Born and raised in Kentucky, cajun food is not something I grew up eating. After marrying a man who lived in Louisiana, I had to learn to integrate his style of food with my style. I will admit there are a few foods I have missed out on over the years. And there are a few foods I have no idea why people eat.
Today I made a meal that I call cajun mix. Mainly because you can mix in whatever ingredients you and your family prefer and it will come out delicious. A lot of the meals I make are keto and gluten-free. This meal is hit due to the fact it fits into my diet preferences but can be adapted to any preference. I served a spring mix salad with my dish. However, this dish is great with any side, served over a bed of rice, potatoes, vegetables, mac and cheese. The list goes on.
Ingredients
Boneless Skinless Chicken - I used boneless skinless chicken in this recipe. It’s easy to work with and it is kid-approved in my house. I used two large breasts and they divided up nicely for the whole family.
Bell Pepper- I only used one large bell pepper. I think adding another pepper would have made it even better. However, I have small children who do not eat peppers.
Sausage Links- We like using sausage links with cheese and jalapeño peppers mixed. Use whichever sausage your family prefers.
Bacon- Depending on the flavor of bacon you like you can change the taste of this dish. I used hickory smoked bacon.
Cajun Seasoning - I used McCormick’s perfect pinch Cajun seasoning. You can make your own mixture but I find this one taste exactly how I want.
Cream Cheese - I use the great value brand. If you are cooking it in a dish, you can’t tell the difference in the taste compared to the name brand.
Spinach - Spinach is optional. I throw it in to add some extra greens to my family diet. Leaving it in or taking it doesn’t alter the taste.
Shredded Cheese - I used the fiesta blend. But whatever you have on hand is perfect.
Salt and pepper to taste
Let’s get to baking
First thing preheat your oven to 350° F. Next cut up boneless skinless chicken into bite-size pieces.
I used a 7 x 8 casserole dish. I layered all my ingredients into this dish as I cut them up.
Next, I chopped up my bell pepper.
Then I add my sausage links.
Next, I added bacon. If you like your bacon more crunchy I would cook the bacon first.
Here would be a good time to add anything extra you plan to use. Shrimp would be a good option or even crawfish.
Here I add my cajun seasoning with salt and pepper. And stir it.
Add in your cream cheese. There are different ways you can do it. I simply sliced my cream cheese and place it evenly over the top of my meat and pepper. You can mix your cream cheese so it's can be spread across the top.
Completely optional add in some spinach.
Top with cheese and put in the oven for about 40 minutes.
Once it is out of the oven check to make sure your chicken has cooked through. Serve with your favorite side and enjoy.
Recipe
Ingredients
2 Large Boneless Skinless Chicken breast
1 Bell Pepper
5 Strips of Bacon
1 TB Cajun Season
8 oz Cream Cheese
1 Cup Spinach (optional)
1 Cup Shredded Cheese
Salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a (7x8) casserole dish with cooking spray. Add each ingredient to the casserole dish as you go along. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Dice up the bell pepper, sausage links, and bacon. Stir in salt and pepper and cajun season. Layer on cream cheese then your spinach. Lastly, top with cheese and add to the oven. Bake for about 40 minutes, checking to make sure chicken is cooked through.
