Blackened Chicken Alfredo (One Pan)

Ingredients

• 1344 g chicken breast (salted; approximately 48 oz)
• Blackened or Cajun Seasoning (to taste; see notes for homemade version)
• 20 g Olive Oil (approximately 4 tsp)
• 15 g Butter (for chicken; approximately 1 tbsp)
• 2 sweet onions (diced)
• 4.5 bell peppers (diced (4-5 peppers))
• 10 cloves garlic (minced)
• 30 g butter (for vegetables; approximately 2 tbsp)
• 30 g Dijon mustard (approximately 2 tbsp)
• 896 g rigatoni (approximately 32 oz)
• 2 cup starchy pasta water (reserved from cooking pasta)
• 800 g 2% cottage cheese (blended; approximately 28 oz)
• 180 g parmigiano reggiano (approximately 6 oz)
• 120 g 1/3 fat cream cheese (approximately 4 oz)
• 240 ml fat free milk (approximately 8 oz)
• salt (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste)
• chives (one handful, chopped)
• 60 g Mozzarella (approximately 2 oz)

Steps

1. 1

   Flatten out the chicken breasts to an even thickness. Season both sides generously with salt and your choice of blackened or Cajun seasoning.

2. 2

   Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add 20g olive oil and 15g butter.

3. 3

   Add the chicken to the pan and let it sit undisturbed for about 5 minutes to form a blackened crust. Flip and repeat on the other side until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

4. 4

   Immediately add the diced sweet onions and bell peppers to the same pan. Add 30g butter and the minced garlic.

5. 5

   Sauté the vegetables until they are caramelized and softened. Stir in 30g of Dijon mustard.

6. 6

   While the vegetables cook, prepare the Alfredo sauce by blending the cottage cheese, parmigiano reggiano, cream cheese, and milk together until completely smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. 7

   Dice the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces and add them back into the pan with the vegetables.

8. 8

   Pour the blended Alfredo sauce over the chicken and vegetable mixture in the pan.

9. 9

   Cook the rigatoni in a separate pot of boiling salted water for about 80% of the time indicated on the box instructions (al dente).

10. 10

    Before draining the pasta, reserve about 2 cups of the starchy pasta water.

11. 11

    Add the cooked pasta and about 1.5 to 2 cups of the reserved pasta water to the pan with the sauce and chicken. Toss thoroughly to combine and allow the sauce to thicken and coat the pasta.

12. 12

    Finish the dish by stirring in a handful of chopped chives and 60g of mozzarella cheese until melted.

Notes

Homemade Blackening Seasoning: 2 tbsp paprika, 1 tbsp onion powder, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp cayenne. Storage: This recipe makes 15 servings and is designed for meal prep; it can be portioned and stored in the freezer.

Nutrition per serving

• Main Dish
• Meal Prep
• High Protein
• One Pan
• Pasta
• Chicken
• Freezer Friendly