Pepper Honey Chicken Mac (Print-Friendly Version)

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - One 16-ounce box of spiral pasta

→ Chicken

02 - One 25-ounce pack of breaded chicken strips

→ Bacon

03 - Five cooked bacon slices, crumbled

→ Seasoning

04 - Salt as you like
05 - Black pepper as you like
06 - Fresh basil leaves to top off

→ Honey Pepper Sauce

07 - 3 tablespoons low salt soy sauce
08 - A quarter cup of brown sugar
09 - One lemon’s juice
10 - Three quarters cup honey
11 - A small splash of vinegar, about a tablespoon
12 - Quarter cup pineapple juice
13 - A teaspoon of black pepper
14 - A quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper

→ Cheese Sauce

15 - Two to three cloves garlic, minced
16 - Half cup shredded Parmesan cheese
17 - One stick (113g) unsalted butter
18 - Three quarters cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
19 - Two cups heavy cream
20 - One cup shredded mozzarella cheese

# Step-by-Step Directions:

01 - Cook your breaded chicken strips by frying or baking as the package says. Once done, keep them aside.
02 - Boil the spiral pasta until it’s firm but not mushy, following the box’s guide. Drain it well.
03 - Put honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, lemon juice, vinegar, black pepper, and cayenne in a saucepan. Heat it until it boils, then turn heat down and let it cook for 15 minutes until it thickens a bit. Let it cool a little.
04 - Melt butter in a medium pan. Pour in the cream and stir. Slowly add Parmesan, mozzarella, and Colby Jack cheeses, stirring each time till smooth. Add garlic and season with salt and pepper.
05 - Blend the cooked pasta with the cheese sauce well. Toss in the crumbled bacon so it's spread out evenly.
06 - Dip the cooked chicken strips into the honey pepper sauce until each one’s covered nicely.
07 - Serve the cheesy pasta on plates. Add the honey pepper chicken strips on top and garnish with fresh basil. You can sprinkle more bacon if you want.

# Helpful Notes:

01 - Swap regular pasta with gluten-free noodles and use chicken strips made with gluten-free crumbs or almond flour if you need gluten-free.

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