Honey Pepper Mac Chicken (Printable Version)
Cheesy pasta loaded with honey-pepper chicken, crispy bacon, and basil. Cozy and full of big flavor.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 -
16 oz box of spiral noodles
→ Chicken
02 -
25 oz bag of crispy breaded chicken strips
→ Bacon and Garnishes
03 -
Five strips of bacon, cooked and broken up
04 -
Salt as needed
05 -
Cracked black pepper, as needed
06 -
Chopped fresh basil for sprinkling
→ Honey Pepper Sauce
07 -
3/4 cup honey
08 -
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
09 -
3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
10 -
1/4 cup pineapple juice
11 -
Juice squeezed from a lemon
12 -
1 tbsp vinegar
13 -
1 tsp black pepper
14 -
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
→ Cheese Sauce
15 -
Half cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
16 -
2 cups heavy cream
17 -
Half cup shredded parmesan
18 -
1 cup shredded mozzarella, fresh if possible
19 -
3/4 cup shredded colby jack cheese
20 -
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
# Step-by-Step Guide:
01 -
Scoop the creamy noodles onto plates, top with honey-glazed chicken, toss on the rest of the bacon, and heap on fresh basil for a pop of color and flavor.
02 -
Dip cooked chicken strips all over in the honey pepper sauce so they're well covered. Let any extra sauce fall off first.
03 -
Mix the drained noodles into your cheese sauce in the pan till coated well. Toss in half the bacon for extra punch.
04 -
Melt butter in a big pan over medium. Stir in heavy cream to combine. When warm, slowly add parmesan, then mozzarella, then colby jack. Stir each time so it melts smooth. Drop in minced garlic. Add salt and pepper if you want.
05 -
Put honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, lemon juice, vinegar, black pepper, and cayenne into a pot. Heat on medium till it starts bubbling. Drop it to low so it just simmers. Stir here and there for about 15 minutes till it thickens. Remove and let cool a bit.
06 -
Fill a big pot with salted water. Bring to a boil, add spiral pasta, and cook till just tender. Drain it and set aside.
07 -
Follow the directions on the bag to bake or fry the chicken strips. Once they're crunchy and browned, set aside to cool down a bit.
# Additional Notes:
01 -
Going gluten-free? Swap in gluten-free noodles and breaded chicken coated with gluten-free crumbs or almond flour.