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Not your average chicken stroganoff! It’s the Cajun seasonings that make this chicken so tasty.
Chicken Stroganoff Cajun Style
First I have to say I love chicken. I also love anything creamy like a stroganoff–and I’m a mushroom nut too.
However, chicken stroganoff can be a tad boring with it’s flavors. Nothing wrong with that, but sometimes it’s good to mix things up a bit. That’s what happens with this recipe. It’s got bold flavors from the spices and a hint of smokiness from the kielbasa. What’s not to like?
The perfect accompaniment is a luscious tomato salad!
Hot Or Mild–Your Choice
Cayenne pepper is one ingredient in the Cajun seasoning mixture. This can be powerfully hot if you want it to be. I take the option of making it just a bit “zippy” because not everyone will appreciate the heat. Also, I don’t want one ingredient to be too overpowering. My way of thinking is that herbs and spices should combine in such a way that the whole is more than the sum of it’s parts–that the flavor becomes something new and different where you cannot say one flavor dominates.
This is the reason I give a broad range for the cayenne pepper. My mother was famous for saying, “You can always add but you can’t take it out.” That’s the reasoning here. You can always add more if you want more heat. If everyone you are serving is on the same page about liking hot stuff, then use the greater amount.
Searing Is The Secret To Great Mushrooms
Yep, it’s as simple as that!
This was something I wasn’t born knowing either. In fact, I learned this a number of years ago from an unusual source. I was watching an HSN presentation of cookware where Jamie Gwen was demonstrating it. Not that Jamie Gwen was an unusual source; she’s a rather famous chef, but rather HSN. Anyway, she was cooking mushrooms and said the real secret was to get the skillet blazing hot where the oil begins to smoke and sear those suckers to within an inch of their lives. So I tried it. It worked, so I do that now as a matter of course.
One thing you have to remember is you must babysit the mushrooms and keep them moving in the pan. If not, they will burn (and rather quickly) but the process is fast; less than 5 minutes.
Watch The Video
The Recipe
Cajun Chicken Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb wide egg noodles uncooked
- 4 tbs olive oil divided
- 1/2 lb kielbasa cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1/2 lb fresh button mushrooms
- 1 1/2 lb chicken tenders OR chicken breasts cut in strips
- 1/2 tsp EACH paprika pepper, salt, basil, oregano and thyme
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper more if desired, up to 1/2 tsp
- 2 tbs flour
- 1 tbs tomato paste
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Cook noodles per package directions; drain and set aside.
- Heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs of oil and sear the mushrooms and kielbasa until nicely brown, stirring constantly so they don’t burn. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Mix the cayenne pepper, paprika, pepper, salt, basil, oregano and thyme. Toss the chicken in this seasoning blend, coating evenly. Then sprinkle with the flour and toss to coat.
- Add the remaining 2 tbs of oil to the same pan and heat over medium-high heat. Saute the chicken until almost cooked—about 5 minutes. Push the chicken to one side of the pan and add the tomato paste and the garlic; saute for 1 minute.
- Deglaze the pan with the sherry and simmer until it’s almost evaporated then add the stock, the Worcestershire sauce and the mushroom/kielbasa mixture. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half—about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream. Serve over noodles.
