When making this pasta from The Cheesecake Factory™, don’t just buy any Madeira wine you find.  Make sure you’re using the deep red Madeira wine which has a nice sweet flavor to it.  There are some pink and white Madeira wines with a completely different flavor.  Don’t make the mistake of using those in this pasta dish.  You’ll definitely be disappointed.

Many cooks have experimented with this recipe and I believe I’ve brought together the best of all of them to create a very close copycat of the restaurant recipe. Please comment below if you think this is missing something or could use some improvement.

Ingredients

• Penne Pasta – Enough for 2 servings according to the box
• 1/4 Red Onion – Chopped
• 1/2 cup Button Mushrooms – quartered
• 1 tsp Garlic – chopped, not minced or crushed
• 1/2 lb Chicken Breast – Cut into bite-size pieces
• 3 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Tbsp Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 cup Madeira wine (red)
• 1/2 cup Water
• 2 Tbsp Heavy Cream
• 1 Tbsp Parsley

Directions

1. Follow the directions on the box for the pasta.  Make sure you cook them “al dente”.
2. Saute onions, mushrooms and garlic in 1 Tbsp of the butter until tender.
3. Remove the onions, mushrooms and garlic and set them aside until later.
4. In the same pan, cook the chicken, stirring frequently.
5. Remove the chicken and it aside until later.
6. To the same pan, add 2 Tbsp butter and melt over a low-medium heat.
7. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and stir to make a roux.
8. Slowly add in the wine, water and heavy cream, stirring constantly.
9. Cook over a medium-high heat until thickened – Stirring often to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
10. Add the parsley and let simmer for a few minutes.
11. Add the chicken, mushrooms, garlic and onions back in and simmer for 2 more minutes.
12. Pour over the pasta and server with Parmesan cheese.

This is served with Thai chicken satays, julienne carrots, sesame bean sprouts, coconut curry noodles, Thai marinaded cucumbers and butter lettuce leaves to wrap it all up.  Include with this three different Thai sauces for dipping.  Peanut, sweet red chili and the tangy tamarind cashew sauce.

The best top secret restaurant recipes for each item and the sauces are all included.  Feel free to do some experimenting with other ingredients and sauces.

Ingredients

• 6-8 Butter Lettuce Leaves
• 2 red cabbage leaves – cut in half vertically
• Thai Chicken Satays (recipe below)
• Julienne carrots
• Sesame Bean Sprouts (recipe below)
• Thai Coconut Curry Noodles (recipe below)
• Thai Marinaded Cucumbers (recipe below)
• 1 Tablespoon Roasted Peanuts – Chopped
• Tamarind Cashew Dipping Sauce (recipe below)
• Thai Peanut Sauce (recipe below)
• Sweet Red Chili Sauce (recipe below)

Directions

1. Remove the hard stems from the bottom of each leaf of lettuce.
2. Wash and dry the leaves and arrange in a group on a larger platter.
3. Remove 2 red cabbage leaves, wash and dry and slice in half vertically.
4. Arrange on the serving platter and fill with each one of the fillings (chicken, bean sprouts, thai coconut curry noodles and marinated cucumbers).
5. Let your friends or family create their own lettuce wraps by choosing a filling or fillings and placing it on a leaf along with a choice of sauce.
6. Fold the leaf in half and enjoy!

Here are the individual recipes:

Thai Chicken Satays

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic – minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons water
• 4 green onions – cut into 1″ pieces
• 8 Bamboo skewers (10-12 inches)

Directions

1. Cut chicken into 3/4″ strips
2. Place in a shallow glass dish
3. Combine soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
4. Add water and mix thoroughly.
5. Pour over chicken
6. Toss to coat all of the chicken pieces.
7. Cover and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
8. Soak bamboo skewers 20 minutes in cold water to keep them from burning.
9. Drain the chicken and reserve the marinade.
10. Weave the chicken strips onto each skewers, alternation with green onion pieces. You may need to use several pieces to cover each skewer.
11. Brush chicken and onions with reserved marinade.
12. Grill the skewers on an uncovered grill over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, turning halfway through the grilling.

