicken nuggets, strips or popcorn chicken according to package directions or prepare homemade crispy chicken bites.
- Add diced potatoes to 8 cups of boiling water. Boil for 12-15 minutes or until potatoes become tender. Remove from water and drain.
- Add cream cheese, butter, salt, garlic powder and pepper to potatoes.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Until mashed potatoes creamy smooth.
- Grease bottom of 9x13 casserole pan or dish.
- Layer bottom of dish evenly with mashed potatoes.
- Add chicken and corn evenly on top of the potatoes.
- Sprinkle with cheese.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook gravy according to package instructions or open can and place in saucepan on your your stove, over medium, until heated through.
- When gravy has completed cooking, pour over the dish as evenly as possible.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese has melted into the dish.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
- Enjoy every last bite.
INDIVIDUAL BOWLS
- Assemble bowls by first layering potatoes, then corn, chicken nuggets, strips or popcorn chicken, some gravy and topped with shredded cheddar cheese or your favorite.
- Serve individual bowls to everyone.
Notes
- Want traditional but homemade? Then I think you will love these Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Prefer dark meat over white? Then you will love these Air Fryer Chicken Thighs.
- Is time a factor? Then pick up a bag of popcorn chicken at the store and use Air Fryer Frozen Popcorn Chicken to prepare it!
- Want chicken without a breading? Then these Parmesan Ranch Chicken Tenders are the perfect option for your KFC mashed potato bowl!
- Love it spicy? Then these Nashville Hot Chicken Strips will give you all the added spiciness you love!
- Want to chicken with a little more flavor? Try these Garlic Parmesan Popcorn Chicken. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
Nutrition
Enjoy your delicous copycat KFC mashed potato bowls!
Other great recipes to try
Bacon and Cheese Leftover Mashed Potato Burgers
Creamy Little Potato Bake
Supreme Mashed Potato Casserole
Sadie
I just want to say that I just tried this recipe and it's way better than KFC! Because my kids absolutely loved this I like that because I made it myself I know there Is not junk in it. Thanks for the idea.
Karin and Ken
You’re most welcome. I’m glad you’re all enjoying this recipe. We like it better too. Thank you for taking the time to let me know. You made my day. All the best. Karin
Arpita Patel
Great recipe and I loved the mashed potatoes. I used half and half and loved it. I also added some garlic and garlic salt to perk it up. Great recipe... I will definitely be making this again very soon. Thank you
Karin and Ken
As always you are most welcome. Glad to hear you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! All the best. Karin
Paige
We made bowls with kids and had fun with your homemade recipe and we all loved it THANK YOU FOR SHARING
Karin and Ken
As always you are most welcome! I just LOVE these bowls myself and wish I could eat them more often than I do. Take care and be well. Karin
Reggie
Excellent bowl we all loved it Made everything the homemade way and it’s better then one we buy thx kd for sharing another excellent recipe
Karin and Ken
You're welcome! I love this recipe too and think the homemade version is definitely better than the original! Glad you agree! Hopefully you find some other recipes on this site that you enjoy just as much! All the best. Karin