Ever eat something particularly good at a restaurant and drive home thinking how you’ll never be able to make something that delicious yourself? Turns out that this problem, like most things, has a solution on the Internet!

There are plenty of web sites that offer “copycat” recipes to famous dishes and in this blog such as meemo’s kitchen, copykat recipes, top secret recipes and copycat cooking.

I encourage you to use these free resources to recreate a gourmet meal, not only because it will taste good but because it is rewarding to think in some small way you are doing what a professional chef does.

To get started in to the realm of copycat gourmet, let’s make a great dish enjoyed around the world: Hard Rock Cafe’s Twisted Chicken Mac & Cheese.

I’ve combined and modified recipes from the copycat sites above to reflect the demands of a college student’s budget. I was lucky enough to dine at the Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville last weekend and they were selling this kick ass mac for $16. Each serving of this recipe costs just $1.70, and since there is 5 college sized servings you can make it all for $8.51, just over half the cost of a plate at Hard Rock. I’m not saying you shouldn’t go to a Hard Rock if you get the chance, you may be able to replicate the food for cheap but it would be considerably more expensive to mimic that vibe.

Twisted Chicken Mac and Cheese (serves 5)

Ingredients

1 large chicken breast

4 Cups or 1 box uncooked cavatappi pasta (at the Charleston Walmart it is called curly elbow macaroni)

1/2 Cup your favorite milk

8 Ounces Velveeta cheese

4 ounces /1 Cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

4 ounces/1 Cup Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

1 Tablespoon ground black pepper

1/2 jar roasted red bell pepper (like Mt. Olive brand, which they have at the Charleston Walmart)

2 Tablespoons breadcrumbs

2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Handful diced Parsley or Cilantro

Instructions

1. Marinate the chicken by placing it in a plastic bag along with a big pinch of salt, some drippings from the bottle of red peppers (about a Tablespoon) and pinch of chopped parsley. If I know I am going to cook with meat for dinner, I like to make sure it is marinating in the fridge before I leave for class in the morning.
2. Combine milk, cheeses, salt and black pepper in large saucepan. Cook over low heat until mixture is a smooth sauce. Because all the sauce has to do is slowly melt, now is a perfect time to do grill the chicken and cook the pasta in whatever order you wish.
3. Grill the chicken in whatever way is easiest for you. I used my George Foreman grill, which is about as easy as it gets and barely qualifies as grilling when you think about it. Cut or shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
4. Boil the pasta until done in your largest pot in heavily salted water being very careful not to overcook it (refer to the college cuisine blog on pasta if you want a refresher in pasta cooking basics). Drain it with a colander and return it to its pot to await it’s chicken and cheese sauce bath.
5. Season the breadcrumbs by combining them with the Parmesan cheese and diced parsley in a small Tupperware container. This way you can shake it and sprinkle easily.
6. Now it is time to combine the flavors in the cheese sauce and drizzle it on the pasta. Start by stirring the cheese sauce well. Depending on how hot its pan has been it will be easy or difficult to work with. Turn the heat up a notch or two before adding in the finely chopped peppers in. Stir before adding the chicken. Stir until the urge to stick the spoon in your mouth becomes too great. Taste the sauce and adjust the flavors if it needs it. This is the time to add additional red peppers or any extra spices you want to kick it up. I recommend the same Cajun spices that were featured in the post about jambalaya.
7. Combine the sauce with the pasta by either dumping the sauce into the pasta’s pot or the pasta into the sauce’s pan, whichever you think will be easier to clean. Stir well.
8. Ladle a serving into a bowl and top with the breadcrumb mixture. Enjoy!