I had some leftover chicken and needed to create a meal with it. I did a quick search for inspiration and decided upon Cajun Chicken Pasta. One of my go-to recipe is always Pesto Chicken Pasta with homemade pesto cubes, but it's nice to mix it up a bit!
First, gather your ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast: you can either prepare by dicing chicken breast into small cubes, or use leftover chicken like I had.
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 lb penne pasta
15 oz tomatoes (you can use fire-roasted for a bit more heat, or just plain diced works too)
2 cups chicken broth
2 oz. cream cheese
Chives to garnish
Cajun Seasoning:
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
Directions:
- If using raw chicken, dice into small cubes.
- Mix cajun seasoning together. If using raw chicken, coat chicken with spices and let sit.
- Add butter and oil to a large, deep skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
- Add chicken. If using leftover chicken like me, sprinkle spices on chicken and stir.
- Add the diced onion and allow to cook until just slightly starting to soften.
- Add the pasta, broth and tomatoes (juice and all). Stir completely. Cover and cook until the pasta is cooked through (about 10-12 minutes).
- Once the pasta is cooked, add the cream cheese and stir.
- Voila! Yummy cajun pasta. You can taste and add more species for heat if you like. I have a couple of kids who don't like spice, so I just offer on the side to those that do like spice.
I wasn't sure how the family would like it, but they gobbled it up!
Happy Cooking! Janel
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