Copycat Applebee's Three Cheese Chicken Penne

This copycat Applebee's three cheese chicken penne is our favorite pasta recipe. It's super cheesy, creamy, fresh, and delicious. We season our chicken with Italian-inspired herbs, make our own three-cheese cream sauce, and top the pasta with a homemade bruschetta that's super delicious and easy to make. This may be a copycat recipe, but it's better than the real thing.

I grew up in the Midwest, where chain restaurants are everything. I've had the three cheese chicken penne at Applebee's countless times, and while I keep ordering it, it's not as good as I remember it being when I was a kid. This copycat Applebee's three cheese chicken penne though? It's so so good. I'd eat it every night if I could.

Most copycat recipes call for jarred alfredo sauce. We make our own three cheese cream sauce, and it's so dang easy and delicious. After making this sauce, you'll never want to buy pasta sauce again. We top this pasta with homemade bruschetta, and oh my gosh, it's the best. It lightens up this heavy dish in the best way and makes it the perfect spring or summer pasta recipe.

Looking for other easy summer pasta recipes? Try our creamy red pepper and tomato pasta, spicy sausage pasta, or creamy red pepper, spinach, and shrimp pasta.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

For the bruschetta topping:

• Cherry or grape tomatoes- You can also use a regular diced tomato, but we prefer the taste of cherry tomatoes. They tend to be sweeter and better year-round.
• Balsamic vinegar
• Fresh basil
• Fresh minced garlic
• Other ingredients- salt and black pepper, olive oil

For the pasta and chicken:

• Chicken breast- You can also use chicken breast tenderloins or chicken thighs. Use whatever you have on hand or prefer. You'll be cutting it into small chunks anyway, so the shape and size don't matter.
• Penne pasta
• Asiago cheese
• White cheddar cheese- Get a good-quality white cheddar cheese. It makes all the difference!
• Parmesan cheese- Get fresh parmesan cheese, not the fake unrefrigerated stuff in the canisters.
• Heavy whipping cream
• Chicken broth
• Other ingredients- olive oil, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, paprika, and red pepper flakes

See recipe card for amounts.

Instructions

Step 1: Make the bruschetta. Add tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, basil, garlic, salt, black pepper, and olive oil to a small mixing bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.

Step 2: Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain it and set aside.

Step 3: Add raw chicken, olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, paprika, and red pepper flakes to a large mixing bowl. Mix until everything is combined and the chicken is evenly coated.

Step 4: Add olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 8 minutes. The internal temperature should be 165°F. Once the chicken has finished cooking, remove it from the pan and set it aside.

Step 5: Turn the heat to medium-low. In the same pan you cooked the chicken in, add the cream. Bring the cream to a simmer, about 3 minutes, then add the asiago, parmesan, white cheddar, and a dash of pepper. Let the cheese melt, then add the chicken broth. Let it simmer and thicken for 5-7 minutes, until it reaches your desired consistency.

Step 6: Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. Add it to a serving bowl, then top with the chicken. Drain most of the liquid off of the bruschetta, then add the tomatoes to the top of the pasta. Serve immediately while the sauce is still super soupy and delicious. Top with extra cheese if that's your thing.

Copycat Applebee's Three Cheese Chicken Penne Recipe

Recipe by Mollie

This copycat Applebee's three cheese chicken penne is our favorite pasta recipe. It's super cheesy, creamy, fresh, and delicious. We season our chicken with Italian-inspired herbs, make our own cheesy cream sauce, and top the pasta with a homemade bruschetta that's super delicious and easy to make. This may be a copycat recipe, but it's better than the real thing.

Course: DinnerCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

4 from 16 votes

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Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

750

kcal

Total time

30

minutes

Cook Mode

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Ingredients

• For the bruschetta:

• 8 ounces 8 cherry or grape tomatoes, diced

• 2 tablespoons 2 olive oil

• 2 teaspoons 2 balsamic vinegar

• ¼ cup ¼ basil leaves, chopped or cut into ribbons

• ¼ teaspoon ¼ salt

• ¼ teaspoon ¼ black pepper

• 4 cloves 4 garlic, minced

• For the pasta and chicken:

• 16 ounces 16 penne pasta

• 1.5 pounds 1.5 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 2 tablespoons 2 olive oil, divided

• 1 tablespoon 1 Italian seasoning

• ¼ teaspoon ¼ salt

• ¼ teaspoon ¼ black pepper

• 1 teaspoon 1 paprika

• ¼ teaspoon ¼ red pepper flakes

• 2 cups 2 heavy whipping cream

• 1 cup 1 asiago cheese, grated

• 1 cup 1 white cheddar cheese, grated

• ½ cup ½ parmesan cheese, grated

• ½ cup ½ chicken broth

Directions

• Add the bruschetta ingredients to a small mixing bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.
• Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain it and set aside.
• Add chicken, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, paprika, and red pepper flakes to a large mixing bowl. Mix until everything is combined and the chicken is evenly coated.
• Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 8 minutes. The internal temperature should be 165°F. Once the chicken has finished cooking, remove it from the pan and set it aside.
• Turn the heat to medium-low. In the same pan you cooked the chicken in, add the cream. Bring the cream to a simmer, about 3 minutes, then add the asiago, parmesan, white cheddar, and a dash of pepper. Let the cheese melt, then add the chicken broth. Let it simmer and thicken for 5-7 minutes, until it reaches your desired consistency.
• Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. Add it to a serving bowl, then top with the chicken. Drain most of the liquid off of the bruschetta, then add the tomatoes to the top of the pasta. Serve immediately while the sauce is still super soupy and delicious. Top with extra cheese.

Notes

• High quality parmesan cheese (not the unrefrigerated stuff in the canister) works best.

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