3 Cheese Chicken Cavatappi will have your family feeling like they are eating at a restaurant. Creamy, cheesy pasta topped with grilled chicken and bruschetta. It will be a family favorite!
This is a copycat recipe for the popular dish by the same name served at Applebee’s. Now, I’m not one to frequent a lot of chain restaurants. I prefer to explore more interesting local restaurants wherever I go. But Applebee’s is a huge American restaurant chain and it’s popular for a reason. This pasta dish is killer. Cheesy spiral pasta topped with grilled chicken and a fresh bruschetta? Ya, how can that not be absolutely delicious?
Can I use a different pasta besides cavatappi?
Cavatappi is the pasta of choice in this recipe. If you can’t find it, no worries. You can also substitute penne, or even elbow noodles. Cavatappi is not only fun to use, but it’s also functional as it helps the sauce cling to the pasta.
PRO TIP: The bruschetta on this recipe is a must make. It adds a fresh element to an otherwise heavy dish. If you have any leftover you could eat it on some toasted bread. Yes, it’s a real bruschetta and it’s divine!
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious Italian style dinner recipes:
- Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Best Chicken Parmesan Recipe
- Authentic Cacio e Pepe
- Italian Meat Stromboli
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
3 Cheese Chicken Cavatappi
- 2 to 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup Italian salad dressing
- 4 roma tomatoes diced
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped basil
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 pound cavatappi pasta
- 1/2 cup butter
- 4 cloves crushed garlic
- 2 cups heavy cream can substitute half and half
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1/2 cup shredded provolone
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- Place chicken breasts into a resealable plastic bag. Pour salad dressing over chicken. Seal and marinate for 1 to 2 hours.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, basil and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss together and set bruschetta aside.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- Cook chicken breasts in a heavy skillet over medium heat until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, flipping halfway through. Rest 5 minutes and then slice.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan. Add in garlic and saute 1-2 minutes. Pour in heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and stir in mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, salt and white pepper until cheese is completely melted and creamy. Stir in cooked pasta.
- Serve pasta hot topped with sliced chicken and sprinkle with bruschetta.
I was looking for a recipe similar to the three cheese chicken cavatappi dish from applebee’s and this was perfect. Didn’t have white pepper so I used normal, could not find basil so I used cilantro, and could not find provolone so I doubled the parmesan but it still tasted a lot like applebee’s, very tasty! Also, I know a lot of people said they could do without the bruschetta but it is a must for me!
I have a family member who loves this dish from Applebee’s. This recipe seemed easy enough to make (anything under 30-minutes from start to table is easy (in my book)). Tasted great and family says, “it’s a keeper!”
Thanks for this Rachel. Very easy to make, and satisfying. My wife and love it. She suggested that shrimp might be a good alternative to the chicken, although I’m thinking without the bruschetta…
This dish is Amazing ? I tweaked it a little since I didn’t have some ingredients. Substituted pesto for the fresh basil, and used Muenster cheese for the provolone, and used a roasted garlic seasoning for the chicken ? Rating it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!!
this video made my day,,,,thank for such a delicious recipe..
I made this for my family this week. They loved it, except for the bruschetta, but that wasn’t a problem because we just left it to the side. My three daughters all said they would definitely eat it again, and that is a compliment, I can assure you! Thanks for the great recipe.
Excellent recipe! Easy to make and delicious for kids and adults.