Cajun Chicken Alfredo

This was one of my "creative" recipes; which basically all that means is I had an "idea" of what I wanted to make and used whatever ingredients I had to make it tasty!

To start off, lets make the "blackened" chicken. Blackened chicken is NOT burnt chicken LOL. It's actually a combination of spicy seasonings such as paprika, pepper, some cumin (which isn't spicy, just has a smoky flavor). You can also add garlic and onion powder and oregano. I just made up my own thing.Ok, enough of the jib jab, here are the ingredients:...keep reading after jump :)

**I made this for Jesse and I, so you can add more chicken if your feeding more than 2 adults, but I did use 1 box of pasta, so that would probably be good enough for like 4 people

***Cooks Note: I eyeball EVERYTHING so it's hard to give an exact measurement

Cajun (Blackened) Chicken:

(2) Thick boneless skinless chicken breast that has been fillet'd, so now you have (4) pieces

2-3 tbsp of Paprika

1 tbsp of Black Pepper

1 tbsp of Chili powder

1 tbsp of Cumin

Salt (just a dash on both sides of chicken breast)

a few tablespoons of Olive Oil to coat pan

Cream Sauce:

4 tbsp of Olive Oil (or however much keeps your garlic "moist" when sautéing)

3 cloves of garlic

1/2-1 tbsp of Oregano

1/2 cup of dry white cooking wine

1/2 pint of Heavy Cream

a handful of mozzarella cheese

splash of milk (about 1/2 cup)

Pasta:

1 box of linguine (or fettuccine if you prefer that) 

*Pictures of ingredients*

Instructions:

After you have fillet'ed and washed your chicken pieces, pat dry and spread out on a flat service. 

Combine all the dry seasonings on a plate and mix well. 

Then "dredge" your chicken pieces in the dry mixture, making sure to cover it well with all the seasoning on both sides. (If you need to add more of the dry seasoning mixture then go ahead; Like I said, I eyeball all my ingredients)

In a wide skillet, heat up your 'few tbsp's' of Olive Oil to coat the pan. Bring it to a medium-hot temperature and lay your chicken pieces in there. (Be prepared for some amazing smells :)

Cook for a few minutes on each side. You will notice how they are "blackened" when you flip them over. That is GOOD, it's not "charcoal" black, it's just what happens to those seasonings when they are cooked in high temperatures!

**Don't overcook the chicken! Take a knife into the thickest part of the chicken to make sure it's cooked and as soon as it is, take it off the stove!** Here is what mine looked like after they cooked:

Now, let those cool on a cutting board and lets start the alfredo cream sauce :)

In the same skillet that you blackened and cooked your chicken in, you will see lots of seasoning, oil and small cooked bits in it. DON'T throw it out! All it is is a bunch of flavor that will help build your sauce.

With the garlic, you can either finely chop it (and I mean fine), or you can grate it, (grate garlic? yes!). You can take a small grater if you have one or just a cheese grater and you use the FINEST, SMALLEST grater side you can. Grate or mince all the garlic, add a couple tbsp of olive oil to the skillet and then drop in your garlic pieces. 

Your skillet should be at a medium-low. Never cook garlic at a high temperature; it will turn bitter and will ruin your meal. So, if your not used to sauteeing your garlic then start off with a lower temp and work it up until you just hear a slight sizzle and small little bubbles. Work it around with a spoon; add more olive oil if you  see the pan looks to "dry".

Now, add your oregano and mix that around well. 

Add in your cooking wine, raise the temp to medium and stir. (Cooking wine is a major staple in most pasta dishes) When the alcohol cooks off (and it does), it leaves behind a great flavor. 

Let that cook for about a min or so, and then you can add the heavy cream. You will notice a "burnt orange" color in the sauce. (see the picture). That is from the seasonings on the chicken! :)

Continue to mix and then you can add the splash of milk.Add your cheese and cook on medium, covered, for another few minutes then let it simmer while you prepare your pasta.

Prepare your linguine noodles according to directions on the box. I always add a tbsp or a little more of Olive Oil in my water and a few dashes of salt.

While the pasta is cooking and sauce is simmering, chop up your now cooled chicken breasts in about 1/2-1 inch pieces. Set aside

When pasta is done, drain and return to pot. Add your creamy sauce to the entire pasta or individual servings. Add chopped chicken on top and enjoy!!