Bean Sprouts

Ingredients

• 1½ cups bean sprouts
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan
2. Add the bean sprouts along with the other ingredients.
3. Cook over a medium-high heat until the bean sprouts are tender
4. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Thai Coconut Curry Noodles

Ingredients

• 12 oz fresh egg noodles
• 1 tbsp minced garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp red curry paste
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 pinch turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp lime juice

Directions

1. Place the noodles in hot water, seperating with a fork.
2. Let the noodles soak until tender or according to the directions on the package.
3. Drain and keep warm.
4. In a medium saucepan, heat the coconut milk on low heat and slowly stir in the curry paste.
5. When it begins to simmer, add in the remaining ingredients.
6. Continue to simmer for approximately 2 minutes.
7. Stir in the noodles and serve.

Thai Marinated Cucumbers

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 large cucumber – seeded

Directions

1. Combine the vinegar, sugar, water and salt in a small pan.
2. Cook over a medium heat, stirring until it boils and the sugar is dissolved.
3. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
4. Peel the cucumber and cut lengthwise into quarters and again crosswise into 1/8″ slices.
5. Place in a serving bowl and pour marinade over cucumbers, stirring to blend.
6. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Tamarind Cashew Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chopped cashews
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 medium garlic cloved – minced
• 2 green onions – chopped
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 tsp honey
• 6 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp tamarind pulp
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Combine cashews, hoisin sauce, garlic, green onion, cayenne pepper and black pepper in a blender or food processor and mix until smooth.
2. In a small sauce pan add oil, honey, rice wine vinegar and tamarind pulp.
3. Heat at medium for 1 minute.
4. Stir until the tamarind pulp is completely dissolved.
5. Add this to the cashew mixture and process until smooth
6. Pour into a serving bowl and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
7. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tbsp water
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp chili oil

Directions

1. Combine peanut butter, water, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, and chili oil in a small saucepan.
2. Stir mixture over a medium heat until it begins to bubble.
3. Cover the pan and remove from the heat.

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 lime – juiced
• 1 tsp garlic – minced
• 1 tsp red chili paste

Directions

1. Combine the rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, hot water, sugar, lime juice, garlic and chili paste in a blender.
2. Puree until smooth.
3. Pour into bowls and serve.

One variation I’ve seen is making this a layered cheesecake.  To do this, you make up the batch of cheesecake mix without the pumpkin.  Pour half of this into the crust in the springform pan.  Put this in the refrigerator to chill while you do the next step.  Then add in the pumpkin to the remaining cheesecake mix and pour on top.  A wonderful taste with a great presentation.

Regardless of how you make it, you’ll definitely please everyone with this favorite from The Cheesecake Factory™.  If you’re not into pumpkin, you can always make up a patch of their original cheesecake.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Filling

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

Topping

• whipped cream

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine the graham cracker crumbs with 1 Tablespoon of sugar and then drizzle the melted butter over the top.
3. Mix this together well enough to cover all of the crumbs with the butter. Do not let it turn into a paste.
4. Press the crumbs onto the bottom and about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the springform pan. It’s ok if it doesn’t go all the way up the sides.  You want part of the cheesecake to extend above the crust.
5. Bake for 5 minutes, then chill it in a refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
6. Combine the cream cheese, 1 C sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
7. Mix until smooth using an electric mixer (remove the lumps but don’t over-mix).
8. Add the pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice and continue beating until smooth and creamy.
9. Pour the mixture into the graham cracker crust.
10. Bake for 60-70 minutes.
11. The cake will rise and turn a nice golden brown on top.
12. Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room tempurature.
13. When the cheesecake has come to room temperature, put it into the refrigerator (The Cheesecake Factory™ will let it chill for 24 hours to help bring all of the flavors together.  You may not be able to wait that long, but it IS worth it).
14. When the cheesecake has chilled or you’ve lost all will-power, release the spring and romove the sides of the pan.
15. Cut the cake into 8 equal pieces and garnish with generous amounts of whipped cream (you could even lightly dust with some of the spices).

