This lightened up version of creamy cajun pasta is full of Louisiana flavor, but packed with veggies, protein, and light on fat!
INGREDIENTS
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 pound smoked pork sausage, halved and cut into 1/4” slices 1 small red onion, halved and sliced 3–4 cloves garlic, minced 2 colored bell peppers (I used red and yellow), halved and sliced 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes 1 1/2 cups water (high elevations increase to 1 3/4) 8 ounces pasta (I used trottole) 2 cups 1% milk 3 ounces low-fat cream cheese 1 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning (like Tony Chachere’s) 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 cup (4 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook 2-3 minutes or until it starts to release oil and is browning. Add the onions and cook until fragrant. Add the garlic and sliced bell peppers and cook until the peppers are tender-crisp. Remove from heat and transfer the sausage and peppers to a large plate. Set aside.
Return the pan to heat and add the tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then quickly add the pasta, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover. Cook until the pasta is al dente and the liquid is absorbed.
While the pasta is cooking, place the milk, cream cheese, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and flour in the jar of a blender and blend until smooth. Heat the butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. When melted, add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes or until tender and fragrant. Add the mixture from the blender and cook until smooth and thickened to where if the back of a spoon is dipped into the sauce, you can trace your finger down the back of the spoon and that spot will stay clean.
Remove the sauce from heat and add the Parmesan cheese. Stir until melted and smooth.
Add the peppers and sausage to the pasta/tomato mixture and stir to combine. Add the garlic sauce and combine. Season to taste with Cajun seasoning and serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.
Chicken pot pie soup recipe is your favorite pot pie filling turned into warm, savory, cozy, aromatic soup topped with pie crust crackers or biscuits! It's destined to become a family favorite that’s easier than traditional pot pie without a soggy crust. This chicken pot pie soup is loaded with juicy chicken, potatoes, carrots, celery and peas swaddled in a creamy, herb-infused broth -without any “cream of” soups. This recipe is also extremely versatile and pantry friendly – swap in your favorite veggies, swap the chicken for ground beef or sausage, etc. This chicken pot pie soup also reheats beautifully for make ahead dinner or lunches!
CourseSoup
CuisineAmerican
Prep Time20minutesminutes
Cook Time20minutesminutes
Servings6-8 servings
Ingredients
4tablespoonsolive oil, divided
3tablespoonsunsalted butter
1poundboneless skinless chicken thighs OR rotisserie chickensee notes
salt and pepper
1large onion, diced
1cupchopped celery
1cupchopped carrots
4-6clovesgarlic, minced
pinch-1/4teaspoon red pepper flakes - optional for a kick
1/3cupall-purpose flour
2 1/2cupsYukon gold potatoes peeled and chopped into 1/2” cubes
8cupslow sodium chicken broth
2 1/2teaspoonschicken bouillon or better than bouillons
Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven/soup pot. Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper then sear until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate but leave drippings.
Add chicken back to the pot along with potatoes, bouillon, all seasonings, bay leaf and chicken broth. Cover the soup to bring to a simmer, then displace the lid so it’s partially covering the pot, with about a one-inch opening. Simmer the soup for 12-15 minutes or until chicken is tender enough to shred, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn and replacing the lid.
Once chicken is tender, remove to a cutting board, shred and add back to the pot. Whisk cornstarch with half and half until smooth then stir back into the pot. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer until thickened.
Add peas and warm through. Stir in additional broth or half and half if desired for a less “chunky” soup. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired (I like about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper).
Notes
Pie crust Crackers
Pie crust crackers are exactly what the sound like, crackers made from pie crust! They definitely are the way to go for the complete pot pie experience, but the other options are tasty too – because sometimes all you want to do is pop a can of biscuits and bake! To make these easy crackers: you can you use this fabulous homemade pie crust recipeor just pick up some store bought pie crust. First, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll the crust out onto parchment paper or non slip silicone mat. Lightly brush the pie crust with some melted butter and lightly sprinkle with some salt. Cut into thick strips. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes or until the strips are golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature, then break into pieces. Now you have pie crust crackers!
Tips and Tricks
Chicken options: I highly recommend chicken thighs (boneless or bone-in) or breasts because they are inherently juicier, richer and harder to overcook, but you may swap them for breasts if you wish. Rotisserie chicken is also fabulous. Add about 3 cups shredded chicken to the soup at the end with the peas to warm through. If using rotisserie chicken, you’ll skip the salt and pepper used in the beginning of the recipe to season the chicken and season to taste at the end of cooking.
