Thursday, March 20, 2014

Cajun Style Chicken Spaghetti

A favorite family supper when I was growing up, was Chicken Spaghetti.  I know when ya think of Cajun food, this aint the first thing ya think of. Cajuns are resourceful, and when I was a kid, we had chickens, and pasta was very cheap.  Tomatoes and peppers, etc. were from our yard, too, so this meal was a family favorite and very cheap to make.  The area I grew up in, this dish was often brought to church dinners, family gatherings and such.  My mother made her version that was very popular among friends and family, and was often requested.  Here is how she made it.
The recipe:
                              Cajun-Style (wheat and gluten free) Chicken Spaghetti


3-4 lbs of chicken (we used thighs)
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (Lea and Perrins is gluten free)
1 tablespoon Crystal Hot Sauce (most any 'GF' hot sauce will do)
2 tablespoons of oil
3 cups chopped onions
1/2 lb of smoked sausage
1- 7 oz. can mushroom pieces, drained
1- 10 oz. can original Rotel diced tomato with green chilies (do not drain)
1  can Hunts diced tomato (do not drain)
1/2 cup of Heinz catsup
1 tablespoon of Steen's Cane Syrup
1 bell pepper chopped
6 garlic cloves smashed and chopped
     (That's all for the sauce. For the spaghetti part, we used about a pound of Gluten Free Pasta. Schar's was the choice of the day.)
   In a bowl, season the chicken with the Cajun seasoning, Crystal hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce.  Brown the chicken in the oil till it is browned on both sides and about half-way cooked, for around 15 minutes.  Remove the chicken from the pot, then add the onions and sausage to the pot and brown them for 10 minutes or so till they tender and translucent.  Add the mushrooms, garlic, and both cans of tomatoes and cook them down till they have completely reduced and begin to caramelize, stirring frequently.  Add approximately a quart of water to build the sauce, then add 1/2 cup ketchup and a tablespoon Steen's Cane Syrup, and the bell pepper. At this point, return the chicken to the pot and simmer for half an hour while you prepare the pasta. 
    We used 1 lb of Schar Gluten free pasta. (One package, plus enough of another pkg. to make about a lb.)  This is one of the best pastas we have found so far.  We cooked it in water until it was half done,  then drained it and added it to the sauce, where it could continue cooking.  
   This is far and above my favorite chicken pasta dish, and Peggy says I have forever ruined her and she feels guilty leaving her Yankee spaghetti recipe on the sidelines. 
Here is our instructional video, in case ya get kinda confused about the products, etc.
I hope yall enjoy this as much as we do.  Let us know.


8 comments:

  1. Hi! Cappy and Peggy, I am your new follower from Shreveport. Your Mom's Chicken Spaghetti recipe looks delicious. I am sure she is proud and not mad. Love your videos! They sure give the world a little insight into the Cajun way of life. I loved the crawfish video. My parents moved up here when North Louisiana was not very cajun. They took us crawfishing in the ditches too. Your video brought back so many memories. I am a foodie and blogger sharing family recipes and new recipes at Soup Spice Everything Nice. So glad to be following what your cookin'. Take care and best of luck with your new food blog.

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    1. Thanks Denise and welcome aboard. This is new to us and we are learning as we go. We got so many nice comments on our other blog, that we decided to dedicate this one to just foodie posts. Of course there are lots of foodie stuff at our other blog and you tube channels too, but here we want to includee recipes and how to videos as well as well as restaurant critiques as we go. Our main blog is:
      http://cappyandpegody.blogspot.com/

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  2. Any recipe of Aunt Pearls has gotta be good :-)

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  3. I missed out on Cappy's Mom's cooking, but I sure heard from everybody in the family how good it was. If these "secrets" he just gave out are any indication about how her dishes tastes, I missed out on a LOT. I absolutely crave this Cajun spaghetti now sometimes.

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  4. Looks so yummy can not wait to try it!!!! Not all Cajun seasonings are alike what do you use for Cajun Seasonings?
    Love your blog and look forward to making many recipes here, Barbara

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  5. We make our own. With Peggy's gluten intolerance its safe that way. What we use is based on Tony Chacheries recipe but we use much less salt and adjust the other seasonings to our taste. Finding your favorite is part of the fun of cooking. .

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  6. Love the video Cappy and Peggy. You are truly inspiring.

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  7. Excellent recipe. Could not get any Steens, but used a little honey and it was still very good. Will try with Steens when I get back to Louisiana and can purchase some. Thanks so much. Very good.

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