Cajun Chicken & Sausage Pasta Bake Recipe

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Mazola® Corn Oil. All opinions are mine alone. #MakeItMazola #SimpleSwap #CollectiveBias

If you know me, I’m all about good and yummy comfort food. At the same time I’m all about trying to make swaps that are better for my family and simple ways I can do that is taking a favorite recipe and swapping ingredients for better ingredients. For instance I have started cooking many of our meals with Mazola® Corn Oil. A clinical study showed Mazola Corn Oil reduces cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil. To learn more about this claim, see Mazola.com.

I always try to make smart, heart-healthy choices for my family, which is why I choose corn oil as my all-purpose cooking oil. It’s great for me to use and swap within a variety of recipes like baking, grilling, sautéing, stir frying, or mixing up a marinade or dressing! So many great ways to use this corn oil….another plus is that Mazola has a smoke point higher than most cooking oils at 450°F.  Pro tip: all cooking oils have a smoke point that, once it exceeds, will not only affect your food negatively in flavor but also nutritional value. That’s why I will be sautéing my meat and veggies in corn oil, at a higher heat, so I know my food will taste like it’s supposed to! 

Cajun Chicken & Sausage Pasta Bake Recipe

To make this favorite recipe better for us I swapped the sausage for turkey sausage, butter for corn oil, pasta for a whole wheat pasta and I added a ton more veggies and it’s so so so good. Still a winner and my family never realized my sneaky moves on this one!

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 1b. Turkey Sausage, sliced/chopped
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow squash, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped

• 1 cup broccoli, chopped
• Green onions, sliced
• 1 box whole wheat pasta
• 3 Tbsp. Mazola Corn oil
• 3 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 8 oz. melting cheese
• 1 Tbsp All purpose seasoning

Step by Step Instructions:

1- Boil pasta according to the box instructions. While your pasta is cooking continue on…

2- Chop your veggies – onion, celery, zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper and broccoli.

3- Cook Sausage, remove and cooked sliced chicken in 2 Tbsp. Mazola Corn oil. (Corn Oil has a neutral taste that lets the natural flavor of your food stand out.)

4- Remove chicken and add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic and sauté in 1 Tbsp Mazola corn oil. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stir constantly.

5- Stir in all purpose seasoning and flour – stir constantly for 1 minute. Gradually add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute and then reduce heat.

6- Add cream and cheese, let cook for 8 minutes over medium heat.

7- In a large bowl combine and stir pasta (cooked and drained), fresh veggies, sausage and your cream sauce.

8- Pour into a 9×13 baking dish and set your chicken breast on top. Cover with aluminum foil so your dish doesn’t dry out. Cook for 20-25 minutes on 350 degrees.

9- Top with chopped green onions.

Hi I’m Erin a Southern mama from South Mississippi, owner and chief editor of Sixth Bloom.  A blog helping moms capture their kiddos in life, chatting all things home, and parenting, travels and how we navigate through life. You will find me living life to the fullest with my mister (aka husband) and our little three year old preschooler, Miss E, in our 500+ sq foot cottage as we build our dream house on our two acres!  We are blessed beyond measure… we love to travel and love being involved in ministry opportunities at our church.