If you’re a little nervous about making a cheesecake, this should reassure you.  My 8 year old daughter shows you exactly how in this video:

My wife and I recently ate at The Cheesecake Factory™ and decided to split and entree and then order our own desserts.  We both walked out completely stuffed.  The portions at The Cheesecake Factory™ will blow you away.

Unfortunately, as large as the serving is, it’s still almost $10 for a slice of cheesecake.  For that amount of money, you could cook and entire cheesecake at home and server it to your family.  Please don’t be intimidated by the idea of cooking a cheesecake.  It’s not as hard as you’ve heard.  Just follow the instructions step-by-step and you’ll be fine.  Then take one to work and share it with your friends.  They’ll be begging for more.

The Recipe

Ingredients

Crust:

1/4 cup pecans chopped fine
1/4 cup walnuts chopped fine
1/4 cup almonds chopped fine
3/4 cup crushed vanilla wafers
2 tablespoons melted butter

Filling:

1 1/2 lbs cream cheese (do not use low fat)
1 1/3 cups sugar
5 large eggs
16 ounces sour cream
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice (or try using 1 tsp of lemon zest)

Directions:

Let all of the cheesecake ingredients sit out on the counter while you’re making the crust.  This will allow them to get to room temperature before you begin working with them.

Crust:

1. Place all of the nuts along with the vanilla wafer crumbs into a large bowl.
2. Drizzle the melted butter over the top of the mixture and mix by hand.
3. Lightly butter a 9″ springform pan
4. Press the crust mixture into the pan making sure you don’t let it get too think in the corners.
5. Do your best to make the sides even, about 1 1/2″ up the sides of the pan and then set aside.

Cheesecake:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Using an electric mixture on LOW (this is very important) beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy.
3. Continue mixing on LOW while you slowly add the sugar to the cream cheese.
4. Continue mixing on low while you add one egg at a time, beating after each egg.
5. Add flour, vanilla and lemon juice (or zest) and mix on low.
6. Add in the sour cream and mix on low until completely blended.
7. Pour the mixture into the springform pan.
8. Bake the cheesecake on the top rack of the 325 degree oven for 1 hour 15 minutes.
9. Once the timer goes off, prop your oven door open, turn off the oven and let the cake sit inside the oven for 1 hour.
10. Remove from the oven and let your cheesecake cool in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
11. Keep in mind, the longer you let this sit in the refrigerator, the better it’s going to taste.  So don’t rush it.

This is an amazing blend of sauteed chicken topped with asparagus and melted cheese.  This is all topped with mushrooms in a Madeira wine sauce.  The Cheesecake Factory™ serves this with a generous portion of mashed potatoes.

Recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 boneless chicken breast
8 asparagus spears
4 slices mozzarella cheese

Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
3 cups Madeira wine
2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Cover chicken breast with plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thick.
2. Sprinkle each filet with salt and pepper.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in frying pan over medium-high heat.
4. Saute fillets 4-6 minutes per side until done and browned just a bit.
5. Remove from pan and wrap in foil to keep warm while you make the sauce.
6. In chicken pan add olive oil and sliced mushrooms; saute for about 2 minutes.
7. Add Madeira wine, beef stock, butter, and pepper.
8. Bring to boil then reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes until reduced to about 1/2 original volume. When sauce is done it will be thick, and brown.
9. While sauce is reducing, bring a pan of water to boil.
10. Add salt to water at boil; blanch asparagus (3-5 minutes). Drop asparagus in ice water to halt cooking.
11. Set oven to broil.
12. In baking dish arrange chicken, cross 2 asparagus stems over each piece of chicken and top with a slice of cheese.
13. Broil until cheese melts.
14. Put chicken on plate.
15. To serve, top with 3-4 tablespoons sauce on each piece.