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Applebee's Honey Pepper Chicken & 4-Cheese Mac

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Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:35 minutes
Total Time:50 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Keyword: Asiago, Cheese, Chicken, Pasta

Ingredients

  • 6 slices Thick-Cut Bacon

Seasoned Flour

  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 3 tbsp Paprika
  • 1½ tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 1½ tbsp Dry Mustard
  • 1½ tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 1½ tbsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tbsp Seasoned Salt
  • ¾ tbsp Black Pepper
  • ½ tbsp Celery Seed
  • ½ tsp Dried Ginger
  • ½ tsp Dried Thyme
  • ½ tsp Dried Basil
  • ½ tsp Dried Oregano

Fried Chicken

  • 1 lb Chicken Tenders trimmed of any excess fat
  • 2 cups Buttermilk

Honey Pepper Sauce

  • ¾ cup Honey
  • ¼ cup Brown Sugar
  • ¼ cup Pineapple Juice
  • 3 tbsp Soy Sauce
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 4 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper
  • ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper or less to taste
  • 1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tsp water for slurry

4 Cheese Mac & Cheese

  • ¼ cup Butter 4 Tbsp
  • 3 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 Anaheim Pepper diced
  • 3 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 cups Heavy Cream
  • ½ cup Parmesan shredded
  • ¾ cup Mozzarella Cheese shredded
  • ½ cup Romano Cheese shredded
  • ½ cup Asiago Cheese shredded
  • ¼ tsp dried basil
  • 2 tsp Salt
  • Black pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley for garnish
  • 1 Cavatappi pasta box dried

Instructions

  • Cook bacon in your preferred method, and set aside to cool.

Seasoned Flour

  • Add all ingredients to a large resealable plastic bag and shake to combine.

Honey Pepper Sauce

  • Add all ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to LOW and simmer for 20 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Set aside to cool a bit.
  • After 10 minutes, in a small bowl mix well cornstarch and water to make a slurry then stir into sauce.

Fried Chicken

  • Place chicken tenders in a large bowl and pour buttermilk into bowl. Turn chicken to coat each piece in buttermilk.
  • Let marinate while you prepare other things.
  • Add oil to large heavy bottomed pot and heat to 350℉.
  • Shake excess buttermilk from chicken tender, then drop into the bag with the seasoned flour.
  • Shake gently to coat in flour. Repeat with remaining chicken tenders.
  • Add tenders, 2-3 at a time, to the hot oil and fry for several minutes per side, until dark golden brown and cooked through.
  • Remove from the oil and place on a wire cooling rack (with paper towels laying underneath to catch the excess grease). Repeat with remaining chicken.

4 Cheese Sauce & Pasta

  • While chicken is frying, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  • Add pasta and cook until al dente (according to package directions).
  • Drain pasta and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.
  • While pasta water is coming up to a boil, add butter to a saucepan and melt over MED-LOW heat.
  • Add garlic and diced pepper to the pan and saute for 2 minutes, until softened.
  • Add in flour and whisk to combine. Mixture will resemble very wet sand.
  • Pour in heavy cream while whisking, and whisk often for 5 minutes, or until thickened.
  • Sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
  • Add in cheeses, one at a time, and stir to melt.
  • Season with pepper and basil and stir to combine.
  • Toss cooked pasta with cheese sauce and add to serving bowl.
  • Toss fried chicken tenders with some of the honey pepper sauce, and place several the mac and cheese.
  • Sprinkle with crumbled bacon, minced fresh parsley, and an optional drizzle of the honey pepper sauce.
  • Enjoy!