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Live Well. Eat Well.

Recipe Rescue: Alfredo

Creamy alfredo sauce is almost a heart attack waiting to happen! Traditional sauces made with butter and heavy cream cram in 350 calories per 1/2 cup (and that's before the pasta)! Get your alfredo fix with my slimmed down sauce served over whole grain linguine, chicken, and broccoli. (Scroll to the bottom of the post for a printable PDF version of the recipe!)


Traditional Alfredo Sauce Ingredients:
  • Heavy whipping cream
  • Butter
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper

Changes Made:

  • Heavy whipping cream: Substituted fat free half & half
  • Butter: Reduced amount
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper
  • Added light sour cream
  • Added onion and garlic for flavor
  • Thickened with all-purpose flour

Nutrition Facts Face-Off!

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo (Printable PDF Version)

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 8 oz whole grain uncooked linguine
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ¼ cup finely chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 pint (2 cups) fat-free half-and-half
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 1/2 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups cooked)
  • ¼ cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

  1. Cook linguine as directed on package. Once cooked, drain and rinse with hot water. Keep warm in pot.
  2. While linguine is cooking, saute chicken in a large skillet prepared with nonstick spray. Cook until chicken pieces are cooked through and lightly browned. Turn off heat and set skillet aside.
  3. Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir about 1 minute. In medium bowl, quickly beat half-and-half and flour with wire whisk; add to saucepan. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Beat in sour cream with wire whisk. Reduce heat to low; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until heated. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup cheese and season with salt and pepper, adjusting to taste
  4. Return skillet containing chicken to the stove and turn heat to medium. Add sauce and scrape browned bits off the bottom of the skillet using a wooden spoon. Add cooked broccoli and linguine to skillet, tossing until combined. Cook over low heat until thoroughly heated. Garnish each serving with cheese and parsley.

Note: This recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken or vegetables.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 400, Total Fat 11g (Saturated 5g), Cholesterol 75mg, Sodium 650mg, Total Carbohydrate 45g, Dietary Fiber 6g, Protein 34g, Vitamin A 35% DV, Vitamin C 90% DV, Calcium 30% DV, Iron 15% DV

Today's post was written by Leia Kedem. Leia Kedem, MS, RD, is a registered dietitian and Nutrition & Wellness Educator covering Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, and Vermilion Counties. She appears weekly on WCIA-3/WCIX-49 and is a biweekly contributor to the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette. She also maintains Facebook and Twitter accounts where she regularly posts health tips and answers nutrition questions for free.