The Cheesy Ingredient Swap TikTok Uses To Lighten Up Applebee's Copycat Chicken Pasta

When going out to eat, one of the most popular casual-dining options is Applebee's. In fact, it's ranked number 21 out of 500 restaurant chains, according to a survey by Technomic (via Restaurant Business). Applebee's has many delicious offerings on their menu, such as pasta, seafood, burgers and sandwiches, desserts, and much more. They have humble roots, first opening their doors in Georgia, United States in the 1980s. It's pretty easy to find an Applebee's to dine at no matter where you are, considering that they're a restaurant that is franchised internationally. With more than 6 million likes on Facebook, it's no wonder that Applebee's has a solid social media presence.

One of the many things social media has given us is a huge source of copycat recipes, such as concocting a delicious latte from Starbucks, bringing California to you with an animal-style burger from In-N-Out, or even helping recreate a Chick-fil-A chicken biscuit at home! The users of popular video-based social media TikTok in particular have brought to light many astonishingly accurate copycat recipes. One TikTok user, for example, recreated a popular pasta dish from Applebee's and actually swapped a few ingredients to make the dish lighter.

TikTok user @syl.eats shared her lighter version of Applebee's three-cheese chicken penne pasta dish, which she states has 868 calories, 84 grams of protein, 48 grams of carbohydrates, and 31 grams of fat. The original pasta dish has 1,320 calories, 76 grams of protein, 99 grams of carbs, and 69 grams of fat, per Applebee's, so the TikToker's copycat recipe is significantly lower in calories, carbohydrates, and fat while boosting the amount of protein in the dish at the same time. 

The light version begins with marinating some chicken breast and tomatoes in Italian dressing, salt, Italian seasoning, oregano, and garlic — in separate bowls, of course. Instead of regular pasta, @syl.eats uses a unique penne pasta that is made with extra protein, which is one of the many healthier swaps that are made in this copycat recipe. The Italian dressing used in the marinade is a light version, and the secret ingredient is using light Laughing Cow cheese in the pasta sauce. With only 30 calories per wedge, the light Laughing Cow cheese is definitely a healthier ingredient swap that doesn't compromise flavor or texture. 

The commenters under the TikTok loved the lighter version of the classic Applebee's dish, with one person writing "This looks delish!!"