Reimagined Restaurant Favorites: Homemade KFC Chicken Bowl
Some of you are going to notice a new little series popping up around here called Reimagined Restaurant Favorites.
And truthfully… it’s coming from real life.
Since Mr. Pita’s stroke, crowded places and loud restaurants are a whole situation now. Being around too many people or unfamiliar spaces can send his anxiety through the roof. So our “let’s just go out to eat tonight” days have quietly packed up their leftovers and gone home for a while.
He’s working on it.
He really is.
Every now and then he’ll rally for my dad because my dad loves going out to eat. So we try to find smaller local spots at off times where nobody is elbow-deep in mozzarella sticks two feet from our table.
But drive-thru?
Takeout?
Not really my thing when I know I can make it at home for less money, have leftovers for tomorrow, and skip the sodium Olympics.
Now let’s be honest for a second. I’m not judging anybody for grabbing fast food. I literally had a burger from Burger King this past week because sometimes life is life and the fries were calling my name like a siren song.
But most of the time…
We’re recreating the favorites right here at home.
Starting with the Homemade KFC Chicken Bowl.
Why Make a Homemade KFC Chicken Bowl?
Because it’s:
- Budget friendly
- Freezer friendly
- Leftover friendly
- And anxiety-friendly for those of us staying in more these days
Plus, you control the salt, the quality, and the portion size… which in my case is “a bowl that requires two hands.”
No Drive Thru Chicken Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 C. Real or Instant Mashed Potatoes Prepared Ahead
- 2 C. Popcorn Chicken or Chicken Nuggets Cooked
- 1 ½ C. Brown Gravy *See Notes
- 1 ½ C. Corn Frozen or Canned
- ½ C. Cheddar Cheese Shredded
- Salt and Pepper To Taste
Instructions
- Make your mashed potatoes from scratch, or take the easy way out and use Instant. No judgment here, I use both. Eat a spoonful straight from the pot for quality control. It’s science.
- Bake or air fry your chicken according to package directions. If using nuggets or even tenders, chop into bite-sized pieces. No perfect cubes required.
- For the gravy, feel free to use a packet, can, or jar, or give this delicious Reimagined KFC-style gravy a try. You’ll know it’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon.
- Heat the corn in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add a tiny pat of butter if you’re feeling fancy.
Build Your Bowl In This Exact Order
- Mashed Potatoes
- Corn
- Crispy Chicken
- Shredded Cheese Let the cheese melt down into everything like it belongs there.
Notes
- I prefer to use frozen corn, and when feeling fiesty, I use fire-roasted corn.
- For the GRAVY, I have an amazing dupe recipe for KFC chicken bowl gravy.
- I prefer real mashed potatoes to the instant ones, but the instant ones are still great in this recipe.
Real Life Tip
Make everything ahead of time and store it separately.
Then, when dinner hits, and nobody wants to cook… You just assemble and heat.
It’s basically meal prep wearing sweatpants.
Optional Add-Ins
- Pepper Jack cheese
- Garlic powder in the potatoes
- A drizzle of extra gravy
- One of our homemade seasoning blends is tossed on the chicken before baking
Comfort food… but make it manageable.
Thanks for stopping by Maison Hearth—where the house is lived in, the food is made with love, and the sass is always included. Come back hungry, curious, and ready to make a little mess.
