Kick off your shoes, lean back and cozy on up with a bowl of my Cajun Jambalaya Pasta.
It's pure Southern comfort food.
Hey, who likes a one pot meal for dinner?
Or lunch?
Heck, I'd eat this stuff cold for breakfast.
After I graduated college, we continued to live in our college town {gosh, I miss that place} for quite a few years. They have this fabulous restaurant there in the historic downtown area, called Bourbon Street.
My former boss and I and sometimes the rest of our team would go there often. I even remember one time parking ourselves there, with bottles of wine and our favorite dishes waiting patiently for Matthew McConaughey and Lance Armstrong to walk in the door.
Super long story.
They didn't show up, but we sure did eat and drink well that night.
The moral of the story is I would order a dish similar to this one each and every time. It was spicy, creamy and filling. I loved it. They also had complimentary cornbread muffins sprinkled with black pepper and drizzled with honey. Odd combo, but so good!
I would be so full when I left that place.
Since I hadn't had that dish is yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeears, I figured it was about darn time to make something here at home to cure the craving.
I picked up some spicy smoked sausage from the store as inspiration and built the dish around it's flavor - chicken, peppers, cream, creole seasoning - yum, yum and yum!
The day I made this I made it while the girls were napping, figuring it'd take awhile and I'd save time by not rushing to make it at 5:00 p.m. while all chaos was ensuing in the house. But low and behold, it is all made in just one pot and it came together super quick!
So basically I made it at 2:00 p.m., was finished at 2:35 p.m. and reheated it for dinner at 5:30 p.m.
This dish makes a good bit. We had it for two dinners in a row and there wasn't anyone complaining. To reheat the next night I simply poured a 1/4 cup more cream over the pasta and stirred to bring the sauce back to life. It works splendidly!
Give this one a shot and let me know how you like it, mmm-kay?
Cajun Jambalaya Pasta
1/2 lb. smoked spicy sausage, sliced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 1/2 c. dry tube like pasta {bucatini/penne}
1/2 c. green onions, thinly sliced
2 T. olive oil
1. In a stock pot heat the olive oil. Add chicken and generously sprinkle with Cajun seasoning. Allow to cook mid way through, then add the peppers and sausage. Cook over high heat until chicken is cooked through and sausage and peppers start to brown. Add in garlic, stirring to become fragrant.
2. Pour in stock, cream and pasta, as well as more Cajun seasoning {1/2 teaspoon} to taste. Stir together and bring mixture to a boil. Then turn down to simmer and let cook for 15-20 minutes.
3. When the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed, taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. Mixture should be thick and creamy.
4. Serve warm and garnish with green onions.
