This Honey Pepper Chicken Mac and Cheese Beats Applebee’s (And Takes 30 Minutes)
If you’ve ever ordered the honey pepper chicken mac and cheese at Applebee’s and immediately thought I need to figure out how to make this at home — this is that recipe. Creamy, cheesy cavatappi (think corkscrew pasta — it grips the sauce better than regular elbows) topped with rotisserie chicken glazed in a sweet and spicy honey pepper sauce, finished with toasted breadcrumbs for crunch. Classic comfort food with just enough of a kick to keep it interesting, and a fraction of what it costs to order it out.
The whole thing comes together in 30 minutes and the hardest part is boiling pasta. The cheese sauce is butter, milk, cream, and shredded cheese melted together in one pot — no complicated technique, nothing you can really mess up. The honey pepper glaze is honey, butter, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, done in about two minutes on the stove. That’s it. No frying, no breading, no making anything from scratch that you don’t need to. Rotisserie chicken from the grocery store handles the heavy lifting and honestly works better here than anything you’d cook yourself — it’s already seasoned, already tender, and it soaks up the glaze perfectly.
Two things actually matter here
First: shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese from the bag is coated in starch to prevent clumping in the package, and that coating is exactly what makes cheese sauces turn grainy instead of smooth. Grab a block of sharp cheddar and run it over a box grater. It takes two minutes and the difference in the sauce is real.
Second: don’t be shy with the black pepper. This is not a dish where you crack the mill twice and call it done. The pepper is not a background note — it’s half the identity of this recipe. The heat and the sweetness of the honey work together in a way that makes every bite slightly addictive, which is exactly why this dish built a following at Applebee’s in the first place. Use more than feels comfortable. Taste it and add more.
A few things worth knowing before you start
If the cheese sauce gets too thick while you’re pulling everything together, add a splash of the pasta water you saved before draining. Pasta water is starchy and emulsified — it loosens the sauce without thinning it the way plain water would. It’s a small habit that makes a real difference.
Don’t skip the toasted panko on top. Two minutes in a buttered skillet and it goes from pale and soft to golden and crispy. That textural contrast is what keeps every bite from feeling like one heavy note, and it’s the detail that makes this feel like a restaurant dish rather than a weeknight shortcut — even though it’s both.
Can you make substitutions?
Yes, and several of them are worth knowing. If you can’t find cavatappi, elbow macaroni or shells work fine — any short pasta that traps sauce will do the job. Gruyere adds a nuttiness that works well here, but if your store doesn’t carry it, just use more sharp cheddar. For the heat level, red pepper flakes are easy to dial up or down — start conservative and add more to the glaze once you’ve tasted it. If you want to skip the rotisserie chicken entirely, shrimp tossed in the honey pepper glaze is a surprisingly good swap.
What to serve alongside it
This is a rich dish, so something simple works best. A green salad with a sharp vinaigrette cuts through the creaminess nicely. Roasted broccoli alongside it is the obvious call — and if you’re already making it, toss a handful directly into the mac for a built-in vegetable. Garlic bread if you’re feeding people who won’t complain about carbs.
Leftovers
This reheats well, which puts it in a pretty exclusive club among pasta dishes. Add a splash of milk before microwaving on medium power — not high, or the cheese sauce will break — stir halfway through, and it comes back to life. Keeps in the fridge for three days. Some people claim it tastes better the next day. They’re not wrong.
The Applebee’s version runs close to $15 a plate before drinks. This feeds four for less than that total. Do with that information what you will.
Honey Pepper Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Meat & Protein
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken shredded
Dairy
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded
- 1 cup gruyere cheese shredded, or substitute more cheddar
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter divided
Pantry & Canned Goods
- 12 oz cavatappi pasta or elbow macaroni
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 0.25 cup panko breadcrumbs
Seasonings & Spices
- 1 tsp black pepper freshly cracked, plus more to taste
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
- 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
- 0.5 tsp kosher salt
- 0.25 tsp crushed red pepper flakes plus more to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining. Drain and set aside.
- Make the honey pepper glaze: melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add honey, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the shredded rotisserie chicken and toss to coat. Set aside.
- Make the cheese sauce: melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the milk and cream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove from heat. Add cheddar and gruyere a handful at a time, stirring until fully melted between additions. Season with garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt. Add the drained pasta and stir to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water.
- Toast the breadcrumbs: melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add panko and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Remove from heat.
- Serve mac and cheese in bowls topped with honey pepper chicken, toasted breadcrumbs, and an extra crack of black pepper.
