KFC, also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, might be most well-known for its crispy chicken offerings. But it's got one item on the menu that actually has a lot of other ingredients besides chicken that is still very popular — the KFC Famous Bowl.
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The Famous Bowl has "creamy mashed potatoes, sweet corn and bite-sized chunks of crispy chicken," according to the fast food company's website. The chicken in question is actually "popcorn chicken," and the whole thing is "layered together" with home-style brown gravy and three different kinds of shredded cheeses, one of which seems to be cheddar cheese.
But how did this comfort food offering from the restaurant come to be? In 2006, NPR spoke to James O'Reilly, KFC's V.P. of Marketing, who said the concoction "was the result of careful market research" that found the key to the dish's success seemed to lie in putting all the flavors involved together in one meal.
The outlet reported at the time that the KFC bowl was the most highly caloric item on the KFC menu, and taking a look at the nutritional information, that's not hard to believe. It has 45mg cholesterol and 81g total carbohydrates and is not likely to be recommended as a healthy meal for the whole family by any dietitians anytime soon.
Despite the fact that some people might not be charmed by the thought of being served a chicken meal lumped together in a bowl (comedian Patton Oswalt famously tried one after ridiculing the item and said it "slouched down [his] throat"), the item seems to remain popular.
There is also a spicy bowl option, and there are recipes out there to make a copycat KFC famous bowl at home. The simplest recipes tend to involve things like instant mashed potatoes, frozen corn, and chicken nuggets.
But if you want the real deal, just head on over to KFC and order one for yourself. And don't let any comedian or anyone else judge you for it!
