Tender chicken, smoky chicken andouille sausage, and penne in a creamy Cajun-Parmesan sauce. Follow the original video’s staged slow-cooker method, with seared chicken and cream added at the start.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound chicken breasts whole, thawed
- 1 pound chicken andouille sausage sliced
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons Creole Kick seasoning or your favorite Cajun/Creole blend
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound uncooked penne pasta add later
- 1/2 cup hot water add with the pasta
- 8 ounces freshly shredded Parmesan cheese about 2 1/2 cups
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- Garlic powder to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Pat the whole chicken breasts dry without washing them. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken until browned. It finishes cooking in the slow cooker.
- Add the seared chicken, sliced andouille, heavy cream, broth, butter, garlic, and Creole seasoning. Start cooking promptly.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for about 2½ hours, as shown in the original video. Check the thickest part of the chicken with a thermometer; it needs to reach 165°F. The video also mentions about 5 hours on LOW as an alternative.
- Remove the cooked chicken to a clean plate. Stir the sauce, then add the full 1/2 cup hot water and uncooked penne. Cover and cook on HIGH for about 30 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Slice the chicken while the pasta cooks.
- Stir Parmesan into the hot pasta and sauce, then return the sliced chicken to the slow cooker.
- Let the pasta stand for about 15 minutes so the sauce can thicken. Taste before adding more seasoning, then serve warm.
NOTES
- Timing: About 3 hours on HIGH for the chicken and pasta, plus a 15-minute rest. The 15-minute prep and searing allowance and 3-hour-30-minute total are estimates; check chicken for 165°F and pasta for tenderness.
- Follow the order: Sear the whole chicken breasts, add cream at the start, and remove and slice the cooked chicken while the pasta cooks. Add the full hot-water amount with the penne.
- Finish gently: Stir in freshly shredded Parmesan after the pasta is tender, return the sliced chicken, and allow the sauce to thicken during the rest before adjusting seasoning.
