About this episode
Spicy Nashville hot chicken meets creamy mac & cheese in the ultimate Southern comfort mash-up. Carla Hall stirs in heat and soul, Clinton Kelly declares mac “socially acceptable cheese soup,” and Michael Symon argues stove-top beats baked every time. Along the way, the trio swaps competition stories, childhood comfort food confessions, and even a Cool Whip controversy. It’s cheesy, it’s fiery, and it’s everything you need for your next comfort-food night. Keywords: Nashville hot chicken mac and cheese, Carla Hall recipe, spicy mac and cheese, Southern comfort food, Michael Symon mac vs baked mac, Clinton Kelly funny story, Blues Hog BBQ sauce, food podcast, cooking show Timestamps 00:00 – Carla crowned “queen of comfort food” 02:00 – Top Chef nerves & finding her food voice 04:00 – The Chew competition story that still stings 07:00 – Stove-top vs. baked mac debate 09:30 – Sponsor shout-outs: Blues Hog, Frontgate, All-Clad 12:00 – What makes real Nashville hot chicken 15:00 – Michael’s Prince’s Hot Chicken memory 18:00 – Cheese sauce secrets + Michael’s corn starch hack 22:00 – Folding in chicken + panko crunch topping 24:00 – Foods we secretly judge people for ordering 26:00 – Favorite childhood comfort foods 28:00 – Comfort foods we outgrew (bye, Cool Whip & peeps) 30:00 – Fan giveaway: Carla’s Comfort Foods cookbook Featured Sponsors Blues Hog: https://blueshog.com Frontgate: https://frontgate.com All-Clad: https://allclad.com Hedley & Bennett: https://hedleyandbennett.com Casamara Club: https://casamaraclub.com Kitchen Designed by Anthony Carrino → https://anthonycarrino.com Produced by Simple Alien → https://www.simplealien.com/ Camera, Audio and Crew provided by TV Boy → https://tvboynyc.com/ About Chewed Up Three lifestyle icons reunite with zero filter, strong opinions, and even stronger flavors. Clinton Kelly, Carla Hall, and Michael Symon are back in the kitchen with comedy, comfort food, and unfiltered conversation — served loud. Episodes drop 3x a week: Monday – Appetizers Wednesday – Mains Friday – Desserts Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss a bite. Fan Giveaway Every episode we pick one lucky subscriber for a fan giveaway. This week’s prize: Carla Hall’s Comfort Foods cookbook. Want in? 👉 Subscribe and sign up here: https://chewedupshow.com/fangiveaway Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy