Skip to main content

Cajun Chicken Pasta

 
In my younger days, I thought I'd like to visit New Orleans during Mardi Gras.  Now that I'm firmly in my adult years, I think that while I'd still like to visit, my goals would be centered much more around food than partying.

Last year we got in the spirit with some beignets. This year I couldn't decide between a flavorful main dish or a decadent breakfast recipe, so I'll be sharing one today and one on Fat Tuesday.  But the indecision didn't stop there.  Taste of Home had two wonderful Cajun inspired chicken pasta dishes. I printed them both out, and decided to take bits and pieces from each.

It was too cold to grill, so I sauteed the chicken in a skillet. I used onions, peppers, mushrooms and garlic. I omitted the canned tomatoes from one recipe in favor of fresh from the other. I used angel hair instead of penne, it's just my personal preference.  To keep it on the lighter side, I used half and half instead of heavy cream.

I absolutely loved the finished dish. So full of flavors and textures, with the fresh tomatoes and basil to top it off. It was good now during the colder weather, and will be just as awesome in the warmer months. You could skip the pasta and eat it as a wrap as well.

Thanks to Heather for hosting and to all the #FestiveFoodies for sharing their #MardiGras recipes!  You can see what they made by clicking the links down below.



Cajun Chicken Pasta


Author:

ingredients:

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in strips
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, divided
  • 8oz Angel hair pasta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 small yellow pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Chopped tomatoes, fresh basil

instructions:

  1. Toss chicken with 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning. Let stand 15 minutes. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain well.
  2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in skillet over medium high heat. Saute chicken until no longer pink, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from pan. Add remaining teaspoon of oil to skillet, cook onion, peppers, and mushrooms until crisp tender.
  3. Add garlic and remaining 1/2 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, cook for 1 minute longer, being careful not to burn the garlic. Stir in half and half, basil, salt and pepper. Cook until slightly thickened, about 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in pasta and chicken, heat through. Top with tomatoes and fresh basil.
Adapted from Taste of Home: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cajun-chicken-pasta/ and https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/makeover-cajun-chicken-pasta/
Created using The Recipes Generator

Check out these other delicious Mardi Gras recipes:  

Cajun Chicken Pasta from Jolene's Recipe Journal
 Chicken and Sausage Gumbo from The Spiffy Cookie
 Fastelaynsboller from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
 King Bundt Cake from The Redhead Baker
 King's Cake Cinnamon Rolls from Kate's Recipe Box
 Mardi Gras Monkey Bread from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
 Muffaletta Salad from A Day in the Life on a Farm
 Oven-Baked Mardi Gras Muffaletta Empanadas from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
 Shrimp and Grits from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
 Shrimp Dirty Rice from Palatable Pastime
 Shrimp Etouffee from House of Nash Eats


Comments

  1. This is a perfect pasta dish, during Mardi Gras or anytime of the year. YUM

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Super fast and so easy to modify with what's in the veggie bin too!

      Delete
  2. The first time I went I visited a childhood friend who had moved there during Mardi Gras but we were under 16 so her family took us mostly to the day-time more family friendly parades. I hadn't been back again until last year and it was definitely a more food centric trip!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This looks great, and is the sort of meal that would be perfect for any night. And agree, food is top of my list if I manage to visit New Orleans!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's on top of my list for most places I go now :) I'm headed to Alaska this summer and we made sure to plan in all the foods we wanted to try.

      Delete
  4. I'm with you, Jolene. I'd do NOLA Mardi Gras for the food! Maybe party a little bit. lol I'm curious how different authentic cajun is from what I've experienced in the Northeast.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That looks so flavorful! I would happily sit down to a nice helping for dinner. Thanks for partying with us, Jolene!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Copycat Dunkin Donuts Egg White & Veggie Omelet Bites

I'm a huge fan of the Dunkin Donuts Power Breakfast sandwich, so when I started seeing ads for the new Egg White & Veggie Omelet Bites I stopped in and gave them a try.  They were delicious, but of course, I knew I could make them at home.  I started with the whites of six eggs. You can use pasturized whites if you don't want to do the whole separating, finding a use for the yolks thing.  I beat them up with some salt and pepper. Next up, the tomato and spinach.  I used grape tomatoes, seeded them and then chopped them into 1/4" pieces. I like baby spinach, and I took about 10 leaves and chopped those up into 1/4" pieces as well. I added that to the egg mixture.  When you pour it into the pans, be sure that it all gets evenly distributed.   They bake up pretty quickly, around 9 minutes or so.  Dunkin gives you two egg bites, the mini donut serving size is three. I pop them in ziplocs in the fridge and just pull a bag and reheat them in the microwave for a quick

Copycat Dunkin Donuts Bacon and Cheddar Omelet Bites

Since I already came up with a version of Dunkin Donuts new Egg White & Veggie Omelet Bites for myself, I decided to make the other variety that they are offering, Bacon & Cheddar, for my husband. Super simple.  Beat up some eggs with salt and pepper.  Add in some shredded cheddar and a slice of bacon cut into 1/4" pieces (I used kitchen shears).  Bake them for about 9 minutes in sprayed mini donut pans. They baked up light and fluffy.  The bacon stayed crisp and there's just the perfect amount of cheese.   I split them up into portions in zip top bags and that way we can just grab a bag and warm them up. My husband laughed when I told him 3 is the serving size.  I'll definitely be doubling the recipe next time! Copycat Dunkin Donuts Bacon & Cheddar Omelette Bites Print With Image Without Image Author: Jolene's Recipe Journal Ingredients 4 large eggs 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 3T shredded cheddar cheese 1 slice cooked bacon, cut in 1/4" piec

Double Layer Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Back in the day I used to bake from home for extra money.  This was one of the most popular items.  Cake mix sizes have changed and if you're using the 15.75 ounce ones bake them in 8" pans. If you want to use the 9" rounds, you can also use this cake mix upsizer to make up the difference between the old and new cake mix sizes.  If the layers are too thin, you'll never be able to flip and stack them without a mess. Be sure to keep track of which pan has the pineapple rings and cherries in it and which doesn't so that you can easily turn them out onto the plate in the right order.    Double Layer Pineapple Upside Down Cake Print With Image Without Image Author: Jolene's Recipe Journal Ingredients 10 ounce jar maraschino cherries, drained 1/2 stick butter 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 8 ounce can pineapple slices 8 ounce can crushed pineapple with juice 1 package yellow cake mix (15.75 ounces) Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter and coat the