Honey Pepper Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe
Have you ever had Applebee’s Four Cheese Mac and Cheese with Honey Pepper Chicken Tenders? Well, then you might know it is delicious, and this recipe is quite comparable to that.
This copycat recipe is pretty simple to make. There are not too many dishes to dirty or ingredients to buy. Most of the sauce ingredients are staples and should be in your pantry.
To help save time and stovetop space, I like to bake my bacon strips along with my chicken strips in the oven while I am making the other components. Also, I like to cook my pasta a little earlier and set it aside in a colander. I then use that same pot to start up my cheese sauce. Not only is it saving me from cleaning another pot, but it is also heated up and saves me some time.
Cost to make this recipe.
Honey Pepper Chicken Mac and Cheese is a reasonably priced meal. With easy to find recipes and simple process, I calculated it to cost about $19.06 for the entire recipe. Six healthy portions come out of this recipe, or you can even spread it out further to eight if necessary, which comes to about $3.18 per serving.
As a comparison, the Applebee’s restaurant dish costs $12.69 per dish. If you make this dish at home, it will save you a whopping $9.51 per plate.
As a homesteader, you could save even further. Do you raise bees and have your own, honey? That would save about over $2. I grow my paprika, garlic, and cayenne peppers. That saves not a lot, but some at $0.10.
Similar mac and cheese recipes to try
Recipe adapted
I adapted this recipe from Tornadough Alli food blog. All images and texts are original to Vintage Mountain Homestead. Please visit our disclaimer page for more information.
Honey Pepper Chicken Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 strips frozen breaded chicken strips …[$5.53]
- 1 lb spiral or elbow pasta …[$1.00]
- 4 strips bacon …[$1.84]
Honey Pepper Sauce
- ¾ cup honey …[$2.88]
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce …[$0.24]
- ¼ cup brown sugar …[$0.12]
- ¼ cup pineapple juice …[$0.12]
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar …[$0.02]
- 1 tsp black pepper …[$0.92]
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper …[$0.04]
- ¼ tsp garlic powder …[$0.01]
- 1 dash paprika …[$0.05]
Cheese Sauce
- 4 Tbsp butter …[$0.50]
- 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour …[$0.04]
- 1 cup heavy cream …[$1.15]
- 1½ cup milk …[$0.35]
- ½ cup parmesan cheese …[$1.25]
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese …[$1.50]
- 1 cup Colby Jack cheese …[$1.50]
Instructions
- Cook bacon until crispy chop and set aside for later. Cook pasta accordingly and set aside for later. Bake frozen chicken strips accordingly and keep warm.
Honey Pepper Sauce
- In a medium or small saucepan, combine all ingredients, mix and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer until the end of cooking and ready to use.
Cheese Sauce
- Melt butter in a large saucepan and whisk in flour. Cook for one minute over low/medium heat.
- Whisk in heavy cream and milk. Let warm back up for 5 minutes or until it mixture thickens up over medium heat.
- Toss in all cheese and stir until cheese is melted and combined well. Reduce heat to warm and toss in drained cooked pasta.
Put It Together
- To plate, lay a good portion of mac and cheese on each plate and sprinkle with chopped bacon.
- Dip baked chicken strips into warm honey pepper sauce. Make sure all breading is coated thoroughly. Don’t leave too long in sauce or the breading may start to fall off.
- Top mac and cheese with coated chicken and enjoy.
Honey Pepper Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 strips frozen breaded chicken strips, …[$5.53]
- 1 lb spiral or large elbow noodles, …[$1.00]
- 4 strips bacon, …[$1.84]
Honey Pepper Sauce
- ¾ cup honey, …[$2.88]
- 3 tbsp soy sauce, …[$0.24]
- ¼ cup brown sugar, …[$0.12]
- ¼ cup pineapple juice, …[$0.12]
- 1 tbsp white vinegar, …[$0.02]
- 1 tsp black pepper, …[$0.92]
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, …[$0.04]
- ¼ tsp garlic powder, …[$0.01]
- 1 dash paprika, …[$0.05]
Cheese Sauce
- 4 tbsp butter, …[$0.50]
- 4 tbsp all purpose flour, …[$0.04]
- 1 cup heavy cream, …[$1.15]
- 1½ cup milk, …[$0.35]
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, …[$1.25]
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, …[$1.50]
- 1 cup Colby Jack cheese, …[$1.50]
Instructions
- Cook 4 strips bacon until crispy, chop and set aside for later. Cook 1 lb spiral or large elbow noodles accordingly and set aside for later. Bake 8 strips frozen breaded chicken strips accordingly and keep warm.
Honey Pepper Sauce
- In a medium or small saucepan, combine all ingredients (¾ cup honey, 3 tbsp soy sauce, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup pineapple juice, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, ¼ tsp garlic powder, 1 dash paprikamix and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer until the end of cooking and ready to use.
Cheese Sauce
- Melt 4 tbsp butter in a large saucepan and whisk in 4 tbsp all purpose flour. Cook for one minute over low/medium heat.
- Whisk in 1 cup heavy cream and 1½ cup milk. Let warm back up for 5 minutes or until it mixture thickens up over medium heat.
- Toss in all cheese (½ cup parmesan cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 cup Colby Jack cheese) and stir until cheese is melted and combined well. Reduce heat to warm and toss in drained cooked pasta.
Put It Together
- To plate, lay a good portion of mac and cheese on each plate and sprinkle with chopped bacon.
- Dip baked chicken strips into warm honey pepper sauce. Make sure all breading is coated thoroughly. Don’t leave too long in sauce or the breading may start to fall off.
- Top mac and cheese with coated chicken and enjoy.