Description
Indulge in this Cajun Cream Cheese Chicken Pasta Bake that’s loaded with spicy Cajun flavors, creamy cheese, tender chicken, and colorful bell peppers. It’s a comforting and satisfying dish perfect for a family dinner or entertaining guests.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta:
- 12 oz penne pasta
Chicken:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning, plus more to taste
Vegetables:
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Cream Sauce:
- 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
Cheeses and Garnish:
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook Pasta: Cook penne pasta until al dente, drain, and set aside.
- Sauté Chicken: Season and cook chicken in olive oil until done, then set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: Sauté bell peppers, onion, and garlic until tender.
- Make Cream Sauce: Melt cream cheese in the skillet, add cream and broth, stir until smooth.
- Combine and Bake: Mix in chicken and pasta, season, transfer to baking dish, top with cheeses, bake until bubbly.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish with parsley before serving.
Notes
- For extra heat, add crushed red pepper flakes or use spicy Cajun seasoning.
- You can substitute rotisserie chicken to save time.
- Any short pasta like rigatoni or rotini works well in place of penne.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 610
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 640 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
