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Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta | High-Protein Meal Prep

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta | High-Protein Meal Prep
Emily Wilcock
Writer and expert7 days ago
View Emily Wilcock's profile

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When it comes to quick & delicious meal prep, this one’s a winner.

This Cajun chicken pasta is a super-tasty way to pack in the protein. Made with a rich, creamy sauce and a healthy serving of veggies, it’s a great balanced meal to keep you full and feeling good all afternoon.

Plus, it’s easy to make up in a big batch so that you’re sorted for the week ahead. What more could you want?

Jump to:

Batch cooking

Batch cooking is simple. You take a meal that you’re making, let’s say it’s for your dinner, and you double or triple the recipe so you can store some for later. Align your containers next to your plate and serve it up as you serve up your dinner. Just remember to allow the dish to cool before you seal the box and pop it in the fridge.

The next day all you have to do is move your lunch from the fridge to the microwave, make sure it’s piping hot, and dive straight in.

For me, pasta is one of the best meals to batch cook. It’s cheap, quick and easy. One of the only problems is finding a pan big enough for all those servings.

How to package safely

Pre-cooked food should always be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated until you’re ready to eat it. So, make a note to stock up on your containers – you're gonna need ‘em.

How to reheat safely

To make sure it’s as good as the night before, when you reheat your pasta in the microwave add a couple of drops of water to help loosen it up. The steam from the water will not only help to bring your pasta back to life, but it’ll also provide even more heat.

Loosely cover your container and heat until your pasta is piping hot, stirring every minute or so. Just remember to blow on it before you tuck in to avoid the feeling of molten lava on your tongue.

Variations and add-ins

I’m all for sprucing up my meals. Eating the same thing but changing the protein or the veggies to keep things interesting, or to fit with your diet. Just bear in mind when you alter a recipe that the macros will also differ, so if you’re tracking, don’t forget to make these changes.

Make it veggie

While this recipe isn’t veggie, it doesn’t take many changes to get it there. Swap out the chicken for your go-to alternative – tofu or quorn pieces would go down a treat.

Make it vegan

No-meat Mondays are a must in my house, but it’s not getting in the way of enjoying a creamy pasta dish. First, swap the chicken for tofu or quorn or remove it altogether. Then swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock and swap cream cheese for a vegan alternative. Or if you’ve got a tin of coconut milk lingering in the back of your cupboard you can chuck some of that in. Just note, it’s thinner than cream cheese so you’ll likely need to use less for a similar creaminess.

Extra toppings

In terms of toppings, I can’t complain. But when I'm feeling boujee I like to throw in some tender stem broccoli at the last minute. And, I might be alone in this, but it’s not a bowl of pasta unless it’s covered in cheese – parmesan or cheddar, I'm not picky, but I won’t go without.

A pasta dish like this is also perfect for using up any bits and pieces in the fridge that need using up. Courgette, carrot, tomatoes, the bag of spinach that’s a day off going bad – get it all in the pan. The end of a chorizo ring or a rogue packet of pancetta – fry it off and throw it on top. You'll be hard pressed to find something that won’t work with this dish.

Equipment needed

As washing up is the worst part of preparing food, we’ve limited the equipment used to just one pan. Other than that, you’ll need:

  • Large non-stick pan
  • Large spoon for serving
  • Airtight containers for food storage

Creamy cajun chicken pasta recipe

Creamy cajun chicken pasta

Servings
Serves 5
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Passive Time
15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 red onion (diced)
  • 200 g mushrooms (sliced)
  • 1 red pepper
  • 500 g chicken breast (diced)
  • 1 tbsp. Cajun seasoning
  • Pinch salt (to taste)
  • 500 g pasta
  • 500 ml chicken stock
  • 11 g light cream cheese
  • Handful chopped chives (to garnish)

Instructions

1.

First, heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the red onion, mushrooms, and pepper strips and cook for a few minutes until softened. Remove from the pan and set aside.

