1-Follow this straightforward guide to whip up your honey pepper chicken mac and cheese, with prep time around 15 minutes and cook time about 25 minutes for a total of 40 minutes. Start by getting all ingredients ready to make things go smoothly. First, bake or deep fry the breaded chicken strips according to the package instructions and set them aside.

2-Next, cook the spiral noodles as directed on the box. Then, in a medium saucepan, mix all the Honey Pepper Sauce ingredients, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes while stirring often; let it cool to thicken. For the cheese sauce, melt 1 stick of butter with 2 cups of heavy cream in a pan, then add the cheeses one at a time starting with 1/2 cup parmesan, followed by 1 cup mozzarella, and 3/4 cup colby jack stirring after each until melted.

3-Incorporate 2 to 3 cloves of minced garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Combine the cooked noodles with the cheese sauce and crumbled bacon, stirring to blend everything well. Dip the chicken strips in the Honey Pepper Sauce to coat them fully, then serve the pasta mixture topped with the sauced chicken and a sprinkle of fresh chopped basil. Add extra bacon if you like for more flavor.