Chili's Chicken Cajun Pasta

Please ignore the fact that I'm eating on a coffee table. 

We live in a tiny apartment with no room for a real table.

I love the Cajun Chicken Pasta from Chili's. So I decided to see if anyone else had made it and had a recipe. This is what I found. It's been a long time since I've eaten it, so I can't quiet remember what it tastes like, but this is pretty darn good! I used this recipe with a few changes.


Chili's Cajun Chicken Pasta 

The Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I used 2 large breasts)
• 4 tsp. cajun seasoning (I love this stuff, so I'm sure I used more. A lot more....)
• 4 tbsp. butter or margarine
• 3 cups heavy cream (I used 2% milk and it turned out fine)
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened 
• 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 8 oz. cooked penne pasta (drained) (I used whole wheat. yum!)
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced (and some green onions, chopped)
• fresh shredded parmesan, to taste

The Process:

1. Slightly moisten chicken with water. (Didn't do this.)
2. In a large resealable plastic bag, shake chicken and cajun seasoning until chicken is thoroughly coated. (To save a plastic bag, I just sprinkled some cajun seasoning on the chicken and rubbed it in)
3. In large skillet, saute chicken in 2 tbsp. butter, over medium heat, turning whenever necessary.
4. When chicken is about half-way done, grab a second skillet and combine heavy cream, 2 tbsp. butter, and remainder of seasonings over medium heat, stirring occasionally. (I hate dishes, so I just waited 'til the chicken was done, put it on the cutting board, then used the same skillet. Also, while looking for this recipe I found another where they used butter and flour to make a roux, so I did that since I was using milk, and I was afraid it would be too thin. Then added more seasoning and the milk a half a cup at a time.)
5. After I added all the milk, I put the softened cream cheese in and stirred it until it was melted. Then, I added more cajun seasoning (because it wasn't enough for me).
6. When cream mixture begins to bubble (mine had been bubbly for a while, but it was way too thin, so I waited til it was thick), add the pasta and turn off heat. Stir well.
7. When chicken is cooked through, place on cutting board and slice into strips.
8. Spoon pasta and sauce onto large serving plates (2) and top with chicken, diced tomatoes, and parmesan.
9. Throw a thick, garlicky slice of Texas toast on that bad boy and enjoy!

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