Creamy Cajun Lasagna
Cajun lasagna is not your grandma’s lasagna recipe! This kicked up pasta dish features the flavors of bold andouille sausage and chicken layered between Alfredo sauce, lasagna noodles, and cheese. The result is one creamy casserole everyone won’t be able to get enough of!
Is there anything better than a cheesy, creamy pasta dish?
I can’t think of anything.
Unless that pasta dish has some heat to it too.
A little bit of pizzazz and zing.
This Cajun lasagna gives you all that flavor thanks to andouille sausage and Cajun seasoning all nestled between layers of creamy Alfredo sauce, lasagna noodles, and cheese.
It’s a dish I can make for my boys over and over again and they’ll never complain because it’s so satisfying and bold all at once.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Sausage– Go for spicy andouille for authenticity or kielbasa for a milder take on the recipe. Slice it up thinly.
- Chicken– Boneless, skinless breasts chopped into 1″ pieces.
- Lasagna noodles– Can’t make a lasagna without lasagna noodles! Use your favorite kind.
- Veggies– You need the holy trinity in Cajun cuisine: onion, bell pepper, and celery all diced. In some produce department you can find this prediced for you which will save you some time.
- Cajun seasoning– Either store bought or make your own.
- Garlic– Go for fresh garlic instead of garlic powder. Mince it.
- Alfredo sauce– Your favorite jarred Alfredo sauce and just a touch of water.
- Cheese– Shredded mozzarella. Use a good quality cheese.
How to Make
Making Cajun lasagna is very similar to making a traditional Italian American lasagna.
Because it can seem like a lot- though it’s not!- let’s break it down into two parts:
- Cooking the meat and veggies
- Assembling and baking the lasagna
To Make the Meat and Veggies
The very first thing you need to do to make any lasagna is make sure all the separate parts are ready to go.
For this Cajun lasagna, that means browning the sausage, cooking the chicken, and sauteing the veggies.
Once we have them ready to go, we can move on to assembling the actual lasagna.
Start by browning the sliced sausage in a large skillet set over medium heat.
Once it is brown, remove the sausage from the skillet and transfer to a waiting plate.
Set the browned sausage aside.
Add the chicken to the same skillet and sprinkle some of the Cajun seasoning evenly out overtop.
Now, add the vegetables to the same hot skillet you just used to cook the sausage and the chicken.
Season the veggies with the remaining Cajun seasoning.
Sauté the veggies just until they’ve begun to soften.
Then, stir in the garlic and cook everything for another 60 seconds.
Once the garlic is fragrant, take the skillet off the heat and stir in one jar of alfredo sauce and the half cup of water until combined evenly.
Set the skillet aside.
Assembling and Baking the Lasagna
Now it’s time to assemble the lasagna.
Lightly spray a deep 9×13″ casserole dish with non stick cooking oil.
Add 3 lasagna noodles to the bottom of the pan.
Break up a fourth noodle to fill in any bare spots as needed.
Then, spread half of the meats evenly out overtop.
Add half of the saucy veggie mixture to the dish, and gently spread it out evenly to cover the noodles.
Top this layer with half of the shredded cheese.
Repeat this layer once, and then top with the remaining pasta noodles.
Then, pour the second jar of alfredo sauce evenly out overtop of the dish, spreading as necessary.
Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Remove the dish from the oven, and let it rest for 15 minutes before uncovering.
Once uncovered let it rest another 5-10 before slicing and serving.
Enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Leftovers will last for up to 4 days if tightly covered in the fridge.
I like to just cover the same baking dish I used to bake the lasagna in with a tight layer of foil so I can pop it in the oven to reheat.
Can I freeze this recipe?
Yes, you can freeze Cajun lasagna.
To do it, bake it in a disposable, freezer safe dish and let it cool completely.
Once it’s cool, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, let defrost in the fridge overnight and then bake at 350 until warmed through.
Enjoy!
Why do I need to let the lasagna rest?
You absolutely must let the lasagna rest before you serve it.
This 15 minute resting time gives the lasagna filling a chance to set so it doesn’t spill out everywhere as soon as you slice it.
The lasagna won’t get cold during this time but will cool from piping hot to warm.
Should I cook the lasagna noodles first?
There is no need to cook the lasagna noodles before building your lasagna.
In fact, I find working with cooked lasagna noodles is actually trickier than working with uncooked noodles since the cooked noodles are slippery and more delicate.
The pasta will cook in the sauce in the oven.
Tips and Tricks
- Want to use your crockpot to make this? No sweat! Just follow the steps in my crockpot lasagna recipe and cooking times.
- Taste the veggie mixture and determine if more Cajun spice is needed for your preference.
- Keep in mind the spices deepen the longer they sit or cook.
Other Cajun Style Dishes You’ll Love
This Cajun lasagna is a bold twist on the traditional dish that your family will love.
Make it for your next weekend dinner and enjoy!
Creamy Cajun Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 lb andouille sausage or kielbasa, thinly sliced
- 1 lb chicken breasts chopped into 1" pieces
- 9-12 lasagna noodles
- 3 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 green bell pepper seeded & diced
- 1 large white onion diced
- 4 stalks celery diced
- 3 tsp minced garlic
- 2 15 oz jars alfredo sauce + 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Add the sliced sausage to a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook it, stirring often, until it's begun to brown. Remove the sausage to a waiting plate. Set aside.1 lb andouille sausage
- Add the chicken to the skillet, then sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the Cajun seasoning evenly out overtop. Toss it to coat.1 lb chicken breasts, 3 tsp Cajun seasoning
- Cook the chicken, stirring often, until it's all evenly cooked. Remove the chicken from the skillet to a waiting plate. Set aside.
- Add the vegetables to the hot skillet. Sprinkle the remaining Cajun seasoning on top, and toss everything to coat. Let the vegetables sauté just until they've begun to become soft. Add the garlic, stir, and cook another 60 seconds.1 green bell pepper, 1 large white onion, 4 stalks celery, 3 tsp minced garlic
- Remove the skillet from heat, and stir in one jar of alfredo sauce & the half cup of water. Stir together until combined evenly. Set aside.2 15 oz jars alfredo sauce
- Lightly spray a deep 9x13" casserole dish with non stick cooking oil. Add 3 lasagna noodles to the bottom of the pan. Break up a fourth noodle to fill in any bare spots.9-12 lasagna noodles
- Spread half of the meats evenly out overtop.
- Add half the veggie mixture to the dish, and gently spread it out evenly to cover the noodles/dish.
- Spread half of the shredded cheese evenly out overtop. Repeat this layer once, and then top with the remaining pasta noodles.2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Pour the second jar of alfredo sauce evenly out overtop of the dish, spreading as necessary. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Remove the dish from the oven, and let it rest for 15 minutes before uncovering. Once uncovered let it rest another 5-10 before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Want to use your crockpot to make this? No sweat! Just follow the steps in my crockpot lasagna recipe and cooking times.
- Taste the veggie mixture and determine if more Cajun spice is needed for your preference.
- Keep in mind the spices deepen the longer they sit or cook.
Nutrition
recipe adapted from Spicy Southern Kitchen
OMG!! A big YES to this one. I love anything Cajun and this looks so mouthwatering. Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday party!
This looks & sounds AWESOME! Have all the ingredients, can’t wait to make it this winter – thank you for this recipe!
Awesome! I’d love to hear back from you if you have the time to leave a review after giving it a try.
This is definitely going on my must-try list! Thank you for joining Fiesta Friday Party!