Cajun Chicken and Sausage Alfredo

Name: Cajun Chicken and Sausage Alfredo
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Cajun
Ingredients: 1 lb boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces; 14 oz smoked sausage, sliced into thin rounds; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 4 tablespoons olive oil; 1 quart chicken broth; 2.5 cups heavy cream; 0.5 tablespoon salt; 1 tablespoon black pepper; 1 lb dried penne pasta; 1 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped; 4 oz grated Parmesan cheese; 1.5 tablespoons Cajun seasoning; 0.5 tablespoon seasoning salt

Recipe GLPR39975041ceb256

Cajun

Main Course

35 min

665 cal

Servings: 10

Stovetop

SNAP eligible

A bold one-pot Cajun-spiced pasta dish combining tender chicken and sliced smoked sausage in a rich, creamy Alfredo sauce. Chicken and sausage are seared until golden, then simmered together with penne pasta, garlic, broth, and heavy cream infused with Cajun spices. Fresh parmesan cheese and Italian parsley finish this satisfying main course.

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Ingredients

1 lb boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

14 oz smoked sausage, sliced into thin rounds

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 quart chicken broth

2.5 cups heavy cream

0.5 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 lb dried penne pasta

1 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

4 oz grated Parmesan cheese

1.5 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

0.5 tablespoon seasoning salt

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering.
Add the cubed chicken pieces to the hot oil, season with salt and black pepper, and sear until the chicken begins to brown, about 4-5 minutes.
Stir in the sliced sausage and continue cooking until both the chicken and sausage develop a golden-brown color, about another 4-5 minutes.
Add the minced garlic to the pot and stir constantly for about 1 minute until fragrant.
Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream, then add the uncooked penne pasta, Cajun seasoning, and seasoning salt. Stir well to combine all ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the pasta is tender and fully cooked, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
When the pasta is fully cooked, remove the pot from heat. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley until well combined.
Taste the dish and add additional Cajun seasoning, seasoning salt, salt, or pepper as desired to reach your preferred flavor level. Serve hot.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4

This is a solid weeknight dish that hits all the right notes for a Charlotte table. Every ingredient—chicken, sausage, penne, parmesan, heavy cream, and cajun seasoning—is stocked at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Walmart, or ALDI without a second stop, and at typical prices: chicken around $8/lb, sausage $5–7/lb, cream $3.50, parmesan $6–8/container. The 35-minute claim is honest if you move briskly; browning the chicken and sausage, building the sauce, and cooking pasta back-to-back runs 30–40 minutes in a real kitchen. It reheats decently on the stovetop with a splash of broth, though the sauce will tighten. At ten servings, cost per plate lands near $2.50–3.00, which is reasonable for a dinner with protein and cream. The one modest drawback is that cajun seasoning is a blunt tool here—it dominates the plate and leaves little room for other flavors, and the dish does not pretend to be anything but heavy, rich comfort food, which is fine but not especially memorable.