Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Welcome back to Around the Kitchen. Today another savory treat from Natashia's Kitchen.

I love to make her dishes, as they are easy to make and are tasty!
Today's recipe does not come from her cookbook. 

Get the Cook Book !!
But from her web site:  It's a Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta is such a simple and quick recipe, perfect for weeknight dinners. Juicy chicken breast tossed with tender pasta in a creamy Cajun garlic sauce, ready in 30 minutes.

A complete index to all of our recipes can be found HERE

Let's get to it.

Prep Time: 10minutes mins

Cook Time: 20minutes mins

Total Time: 30minutes mins

Ingredients

Servings: 6 servings

• 8 oz linguine pasta
  
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning, divided, (or added to taste depending on the brand you use*)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2/3 cup diced tomatoes (these came from our garden)
• 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped, to serve (also from the garden)

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 TBL salt.

• 
   Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
• 
   Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water then drain, cover, and keep warm.
• 
  
  
  Cut your chicken sideways into 2 pieces
• 
• Place plastic wrap o top of the chicken slice and pound the chicken breasts so that they are even in thickness and season all over with 1½ Tbsp Cajun seasoning.
  
  
  In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tsp oil over medium-high heat. 
• 
  Once hot, add the chicken and sear on both sides. 
• 
  
  Turn heat down to low and sauté until cooked through and 165˚F on an instant read thermometer. Transfer to a cutting board, slice into thin strips, and cover to keep warm.

In the same skillet over medium heat, sauté the butter and garlic for 30-60 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant

Add the diced tomatoes and sauté another 2 minutes

Add in the heavy whipping cream, add some Cajun seasoning to taste. Add the parmesan cheese and bring to a simmer. 

Add the sliced chicken and cooked pasta to the sauce and toss until combined and the pasta and the chicken are warmed through.

• 
  
  
  Add warm reserved pasta water if desired to thin the sauce. (I did not need to do this step) Serve with freshly grated parmesan and chopped parsley.

A couple of notes from Natashia

*Avoid using cast iron or copper pans anytime you are making a creamy sauce with an acidic product like tomato, or it will react and make the sauce grainy. 

*If you are using a Cajun seasoning that has a high salt content, start with half of the seasoning and add more to taste. 
480 calories / 34 g carbs / 18 g protein / 31 g fat
This recipe was G R E A T!!  But be careful, it will fill you up in no time. We had PLENTY of leftovers.
One note of caution: This recipe FLIES by in a flash. Make sure you have ALL of your ingredients ready ahead of time. You'll thank me later.

See you next time on Around The Kichen

God Speed, Mother Nature

HAMBURGER HELPER - WITH A CREAM SAUCE & RAMEN NOODLES

HEY GUYS AND GALS,

Welcome back to Around the Kitchen.

A complete INDEX to our recipes can be found HERE.

I never ate Ramen Noodles when I was in college, like so many poor college students.

I worked full time, went to school, and lived at home with the folks.

I ate out a lot.

So today, we are flying without a net. (IE: No recipe)

Way back in 1985, I found myself suddenly single, and had to cook for myself.

I made a ton of Hamburger Helper.

It was OK, but back then I did not pay any attention to the ingredient list on the box.

SO, we are going to make our own version of Hamburger Helper.

Start with 8 OZ of chopped Mushrooms, 3 Chopped Garlic Cloves, 1/2 chopped Onion, 1 Cup Cream, 1 cup of MILK, and 1.5 LB Ground Beef. 

And some Tarragon

We added some White Wine and Chicken Broth later in the cook.

Heat up some EVOO.

Sauté your ground beef until brown.

I use a paper towel to soak up excess grease.

Throw in the Onions

And the Mushrooms

Now we can add the Tarragon

Keep sauteing,

Add the garlic

Here I added 1/2 Cup of Milk and 1.2 Cup of Cream

Stir, stir, stir.

Now add the rest of the Cream and Milk

Stir, stir, stir

Now it's Wine time

It needed some more taste, so we added 1/2 Cup of Chicken Broth

You got it. Stir, stir, stir

Turn it down to LOW and let simmer.

Boil up some H2O and put in two cakes of RAMEN NOODLES

Stir it up.

And stir this as well.

When done. (It only takes a few minutes.)  Drain the Noodles and put in a bowl.

Lay a bed of Noodles on a plate, and top with the Hamburger Helper.

We served it with a side of Rossotto, that Penny made the previous evening.

It was GOOD. Not great, but neither was the 1985 version. It filled us up I may try it again with larger egg noodles, some Garlic Bread, and a side salad.

All in all, a good experiment. No complaints from either side of the table.

Give it a try, you'll thank me later,

See you next time.

Goodnight from P.O.T.U.S. 22 & 24 GROVER CLEVELAND