Veggie options: You can add whatever veggies you have on hand or mix it up just for fun! Green beans, corn, zucchini, cabbage, spinach, etc. would all be delicious. Just be aware most vegetables only need 10 minutes to cook.
Frozen vegetables: Use your favorite vegetables or a mixed bag of veggies. Add the frozen vegetables (don’t thaw first) the last 10 minutes of cooking, so after the chicken has been cooking 5 minutes or so.
Gluten free: To make gluten free chicken pot pie soup then use gluten-free flour – the rest of the ingredients are gluten free.
Consistency: You can make this chicken pot pie soup more or less “chunky” or more or less creamy. For a less chunky soup, simply add additional broth or half and half at the end of cooking. For a thicker soup, add extra cornstarch.
Prep ahead
Chicken: Trim chicken of any excess fat and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Prep mirepoix: The carrots, onions and celery can all be chopped a couple days ahead of time, the night before dinner or just a few hours before cooking then stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Potatoes: can be peeled and chopped 24 ahead of time but they will need to be submerged in a bowl of cold water in the refrigerator to prevent them from turning brown (works like a charm).
Measure Spices: It doesn’t take long to measure out the spices, but you can certainly do it beforehand and store the mix in an airtight bag or container.
Make Ahead
The flavors of this creamy chicken pot pie soup gets better the next day so it makes amazing leftovers! Reheat per below instructions.
How to Store and Reheat
Reheat: Let soup cool to room temperature, then cover and store in your Dutch oven or transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days
Stove: Reheat large batches on the stove over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Microwave: Transfer individual servings to a microwave-safe dish, cover with a microwave-safe lids or paper towel. Microwave for 2 minutes, stir, then continue to microwave for 30-second intervals, if needed.
Crockpot: Transfer soup to a crockpot and heat on low for 1-3 hours. The time will depend on how much soup you have remaining.
How to freeze
As a general rule of thumb, creamy soups do not freeze well as the texture can become unpleasantly grainy as the dairy and fat separate. You can still freeze the soup with these expectations, or omit the half and half when freezing, then add the half and half to the soup after thawing – then you will have no problem. Alternatively, you can swap the half and half for evaporated milk (see tips below).
Cook: Cook the soup according to recipe directions.
Cool: Allow soup to cool completely before freezing to preserve the integrity of the ingredients and prevent it from entering the “danger zone.”
Package: Transfer soup to an airtight freezer safe container or freezer bag. You can even use sandwich size plastic bags for individual portions. Squeeze out any excess air to prevent freezer burn and label
Freeze. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost/Reheat. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat in the microwave, crockpot or stove according to aforementioned instructions.
Tips for Freezing This Soup
Leave out the half and half if you plan to freeze, then it will freeze and thaw without becoming grainy. Once thawed, add the half and half mixed with cornstarch to the thawed soup and simmer until thickened.
Regular (not low-fat) evaporated milk, or heavy cream freeze much better than half and half. The higher the fat content, the better it freezes. If you think you might freeze this chicken pot pie soup, then plan on using either of these alternatives.
If freezing with half and half, reheat the thawed soup very gently over low heat to help incorporate the cream back into the soup.
If freezing with half and half, add some fresh cream or softened cream cheese to improve the grainy texture.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan and set aside.
In a 12-inch deep skillet (if you don't have a deep skillet, use a 4- or 5-quart pot or saucepan), melt the butter over medium heat and add the carrots, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the veggies soften a bit, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in the broth until smooth, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until thickened.
Add cream cheese, salt, thyme and pepper. Continue cooking, whisking until mostly smooth (it's ok for there to be a few small lumps of cream cheese - you won't even notice them at the end).
Off the heat, add the cheddar cheese and stir until combined. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed (this is important for flavor)! Set aside.
Combine broccoli florets and 1/2 cup water in microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes until broccoli is tender. (Alternately, you can steam the broccoli on the stovetop.) Drain excess water.
To the cheese sauce, add the steamed broccoli, chicken and rice. Mix until evenly combined. Spread evenly in the prepared baking dish.
In a small bowl, stir together the cracker crumbs and melted butter. Spread this mixture evenly over the top of the casserole.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until hot and bubbling and the cracker topping is lightly golden (if it browns too quickly on top, lightly cover with foil and continue baking until the casserole is hot throughout). Serve immediately.