2.

Add a little more olive oil to the pan if necessary and then add your chicken pieces. Fry until completely cooked through and no longer pink, then add the veg back in along with the Cajun seasoning and salt to taste. Stir well to combine.

3.

Next add the pasta and chicken stock, cover the pan, and leave to simmer for 15 minutes.

4.

Stir through the cream cheese to make a thick, creamy sauce. Serve immediately with chopped chives to garnish or portion up for your lunches later in the week. Smashed it.

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories516
Total Fat8g
Total Carbohydrates71g
Protein38g

Perfect side dishes

Adding sides is the ultimate way to add a certain flare to your dinner, especially if you’re having the same thing for your lunch the next day.

Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings

For an extra boost of protein alongside your pasta, add some of these delicious buffalo chicken wings to the table.

Macros: Calories: 243kcal, Protein: 20g, Carbs: 7g, Fat: 16g

Recipe here.

Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken

If boneless is more your style, swap the wings for popcorn chicken.

Macros: Calories: 347kcal, Protein: 43g, Carbs: 21g, Fat: 9g

Recipe here.

Mexican Grilled Corn

If your fridge is looking a little sparse for veggies to add to the pasta, go for this instead. Juicy corn on the cob topped with feta and the taste of Mexico – absolutely divine.

Macros: Calories: 176kcal, Protein: 4g, Carbs: 26g, Fat: 6g

Recipe here.

Dessert recipes you might like

Because no meal is complete without pudding.

Chocolate Cloud Pudding

Think mousse but high-protein and with just one key ingredient.

Macros: Calories: 48kcal, Protein: 8g, Carbs: 1g, Fat: 0g

Recipe here.

Cookie Dough

Cookie dough, syrup, ice cream and 27g of protein. You had me at cookie dough.

Macros: Calories: 363kcal, Protein: 27g, Carbs: 26g, Fat: 20g

Recipe here.

NYC Style Choc Chip Cookies

Cookies are an elite dessert. And I can’t be told otherwise. Gooey and full of chocolatey chunks. I’ll be getting involved with these.

Macros: Calories: 298kcal, Protein: 11g, Carbs: 17g, Fat: 19g

Recipe here.

Other recipes you might like

If pasta is your vibe, try these recipes too.

Creamy Sausage Pasta

Another creamy option, because – let's face it – it'd be rude not to.

Macros: Calories: 415kcal, Protein: 34g, Carbs: 48g, Fat: 5.8g

Recipe here.

Fajita Pasta Bake

Fajitas are always a good idea. And so is pasta. Need I say more?

Macros: Calories: 521kcal, Protein: 28g, Carbs: 62g, Fat: 16g

Recipe here.

BBQ Pulled Chicken Mac N Cheese

Mac ‘n’ cheese lovers, this one's for you.

Macros: Calories: 597kcal, Protein: 37g, Carbs: 51g, Fat: 21g

Recipe here.

 

Emily Wilcock
Writer and expert
View Emily Wilcock's profile
After completing an internship with Myprotein, Emily returned to university to finish her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and Marketing. With experience in lifestyle writing, Emily aims to entertain and educate through her work. Her focuses include recipes, real and inspiring stories, and working with writers to help provide easy-to-digest evidence-based research. Her work on recipes has been previously featured in The Supplement magazine, with a particular focus on high-protein, nutritious meals, plus advice on how to properly fuel your body. Outside of work, Emily’s top priority is food. She’s a self-professed star baker and a connoisseur of all things baked. In her spare time, she’s either cooking up a storm, our looking out for the opportunity to try out Manchester’s newest restaurants. But as a huge fan of carbs, if it’s not pasta or pasta-adjacent, she’s not interested. If she’s not in the kitchen, she’s tucked up with a book for an early night, or you’ll find her in the gym working up a sweat. Afterall, all those carbs require quite the appetite.
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