With back to school right around the corner, do yourself a favor and add a multitude of quick and easy meals, like this recipe for Cajun Chicken Pasta Casserole, to your repertoire now, while you have the chance. This casserole is delicious and comforting, and it couldn’t be easier to prepare.
Despite the name, this Cajun Chicken Pasta Casserole is not at all spicy so don’t let the word “Cajun” prevent you from trying it. I was having a conversation the other day and a lady (who lives in Florida) said to me, “Louisiana food is just so spicy that I don’t really care for it. I hope your new cookbook isn’t just Louisiana food”. For a moment, I was a little offended, but then I thought about the food that I eat and ironically, while I love the food in my state, I personally don’t like a lot of spice. I’m an anomaly in Cajun country for sure. With that being said, and out of the way, this dish has just enough spice to keep it from being bland, but not enough to make the children cry.
The bow tie pasta is a nice little addition, but this casserole can be made with whatever pasta you have on hand. I’ve had it with shells and it was just as satisfying. It’s one of my go-to meals because minus boiling the pasta, everything can be made in one pot. Hooray for easy clean up!
Here’s what you’ll need to whip up some Cajun Chicken Pasta Casserole of your own:
- 1 package (12 oz) bow tie pasta
- 1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cubed
- olive oil, enough to coat the pan
- 1 bunch green onions, chopped
- 1 medium green pepper, chopped
- 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
- ½ can (14 ½ oz) reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 can (10 ¾ oz) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
- ½ can (10 ¾ oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
- ½ cup milk
- 1 ½ tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 ½ cup (8 oz) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain, and set aside.
- In a Dutch oven, sauté chicken in olive oil until juices run clear. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- In the same pot, sauté the onions and peppers in remaining oil until tender.
- Add broth, soups, milk, Cajun seasoning, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Bring to a boil; remove from heat.
- Add the pasta and chicken to the soup mixture, tossing to coat.
- If using a Dutch oven, sprinkle with cheese, cover and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Otherwise, pour into a 13x9 inch greased baking dish, sprinkle with cheese, cover and bake for the same amount of time.
Are you all set to send the kids back to school? Have any easy meals you’d like to share? We’d love to hear what you’ll be having. We hope you enjoy this recipe for Cajun Chicken Pasta Casserole from SoFabFood Contributor, Aimee Broussard, as much as we do. If you love this delicious and simple meal idea, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you never miss another one like it. For daily recipe inspiration, like us on Facebook, follow us on Pinterest, and stop by our Google+ Community to see all of the amazing recipes our community members are sharing. Enjoy!
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