One Pot Cajun Chicken Alfredo

Erm, I hate dishes. And I have a husband who is constantly needing variation in his cuisine (unlike me who is perfectly happy with all meat & potatoes, all the time). Soooo I'm getting really into the idea of making one pot meals for him. They're easy, the dirty pretty much 1 dish, and he gets something new to eat. I think we can all  agree that this is a win situation, yeah?

Michael has a mini love affair with New Orleans food--mind you, we haven't been to NOLA (yet) but when we go out to eat and a menu item says New Orleans or Cajun...Michael's probably going to order it. So I loved the idea of Cajun Chicken Alfredo! Not to mention--not only is this recipe quick and easy, and all made in one pot, BUT it also is made with ingredients you almost definitely already have (the Cajun seasoning is the only thing I needed to buy for this recipe, and I know Michael is happy that we now have that!) Oh yeah and...it's actually pretty healthy. Hooray!

Creamy, thick alfredo sauce (made from broth and milk-no heavy cream or butter!) that has that extra bit of Cajun spice envelops soft fettuccine noodles and perfectly seasoned chicken. Michael was definitely a fan, and I loved how simple the whole thing was. This will be getting made again...and again...and again....

One Pot Cajun Chicken Alfredo

From The Wholesome Dish

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless, chicken breast cut into bite sized chunks
• 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 8 oz. dried fettuccine
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (+ more to top, if desired)

Preparation:

• Heat oil in a large pot or a large, high sided, skillet over medium-high heat (the wider the pot or skillet, the quicker the cook time of this recipe will be).
• Add chicken and cajun seasoning and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add garlic and cook for another minute, stirring frequently.
• Add broth and milk. 
• Break pasta in half and add to the pot, making sure they're covered with liquid. Cover and bring to a rapid boil, stirring occasionally (and being careful to keep the noodles from sticking to each other, and to not let the liquid boil over.)
• Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer (covered) for 8-13 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the noodle from sticking. Cook until the pasta is tender and there is 1/4-1/2 inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot.
• Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. 
• Serve immediately with additional Parmesan on top!
• If there are leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For creamier results when heating up leftovers, add a little bit of broth and/or milk to the pasta prior to heating up.

It's just begging you to take a bite!