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Cajun Chicken Alfredo (Skillet or Casserole)

This Cajun Chicken Alfredo is the warm, satisfying pasta hug you didn’t know you needed, but now you can't live without! The pasta is swaddled in intoxicating Alfredo sauce spiked with just the right kick of Cajun heat and bursting with juicy chicken, andouille sausage and bell peppers or you can swap in your favorite protein/veggies. You can keep the Cajun Chicken Alfredo minimal and serve it hot from the skillet or get fun, flirty and above all, cheesy in casserole form. For the Cajun Chicken Alfredo casserole, the middle is lined with smoked Gouda and the top is blanketed in mozzarella for epic velvety, creamy, cheesy, gooey goodness! Serve this Cajun Chicken Alfredo with garlic bread and fresh tomato cucumber salad for a complete meal the whole family will love!
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 10 -12

Ingredients

Chicken and Sausage

  • 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pound chicken breasts chopped into large bite size pieces
  • 12 oz. Cajun andouille sausage sliced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil divided

Alfredo Pasta

  • 1 pound cellentani pasta (may sub penne or fusilli)
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (may sub half olive oil)
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 3 cups half and half
  • 1-3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning see notes
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp EACH dried thyme, salt, chicken bouillon
  • 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 6-8 slices smoked gouda cheese or 8 oz. shredded (Optional for baking)
  • 1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese (Optional for baking)

Instructions

Pasta

  • If baking: preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
  • Cook pasta just until al dente according to package directions – don’t overcook! Strain and rinse with cold water. Drizzle with olive oil to prevent it from sticking; set aside.

Chicken and Sausage

  • While the chicken is still on the cutting board, pat it dry and toss with 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning and ½ teaspoon salt.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add chicken and let sear 1-2 minutes, then continue to cook until opaque (will not be cooked through). Transfer to a plate. Don’t wipe out skillet.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the sliced sausage and toss to coat in the oil then spread sausage in an even layer. Cook until the bottom is browned, about 2 minutes (check 1-2 slices for doneness before flipping). Flip the sausage over and cook until the bottom is browned, 1-2 minutes. Transfer the sausage to the plate with the chicken, leaving drippings behind.

Alfredo Sauce

  • Melt 4 tablespoons butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add onions and bell peppers. Increase to medium high and sauté for 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, while stirring, for 2 minutes.
  • Turn heat to low then gradually whisk in half and half, chicken broth, 1-3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, parsley, dried thyme, salt, and granulated bouillon. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Continue to simmer over medium heat, whisking often until thickened (but not overly thick), 5-10 minutes.
  • Turn heat to low and whisk in Parmesan cheese until melted. Stir in chicken, sausage and pasta and toss until evenly coated (if your skillet is too small, combine everything together in a large pot such as the one you used to cook the pasta).

Serve or Assemble and Bake

  • Taste and season with salt, Cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper to taste. Serve from the skillet or proceed to assemble and bake - instructions to follow.
  • Pour half of the pasta into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Layer pasta evenly with smoked Gouda. Pour remaining pasta over cheese and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
  • Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and the Gouda is melted. Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Tips and Tricks

  • How much Cajun seasoning should I use?  Use 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning to season the chicken then 1-3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning for the sauce.  1 teaspoon will make the sauce mild but it becomes medium with the pops of spicy Cajun sausage – this heat level should be perfect for most people. If you are omitting the sausage, you will definitely want to add more than 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning - just season the sauce to taste.
  • Season to taste: To that end, Cajun seasonings vary in salt and heat so make sure to taste the pasta before you pop it into the oven and adjust to taste.
  • Sausage: I prefer using andouille sausage for that authentic Cajun flavor.  The sausage is juicy and spicy and definitely a highlight in the dish, so I don't recommend skipping! You may use andouille chicken sausage if you prefer.
  • Half and half substitute:  You may substitute with evaporated milk mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch.
  • Don’t chop chicken too small:  The chicken should be chopped into 1-inch cubes, erroring on the side of larger so they remain juicy and are harder to overcook.
  • Use freshly grated cheeses:  Use ONLY freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  You don’t want to use the powdered or pre-shredded cheese.  Freshly grated Parmesan cheese is much more flavorful and melts more easily, same goes for the mozzarella.
  • Don’t burn sausage.  Depending on the heat of your skillet, your sausage can take more or less time to cook than instructed, so monitor closely because it can burn quickly.
  • Don’t overcook the pasta! The pasta is going to continue cooking in the oven so it’s important to not overcook it initially. I recommend testing your pasta about 2 or 3 minutes before the box recommends – pasta should be al dente – meaning it should still be a little firm in the center/ have a “bite” to it.  
  • Thin sauce if needed. Homemade Alfredo sauce can become too thick if it's simmered at too high of heat or for too long. But don’t worry, it’s SO easy to fix! Simply stir in a little milk or chicken broth until it reaches desired consistency.
  • Make casserole gluten-free. To make this recipe gluten free, use your favorite gluten free pasta and gluten free flour. 
  • Half the recipe.  This Cajun Chicken Pasta Alfredo is quite filling, so if there’s just a couple of you at home, you might want to halve the recipe. To do this, simply halve all of the ingredients and bake in an 8x8 casserole dish.  
  • Recipe variations.  See post for fun recipe variation ideas.

Make Ahead

You can prep the Cajun Chicken Alfredo in stages (sauté chicken and sausage/boil pasta/make Alfredo sauce) or assemble it entirely in advance.  When prepping ahead, take care that your noodles are cooked al dente and that the Alfredo Sauce isn’t too thick as it will thicken more sitting in the refrigerator. Assemble the casserole per recipe instructions, cover and refrigerate. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

CAN I FREEZE CAJUN CHICKEN ALFREDO?

You can freeze Cajun Chicken Alfredo that is baked or unbaked. You can make just to freeze or eat half and freeze the leftovers or portion it into two 8x8 casserole dishes and eat one now and freeze the other. You could even portion it out into individual portions once bake and just microwave to reheat.
So, how well does recipe freeze?  It freezes pretty well because the base is a roux and not just heavy cream. That being said, the cheese can become a little grainy, but still delicious.  So, expect delicious – just not fresh out of the oven perfection.  For best results, I recommend freezing unbaked pasta casserole (pasta is less mushy), but both methods will work.

HOW TO FREEZE UNCOOKED CAJUN CHICKEN ALFREDO (RECOMMENDED)

For best results, I recommend freezing unbaked Cajun Chicken Alfredo because the pasta only bakes ones instead of twice which means more al dente pasta. 
  • Take care to cook pasta al dente.
  • Assemble casserole according to recipe directions in a freezer safe dish.
  • Wrap casserole dish all the way with 2 layers of plastic wrap.
  • Cover the plastic wrap with one layer of aluminum foil.
  • Label and freeze for up to 3 months.

HOW TO FREEZE COOKED CAJUN CHICKEN ALFREDO 

  • Take care to cook pasta al dente.
  • Bake according to directions in a freezer safe dish.
  • Let cool on the counter for one hour.
  • Cover casserole with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill completely before freezing (this will prevent an unpleasant texture).
  • Cover casserole tightly with a second layer of plastic wrap all the way around the dish followed one layer of aluminum foil.
  • Label and freeze for up to 3 months.

HOW TO COOK CAJUN CHICKEN ALFREDO FROM FROZEN

  • Do NOT defrost Cajun Chicken Alfredo before baking – this will result in the best texture (vs mushy).
  • Remove plastic wrap from casserole and cover tightly with foil.
  • Bake covered at 350 degrees F for one hour.
  • Uncover and bake an addition 10-15 minutes or until hot in the center.