Cheesy Jambalaya Pasta

My husband suggested Jambalaya for dinner, I decided to take the flavors of Jambalaya and put them into a pasta casserole type dish!









16oz penne pasta


8 oz sausage(smoked, andouille, linguiça, chorizo....your choice)
1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz chicken breast, cooked and shredded
2 cups tomatoes, peeled and diced( about 1-14.5 oz can , drained)
1 TB creole or cajun seasoning (there are small variations in the 2, you pick your flavor preference)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour*
2 cups milk
8 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded

*sub 3 TB corn or potato starch for gluten free, whisked straight into cold milk

Cook pasta to al dente, drain(I use GF pasta and I prefer to rinse it, you can if you like too)

While the pasta is cooking , slice up the sausage into bite sized pieces, then in a deep pan over medium high heat cook the sausage with onion, garlic, celery and pepper. Cook until the veggies are tender and fragrant.







Add tomatoes, chicken and seasoning and turn to a low simmer.










In a saucepan heat butter over medium heat, add flour and stir into a thick paste. Slowly whisk in milk, stir and heat until thickened then add pepper jack and stir until melted.








In a lightly greased 9 x 13 casserole mix pasta, meat mixture and cheese mixture.









Mix well. I squirted on some hot sauce.











Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.