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Inspired by the Cheesecake Factory, this Louisiana Chicken Pasta Bake is a cajun alfredo chicken pasta with peppers and veggies smothered in cheese and baked in a casserole dish until bubbly.
Behind This Louisiana Chicken Pasta Recipe
This Louisiana Chicken Pasta is inspired by Cheesecake Factory’s popular dish but I’ll be honest, this one is so much better! It is full of cajun spices, creamy sauce, melty gooey cheese, and perfectly cooked veggies and chicken.
One thing I love about this recipe is that it’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner and impressive enough to serve dinner guests. It definitely fits right into the cozy, comforting pasta recipes category, with some of my other favorites like chicken scampi stuffed shells, buffalo chicken mac and cheese, and chicken tetrazzini. You really can’t go wrong with any of them!
Tips from My Kitchen
- Use a large pan. It’s important when making this recipe to choose a large enough sauté pan that will allow you room to toss your veggies, chicken and pasta in the alfredo sauce without everything spilling over the edge. I love my large saute pans for recipes like these.
- Don’t fully cook the veggies. When sauteing the veggies, the goal is to brown them, not cook them the entire way. They’ll finish cooking in the oven.
- Rest the chicken before slicing. The secret to tender, juicy pieces of chicken in the pasta is to let it rest, with the pan juices, for about 5-10 minutes before you try to slice it.
- Al dente pasta only. For recipes like this one, where there is a second stage of cooking everything, it’s important to boil the noodles just to al dente. Anything pasta that can result in mushy pasta and no one wants that.
- Add mushrooms. I am not a huge mushroom fan, but you can add these if you want this to be more similar to the Cheesecake Factory version.
- Fry the chicken. You can also alternately fry the chicken instead of sautéing it.
Ingredient Notes
Here’s an overview of all the ingredients used to make this Cheesecake Factory copycat recipe. Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of the post for the exact measurements.
- Chicken – I use tenders, but you can also use chicken breasts or thighs.
- Butter – The rich base for the alfredo sauce.
- Heavy Cream – Adds creaminess to the alfredo sauce.
- Chicken stock/broth – I use chicken stock to cut some of the heavy cream to lighten up the dish so it’s not overly heavy.
- Cajun Seasoning – I use my homemade Cajun seasoning but you can buy store-bought as well.
- Veggies -Onion, broccoli, tomatoes, and bell pepper.
- Pasta – Use your favorite pasta. Penne, bow tie, linguini, and others work great.
- Garlic – Lots of garlic is used in the cajun alfredo sauce. Fresh garlic is the way to go!
- Cheese – Parmesan and melty cheese like monterey jack, pepper jack, or colby jack add the final ultra cheesy touch to this pasta bake.
What To Serve With Louisiana Chicken Pasta
Since this Louisiana chicken pasta bake is loaded with veggies and chicken, it totally works as a complete meal on its own. I do often like to add a side salad, just to lighten things up a bit. And, of course, you’ll want some breadsticks, Texas toast, or garlic bread to ensure that every bit of the cajun alfredo sauce is soaked up.
Storing & Reheating
Leftover Louisiana chicken pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s best enjoyed within 3-4 days.
The noodles tend to absorb quite a bit of sauce, so to ensure it stays creamy, add a splash of chicken stock, cream, and a dollop of butter to each bowl. Microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through, until it’s hot and creamy again.
Looking for More Easy Pasta Recipes?
- Pasta al Limone
- One-Pot Chicken Scampi
- Steak Tortellini
- One-Pot French Onion Pasta
- Peanut Chili Oil Noodles
I hope you enjoyed this recipe for my cheesy and creamy Louisiana Chicken Pasta Bake. Be sure to comment below with any questions or feedback! If you make these or any other recipes, don’t forget to tag me on IG @BadBatchBaking to be featured on my story. Seeing your recreations makes my day!
Louisiana Chicken Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken tenders , breasts or thighs
- 6 tbsp butter
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 10 cloves garlic
- 2 crowns broccoli broken into small florets
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 roma tomatoes diced
- 1 lb farfelle penne or any pasta of your choice
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup chicken stock or broth
- 1 cup parmesan grated
- 3 cups shredded cheese divided, colby jack, cheddar, pepperjack whichever you prefer
- cajun seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil
Instructions
Prep & Saute Veggies
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prep the chicken by seasoning it well with cajun seasoning. Set aside for 20 minutes to remove the chill from the fridge.
- In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp butter and add in 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the peppers, onion and broccoli and season with salt and pepper. Saute for just 3-5 minutes, until they are browned but not cooked through. Remove veggies from the pan and set aside in a large bowl.
Cook Chicken
- In the same pan over medium heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil and add chicken. Cook for 3 minutes per side. Add 1 tbsp butter to the pan plus 1 spoonful of garlic then toss the chicken in the butter and garlic.
- Place the chicken and pan juices into the bowl with the veggies, tent with foil and set aside. After chicken has rested about 5-10 minutes, then slice it up and return to the foil-tented bowl.
Make the Sauce
- Melt 3 tbsp butter in the same large skillet. Add remaining garlic and saute until fragrant. Add diced tomatoes and saute for another 2-3 minutes or until tomatoes soften, lightly smashing with a fork.
- Add heavy cream and chicken stock. Add in the cajun seasoning, salt and pepper and parmesan cheese and bring to a simmer until it thickens slightly.
- As the sauce cooks boil water and cook the pasta to al dente.
Toss & Bake
- To the simmering sauce add the cooked pasta, chicken, and veggies. Add in half of the shredded cheese and toss well.
- Place the mixture into a greased 9×13 baking dish, top with remaining cheese and sprinkle the top with cajun seasoning or paprika.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and the top is lightly browned.
Reheating & Serving Tips
- To reheat pasta, add a splash of chicken stock, cream and a dollop of butter to each bowl and microwave for about 2 minutes stirring half way through. I like to serve my Louisiana pasta with breadsticks or Texas toast and a salad.
Cajun(Baton Rouge/Gonzales) here…I modified it a bit, b/c my husband doesn’t like tomatoes or chicken. I added Andouille sausage & crawfish as the meat, & Better than Bouillon Lobster stock instead of chicken broth. I added a bit more stock to make up for the lack of juices from tomato. I cooked the andouille first & the veggies in its left over flavor, & used Benoit’s Best salt free Cajun seasoning, b/c w/ all the mixes I’ve tried, that is by far my favorite.
It was FANTASTIC!
I asked my husband how it was & he said he could package it up & sell it at work! Thanks so much!!! I try so many recipes with so many disappointments, but this one is a winner! : )
Hey Allison – that is the ultimate compliment!! But your twists sound phenomenal!! Thank you so much for leaving that feedback for other readers 🙂
Could I use Rotisserie chicken?
Yes absolutely!
First of many of your recipes I will try! So happy I came across your page. Loved this spicy cheesy dish. I had it leftover for lunches at work too! Only change I made is a 1/2c of white wine before the broth and cream step. Yum!
The sauce preparation is tricky to me. Well super tasty recipe
Super tasty spicy recipes. I love to try your recipes.