Zesty Chicken, Broccoli & Ziti

Submitted by CTaylor

"This zesty version of a childhood favorite is sure to please even the adults. Very tasty but without being too spicy for the kids. NOTE: Depending on the cajun seasoning you use, you may need to cut back on the amount in order to adjust the spice level. Some cajun seasonings are FAR stronger than others, and the one I had used was relatively mild."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Serves: 5-6

ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite size strips)
• 1 lb ziti pasta
• 1 lb broccoli floret
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons cajun seasoning
• salt and pepper

• For the sauce

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1⁄3 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
• salt and pepper

directions

1. Boil the pasta according to directions and when you only have about 6 minutes left, add the broccoli to the pasta and boil the remaining 6 minute and drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a nonstick pan, heat the olive oil and then add the garlic, the chicken, and the spices. Cook until the chicken has cooked through and has browned. Add this to the pasta once it has been drained.
3. In the same nonstick pan, over medium heat, melt the butter and then add the flour, mixing well to create a roux. Cook the flour for several minutes.
4. Slowly whisk in the milk trying to avoid making any lumps, and increase the temperature to med. high.Continue to stir until the sauce starts to thicken. Add in the lemon juice, cheese and the seasonings, mixing well. Continue to cook until cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened.
5. Pour sauce over chicken and ziti mixture, and gently mix well. Serve.

Reviews

[Robyns Cookin]

I used a 13-ounce box of whole wheat linguine instead of the ziti. Had plenty of sauce for the amount of noodles. I also used some pre-cooked chicken breasts that I had in the freezer (cooked with S&P), so I didn't use the garlic, olive oil, or 3 T cajun spices...THANK GOODNESS because we might have died!! I only ended up using about 1.5 T seasoning in the sauce and it was plenty spicy / salty enough...the additional 3 T for the chicken would have been too much (I use Tony's). I also used 1 can of FF evaporated milk plus 1/2 c skim milk (to equal 2 cups)...I like using evap milk in cream sauces because it's lower fat than cream, but thicker than milk. I used mozzarella, as that's what I had on hand. I thought this was good, but I feel like it's missing something...I can't figure out what it is!! I feel like I need a flavor that "hits" the back of my mouth...if that makes any sense. Anyway, thanks for sharing! This definitely gives me something to work with!

 

[Paris D]

Good. We used half the amount of Cajun seasoning listed and it was *plenty.*

 

[Darkhunter]

Wonderful! We will definetley have this again! Did make a few changes, due to personal tastes within the family. Cut the pasta down to 8 oz , but left the other measurements the same. For the sauce, because milk based sauces are not tolerated very well, used a mix of sour cream and plain yogurt. This had a lot of heat, but not too much. Thnx for posting, Chrissy. Made for Fall 2008 My-3-Chefs.