Creamy Jambalaya Pasta

Pasta is always a comfort food meal for me. It’s a great family friendly meal that you know kids will love, like classic homemade alfredo sauce, ground beef stroganoff, and chicken fajita pasta. 

Thank you to AE Dairy for sponsoring this post. And thank you, dear reader, for supporting the brands that support me and allow me to continue to grow this site. All opinions, recipe and photographs are my own.

This pasta is a fun meal to make on slower evenings when you have the time to enjoy preparing this dish. It is simple but flavorful, and made even better with a cheesy sauce made with AE Dairy 2% milk to give it a creamy and rich sauce. 

How to make creamy jambalaya pasta

This recipe is very simple to make! Here is a brief overview of the recipe to give you an idea of how it works. For the full set of directions and measurements, please make sure you scroll down to the recipe card below!

1. In a big dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the onion and pepper until soft..
2. Remove the veggies to a bowl and set aside.
3. Add the diced chicken and sliced sausage to the pan and saute until browned.
4. Stir in the minced garlic and cajun seasoning (affiliate link), and then add in the diced tomatoes, pasta, milk and chicken broth. Stir to combine well, making sure the pasta is covered.
5. Bring the mixture to a simmer and gently simmer for 15 minutes, until the pasta is almost  al dente and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Do not boil or the milk will curdle. Do not overcook the pasta, leave it almost done but not quite.
6. Turn off the heat and stir in the shredded cheese. Mix to combine. Place the lid on the pot and let sit for 10 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt and the liquid to continue to absorb and the pasta will finish cooking. Mix again really well to distribute the melted cheese.

*A note about spice: 

I tried to keep the spice level really low in this recipe. Here are some ways you can adjust the recipe according to your family’s tastes:

• Swap out the sausage – I choose to use smoked kielbasa for this recipe, but if you want more spice use a more traditional andouille sausage. For less spice, go with a turkey kielbasa.
• Adjust seasoning – I recommend using a brand of cajun spice mix that you know and use already so your family is already aware of its spice level. I measured out 4 teaspoons of seasoning, but you can take it down to 3 teaspoons or up to 3 Tablespoons of seasoning depending on how much spice your family likes.

Timing of this recipe

This pasta recipe is really easy to make, but it does require some time, so make sure to allow yourself enough room in your schedule to make this dish. You will need:

• 5-10 minutes to gather ingredients and chop everything
• 5-10 minutes to saute the onion and pepper until it is soft
• 5-10 minutes to saute the chicken and sausage until browned
• 20 minutes to allow everything to cook together
• 10 minutes to let the cheese melt and stir the sauce together.

From start to finish, this recipe will take you 1 hour to make.

Prepping ahead of time

If you need this recipe to go faster, you can do the following steps ahead of time:

• Chop the onion and pepper and store them in the fridge until ready. 
• Use pre-minced garlic

You don’t really want to saute things ahead of time because part of the flavor of this dish is created by the little bits of caramelization that stick to the pan while cooking the veggies and meat, and their contribution to the sauce when you add in the broth and the milk. 

This pasta dish is also great to reheat later! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warm.

How to serve this to your family

This pasta is a great meal to serve to your family. To make it a complete meal, serve this with a simple side salad or some fresh fruit that offers some texture or color contrast on your plate.

How to make this kid friendly 

Pasta is always a fun kid friendly meal! In addition to the above ways to alter the spice level of this meal, you can try adding in some fun dinner conversations and inviting your kids ot help you in the kitchen. 

Dinner conversations with kids

How we discuss food has an effect on how we feel about a food, which plays a huge role in how much we are interested in trying it. Try these conversation starters at the table:

• What colors do you see in this plate?
• What textures can you identify?
• What could we add to this meal to add different textures or colors?

Read more about how to explore the sense of taste with your kids.

Kids in the kitchen: How your kids can help you cook

Inviting our kids to cook with us is a great way to teach them independent kitchen skills, but it also helps them to be more curious and confident about trying new foods.

This pasta recipe is great because there are so many steps kids can help with.

• Kids aged 1-3 can help you measure ingredients and add things to the pot. They can also help to pick parsley leaves off the stems and to garnish plates.
• Kids aged 4-6 can do everything above plus open the can of tomatoes, grate the cheese and stir while things cook.
• Kids aged 7-10+ can help you do everything above, plus help you dice things with supervision.

*Please note that these recommendations are generalized, and to please use your personal discretion with your child’s skill level. And always, always supervise! Read more about how to have your children help you in the kitchen.

Other cajun recipes:

• Chicken and Sausage Gumbo 
• Maque Choux Corn
• Cajun Chicken Salad
• Panko Crusted Chicken Fingers with Creole Dipping Sauce