Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

If it wasn't completely obvious before this, we are a family of pasta lovers.  This is our favorite Alfredo sauce.  It's delicious, easy and I usually have all the ingredients on hand.  I don't normally keep heavy cream on hand and this recipe doesn't require it.

 I had fresh grated Parmesan this time, but I don't always have that.  (It was a lucky day)

While this recipe calls for grilled chicken, you could also prepare it like in this Chicken Marsala recipe (which is actually my favorite, but not as calorie friendly as grilled.  And we all know Alfredo sauce is calorie friendly.)

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

ingredients:

4-6 pieces of grilled boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins (you might need 3-4 pieces if you are using breasts)

8 oz frozen broccoli

8 oz uncooked pasta of your choice

1 tsp salt

1 T olive oil

1 cup milk (I used skim)

1/4 cup butter

8 oz reduced fat cream cheese, cut into chunks

1/4 tsp pepper

dash nutmeg, optional (if you don't like nutmeg, don't add it.  If you aren't sure, start will a very small amount.)

1 cup fresh grated Parmesan (plus more for serving) or 3/4 cup bottled grated Parmesan

Directions:

Fill a large pot with 3-4 quarts of water and add 1 tsp salt, cover and bring to boil over high heat.  

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over med heat, add milk butter, pepper and nutmeg if desired.  Cook just until butter is melted, turn heat to med-low and add cream cheese.  Cover and stir every couple minutes until cream cheese is melted and incorporated.  Turn heat to warm or off leaving pan on the burner, add Parmesan cheese and stir, cover and let sit for 2-3 minutes and whisk, if mixture is stringy and cheesy it's not ready yet, cover and let sit again.  Repeat until mixture is no longer stingy and is the consistency of sauce when whisked.  Keep warm until serving, the trick is to never let it get too warm, and definitely not boil or simmer.  

Cook pasta in water and add broccoli during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking.  Drain and toss with 1 T olive oil.

Slice chicken into chunks and serve over pasta, broccoli and sauce.  Sprinkle Parmesan over top.  

Serves 4-6.  Great with breadsticks, trust me. 

Source:  Amanda Original