One-Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta

Have you ever come home from a hard days work, and still had to cook dinner for your family (or even for yourself because you are just too tired of take-out)? Well, this easy one-pot Cajun chicken pasta is a dish you'll find in one of your favorite restaurants (Cheesecake Factory) but yet it is so easy to make at home and packs a powerful flavor punch. Sure to impress your family (and yourself)! Recipe is listed below - and you can watch the recipe video here.

Ingredients:

For the Cajun seasoning mix:

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp chili powder (or cayenne pepper)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp black pepper

The rest of the ingredients:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (cleaned and cut into cubes)

2 small green bell peppers

1 medium purple (or some people call it red) onion

1/2 can diced tomatoes (I used fire-roasted diced tomatoes)

2 cups half & half (or heavy cream)

Salt to taste

1 box (16 oz.) penne pasta (or you can use pasta of your choice)

Method:

1. Season the chicken with all the Cajun seasonings listed above. Add salt to taste and mix everything well. Let it marinate for 3 hours (or overnight if your prefer).

2. Boil the pasta as per the instruction on the package. Drain and set aside.

3. In a wide pan, heat up oil. Add the seasoned chicken and cook till its juices have evaporated and it starts to get a golden brown color. Remove from the pan and set aside.

4. In the same pan, add some oil, and cook the onions till translucent. Add the green peppers, the diced tomatoes, add the rest of the Cajun seasoning we made, salt to taste, and mix everything up. Cook for a couple of minutes.

5. Then add the half & half or heavy cream if you want extra calories in this dish :)

6. Let it come to a light boil, then add the cooked chicken. Mix everything up well. Cover and let it cook on low flame for 5 mins.

7. After 5 mins, add the pasta in, and toss everything up to coat all the ingredients up with the sauce. Serve hot with some parmesan cheese on top, and some garlic bread!