Cajun Chicken Pasta

Has anyone ever eaten at The Cheesecake Factory? Is that a dumb question? Well anyway...I have only eaten there a few times and loved the food every time. The first time I ever went there I ordered their Cajun Pasta with chicken and shrimp and *sigh it was sooooo delicious! Well, of course I had to figure out how to make it at home because it seemed to have such simple ingredients. Here's what I ended up with after coming across several recipes. I don't put in the shrimp however you certainly could. I may have to just try it some time like that too! Love this recipe! Oh and to reheat, just heat it up on the stove in a pot or in the microwave but make sure to add either a little cream or milk to bring back that creaminess since the pasta will absorb the liquid. I hate to admit it but I've even added those little half and half creamers for coffee when I was desperate..lol..


Ingredients: 
12oz box Bowie pasta (farfalle)
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
4 tsp. Cajun seasonings
4 T butter, unsalted
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 small package button mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
2 c. Heavy cream
2/3 c grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a pot of water for the the pasta to a boil. Make sure to add salt and put a lid on it and the boiling time will be quicker.

2. While waiting for the water to boil, cut up the chicken into 1 inch strips.

3. Add the butter to a preheated skillet and melt over medium heat. In a large gallon freezer bag add the chicken and the Cajun seasonings.

4. Add the seasoned chicken to the skillet and saute until cooked through.

5. Add the farfalle (bowtie) pasta to the boiling water and give it a stir so the pasta doesn't clump together or stick to the bottom of the pot. Stir occasionally. 

I decided that I wanted to try a trick I learned from Pinterest and I must say it works pretty well. I laid the wooden spoon across the top of the past pot and it kept the water from boiling over! Pretty awesome!

6. Remove the cooked chicken to a plate to drain, keep warm and set aside.

7. Next, add the onions, peppers, (I forgot to buy the green pepper...oops!) garlic and mushrooms and saute until tender.

8. Add the chicken back to the pot and pour in the cream, salt, pepper, basil, and lemon pepper seasoning. Toss to combine.

Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the skillet tossing to coat.

Finally, add the Parmesan cheese and toss. Remove from heat and serve immediately! So delicious!

To Print the RECIPE ONLY CLICK HERE

Lasagna

Who doesn't love Lasagna? *Clears throat...gets all fidgety....Um...hmm...well...I didn't. I know, I know.... Crazy, right?? Yeah, for the longest times I hated ricotta cheese. The taste, the texture...who knows...It was in the beginning of my married life when I was just a youngin' and didn't know any better. I didn't like a lot of things then either...celery, fresh carrots, mushrooms, hummus, and the list goes on....I was a picky picky eater. Maybe it was because I grew up in a podunk town in the south where we had two itty bitty grocery stores which compared to a quick market up here in the city. It was before youtube and the Food Network when everyone got recipes from actual cookbooks. So our weekly meals consisted of a simple repertoire...usually repeated over and over and over....and over. Anyone been there? Or STILL there? Strangely enough though, I loved Thai food (probably because my Momma loves it..and we had a Thai restaurant there). Anyway, moving to the "Big City" certainly expanded my horizons as far as my taste palette goes. Also, I forced myself to try things I didn't like. Often. I still do to this day. I can't stand green olives, but every now and then I will try one to see if I like them yet. I'd encourage anyone to try that. If you're a grown person then every now and then try things you dislike and eventually you may end up loving them! It works on my kiddos too 

I remember when I first got married and we met a newly married couple who invited us over for dinner. And guess what she made? No, not lasagna. Stuffed Shells. And what are stuffed shells stuffed with? Yep, ricotta cheese. Well, since I was raised to be polite....I choked those babies down with a smile on my face and thanked my gracious hostess for inviting us for dinner (she happens to be one of my bffs still). LOL. 12 years later I LOVE ricotta cheese in my pasta. Who knew? Oh, and another thing...my Prince Charming's favorite meal is lasagna so the only time I would suffer through it was for his birthday. Poor thing...Okay, to end my long-winded back story that y'all may or may not be interested in...I finally learned to make lasagna..and now Prince Charming is one happy fella. So, without further rambling....here's my recipe:

Ingredients

6 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente (not too soft but with a little crunch)
1 lb ground beef
salt and pepper, to taste
1 package fresh mushrooms (I prefer baby bellas) (optional)
1 zucchini (optional)
1 large onion, diced (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 Tablespoons dried parsley
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Alright, so first thing you do is brown the hamburger meat along with the onions. Add salt and pepper. 

2. Once the meat is half-way browned, add the zucchini and mushrooms, oregano, basil and minced garlic. When the vegetables are tender and the meat is mostly browned, drain the excess fat. 

Here's Princess9 helping me...isn't she cute? :)

3. Now add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir and bring to a boil. 

Once it reaches a boil reduce heat to a simmer for about 30 minutes. Put a lid on the pan but make sure it's not on completely in order to allow the sauce to vent the steam. Stir occasionally. 

4. While this is simmering, get the lasagna noodles ready. Put a pot of lightly salted water on the stove with a lid on (the salt and lid speed up the boiling process)

5. While you're waiting for the noodles, Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl combine the ricotta, parsley, Parmesan, and beaten egg.

6. When the noodles are finished, drain and rinse. Layer 3 noodles in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Next, layer half of the ricotta mixture.

7. Spoon half of the sauce mixture over the ricotta layer. 

Repeat the layers: noodles, ricotta, and sauce.

Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

And 1 1/2 cups mozzarella. 

8. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Enjoy some really yummy lasagna!

To Print the RECIPE ONLY CLICK HERE