Chicken Lazone — The Creamy Pasta I Made Three Times This Week and Ate Standing Up Over the Sink

Nashville in May is when the heat remembers it lives here. Not summer hot yet — not the July kind that sits on your chest like a dog — but warm enough that the Waffle House air conditioning kicks on and Mr. Gerald switches from a pecan waffle to a chocolate chip one, which is apparently his warm-weather order. The man has a system. I respect it.

Chloe's pre-K had a little spring show on Thursday. I had to switch shifts with Keandra to make it, which cost me the Friday morning slot (the best tip slot), but there was no version of the universe where I was missing my daughter sing "You Are My Sunshine" in a paper flower crown. She stood on stage with eleven other four-year-olds, most of whom were picking their noses or waving at their parents instead of singing, and Chloe sang every word. Every. Single. Word. Loud, proud, slightly off-key, and looking right at me. I cried. Obviously. The dad next to me offered me a tissue. I said, "I'm fine, it's allergies." It was not allergies.

Jayden has entered the "putting everything in his mouth" stage with a commitment that borders on professional. This week's inventory: a Lego from Chloe's set (crisis averted), a dust bunny from under the couch (less critical), the corner of a library book (embarrassing when we returned it), and an entire handful of dirt from the yard. He looked at me while eating the dirt. Direct eye contact. No shame. He gets that from Marcus.

I finished the Nashville State application. All of it — the personal essay, the financial aid forms, the transcript request from Antioch High. I sat at the kitchen table after the kids were in bed and I read the personal essay one more time. It says: "I am a single mother of two who wants to build a career that lets me provide for my children with dignity." I don't know if that's good enough for an admissions committee, but it's the truest thing I've ever written.

I haven't mailed it yet. It's in an envelope on the kitchen counter. I look at it every morning. Chloe asked what it was. I said, "Mama's homework." She said, "You have homework too?!" Like the whole world suddenly made sense — of COURSE Mama has homework, everyone has homework, this is what life IS. She's not wrong.

Mama's birthday was yesterday. She turned fifty-one. I couldn't afford a gift, so I made her Earline's cornbread and a card that Chloe decorated with approximately eight pounds of glitter. Mama held the card and said, "This is too much glitter, Chloe." Then she put it on her fridge. It's still there. Lorraine Mitchell complains about everything she loves. If she's not complaining, she doesn't care.

I made chicken spaghetti for dinner three times this week because I found chicken thighs on sale at Kroger for $1.29 a pound and bought four pounds like I'd discovered gold. Chicken spaghetti is not a fancy recipe — it's shredded chicken, spaghetti noodles, a can of Rotel, cream of chicken soup, and cheese. It takes thirty minutes and feeds us for days. Chloe calls it "the orange noodles." Jayden eats it with his hands. I eat it standing up because the chairs are covered in laundry again. We are a work in progress, this family. But we are working.

Chicken spaghetti got us through the week, but when Mama’s birthday came around I wanted something that felt a little more like a celebration — same ingredients we already love, just dressed up with a little Cajun heat and a creamier sauce. Chicken Lazone is everything the orange noodles are, but fancier in the way that doesn’t cost any more money, just a little more intention. Here’s how I made it.

Chicken Lazone (Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta)

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 4–5 thighs)
• 12 oz spaghetti
• 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles (such as Rotel), undrained
• 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Velveeta-style processed cheese
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, adjust to taste)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil or butter

Instructions

1. Season the chicken. Pat chicken thighs dry and coat them with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and black pepper on both sides.
2. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining, then drain and set aside.
3. Sear the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs and cook 5–6 minutes per side until cooked through and golden. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes, then shred with two forks.
4. Build the sauce. In the same skillet over medium heat, add cream of chicken soup, diced tomatoes with chiles, chicken broth, and sour cream. Stir together and bring to a gentle simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
5. Add the cheese. Reduce heat to low and stir in shredded cheese until fully melted and sauce is smooth. If sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a splash at a time.
6. Combine. Add shredded chicken and drained spaghetti to the skillet. Toss until everything is evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
7. Serve. Dish it out straight from the pan. It reheats beautifully with a splash of water or broth. Keeps in the fridge for 4 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 54g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 870mg