Honey Pepper Mac Chicken (Printable Version)

# What You'll Need:

→ Main Ingredients

01 - Tossed cooked bacon bits (5 strips)
02 - Sprigs of fresh basil, to top
03 - Salt and ground black pepper, as much as you want
04 - Breaded chicken strips, 25 ounces
05 - Spiral-shaped noodles, 16 ounces

→ Honey Pepper Sauce

06 - 1 tablespoon vinegar
07 - Pinch of cayenne, about 1/4 teaspoon
08 - 1/4 cup pineapple juice
09 - Just-squeezed juice from 1 lemon
10 - 3/4 cup honey
11 - 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
12 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar
13 - 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

→ Cheese Sauce

14 - 2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
15 - 1 stick unsalted butter
16 - 1 cup mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
17 - 2 cups heavy cream
18 - 3/4 cup colby jack cheese, freshly grated
19 - 1/2 cup shredded parmesan

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Scoop the pasta and cheese mix onto a plate, lay the sticky chicken pieces over the top, then sprinkle basil or a little extra bacon if you’re feeling fancy.
02 - Drop your cooked chicken strips into the honey pepper sauce bowl, turn them so every inch gets glossy.
03 - Gently stir the noodles with the cheesy sauce mixture. Throw in those bacon crumbles so you get bacon in every bite.
04 - Warm up the butter until melted, pour in the heavy cream, then sprinkle in the parmesan, mozzarella, and colby jack, a bit at a time. Stir in the garlic, and taste for salt and pepper if you want to tweak the flavor.
05 - Add honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, lemon, a splash of vinegar, black pepper, and cayenne to a pot. Let it all bubble together for about 15 minutes to thicken. Set aside to cool a bit.
06 - Boil your spiral noodles till they feel just right (al dente), then drain off the water and set the noodles aside.
07 - Cook the breaded chicken strips like it says on the bag—bake or fry, whatever’s your style. Put them aside once they're golden and crunchy.

# Additional Tips:

01 - To make this work without gluten, just grab gluten-free pasta and swap the chicken for gluten-free breaded or almond flour-coated strips.

Go Back