Creamy Cajun Chicken (Dairy-free)

This recipe comes to us by way of guest contributor Tiffany Flaten of Rock Bottom Wellness. Here's what she has to say about this deceptively dairy-free dish:

Sometimes we all need a little down-home comfort food. I decided to go back to some old, favorite recipes and tweak them to fit my thyroid-friendly diet so I could spice up the menu at home. I came across this Creamy Cajun Chicken, an oldie but a goodie that was given to me by a friend.

I used to only make this dish on occasion because it was “fattening” and induced major feelings of guilt whenever I succumbed to its rich and creamy temptation. After thyroid cancer changed my life, my career, and my nutritional thinking, I learned to embrace these so-called fattening foods guilt-free.

In addition to already being gluten-free, I made this recipe work for me by making it dairy-free as well. What I love about this Creamy Cajun Chicken is that you can easily modify it to your liking, or to what you have on hand.

The protein from the chicken and the fat from the cream-style dairy-free cheese help balance out that blood sugar, plus you’re getting healthy carbohydrates from the vegetables in this dish. Feel free to add as many of those as you want! And, to top it off, the seasonings and spices taste amazing! Serve this over zoodles, spaghetti squash, or your favorite gluten-free pasta.

Enjoy!

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Thyroid-healthy Recipe Highlights:

• Chicken is a very good source of selenium, which helps to regulate the production of thyroid hormone, convert T4 to T3, and protect the thyroid from stress.
• A 3-ounce serving of chicken provides 84% RDI of the essential amino acid Tyrosine, which the thyroid gland combines with iodine to produce thyroid hormone.
• In addition to being non-goitrogenic and low in calories, a 1-ounce serving of cooked sweet peppers contains 76% DV for vitamin C. A study shared in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism stated, “In patients with hypothyroidism and gastrointestinal pathology, vitamin C improves the abnormalities in serum free T4, T3, and TSH concentrations.” NOTE: peppers are in the nightshade family for those of you avoiding them.
• Consumption of unrefined coconut oil has been touted for its benefits to thyroid sufferers, including weight loss, increased metabolism, increased energy, and reduced inflammation. It also provides the brain and body with needed healthy fats in the form of MCFAs (medium-chain fatty acids).

Happy cooking, happy thriving, and enjoy the recipe (below)!

P.S. Need more thyroid-friendly recipe inspiration? I’ve got you covered. My Thyroid-friendly Everyday eCookbook features over 50 quick and easy, thyroid-friendly recipes your whole family will love. To take a peek at what’s inside, CLICK HERE.

 

More Thyroid-friendly Comfort Food Favorites

• Chive Potato Salad
• Chicken and Lamb Pesto Meatloaf
• Italian Sausage Minestrone
• Deluxe Burger Salad with Special Sauce
• Crispy Grill Fries
• Pumpkin Sage Macaroni and Cheese
• The Ultimate Gluten-free/Dairy-free Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
• Split Pea Soup with Smoked Ham
• Tuna Macaroni Salad
• French Beef
• Butterless Butter Chicken