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4.93 from 39 votes

Honey Pepper Chicken Mac and Cheese

Fan of your favorite restaurant recipes but want to make them at home? This Copycat Applebee's Honey Pepper Mac and Cheese is the perfect copycat recipe. Filled with mac and cheese, chicken and bacon it is completely addicting!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 1037kcal
Author: Tornadough Alli

Ingredients

  • 1 16 oz box spiral noodles
  • 1 25 oz. bag breaded chicken strips
  • 5 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Basil

Honey Pepper Sauce:

  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 3 Tbs soy sauce, low sodium
  • 1/4 cup pineapple juice
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tbs vinegar
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Cheese Sauce:

  • 1 stick butter
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded
  • 3/4 cup colby jack cheese, freshly shredded
  • 2-3 cloves minced garlic
  • Chopped fresh basil

Instructions

  • Bake or deep fry chicken strips according to package directions (you can also make your own), set aside.
  • Cook pasta according to package directions.
  • Meanwhile mix all your Honey Pepper sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool slightly to thicken.
  • To make your cheese sauce melt your butter and cream together in a large pan.
  • Once melted add in your cheese one at a time, stirring after each addition then and garlic and stir until incorporated and everything in melted.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add pasta to pan with sauce and stir to combine, add in your bacon and stir until incorporated.
  • Dip each of your chicken strips into the honey pepper sauce until coated and set aside.
  • When ready to serve, dish up your pasta and top with chicken strips and sprinkle with basil and additional bacon if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 1037kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 72g | Saturated Fat: 41g | Cholesterol: 243mg | Sodium: 1529mg | Potassium: 353mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 67g | Vitamin A: 2330IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 554mg | Iron: 1.4mg