Almost Low Fat Chicken Alfredo Bake with Bite

Well, I had good intentions and if you took out the bacon, it would be less than 10 grams of fat per serving. I started just to make a simple low fat chicken Alfredo baked pasta dish. I got a little side tracked with adding a touch of Penne Rustica from Macaroni Grill. It's a favorite of my wife and daughter so I added some touches from that dish. The final dish is a baked chicken Alfredo with some bite... very nice.

The copycat recipes call for heavy cream. My arteries protested and I use fat free milk with good results. I started with a low fat Alfredo recipe from Cooks.com. Bluntly, it didn't work. I don't believe you can coat a quarter cup of flour with only 1 tablespoon of butter. So I trashed the first sauce and using the same ingredients, I dissolved the flour in a cup of milk using a Tupperware grave shaker. It worked great. I was lazy and just cut up precooked chicken breast strips.

Rating

Notes: I know this is cooking for two but this is for leftovers. This recipe is 6-8 good size servings. My wife though "it needed a little something". I though it was excellent. The something she was missing is probably rosemary. The original copycat recipe had fresh rosemary. The local store didn't have any and I was going to add a little dry but didn't. So rosemary is in the recipe as optional.

Printable recipe

Tools: Tupperware gravy shaker

Ingredients:

1 lb pasta
3/4 lb cooked chicken cut in 1/2 inch cubes
6 oz bacon (optional)
2 green onions sliced (optional)
3 cloves garlic minced (optional)
1 t fresh rosemary (optional)
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 T butter
1/4 c flour
3 cups slim milk
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1) Cut bacon into 1/2 inch pieces and brown over medium high heat until crispy.
2) While #1 mince garlic and slice green onion.

3) When the bacon is done, add the garlic and cook one more minute. Then remove bacon and garlic onto paper towel to drain. Discard bacon fat.
4) Cook you pasta according to instructions on package.
5) Preheat oven to 375 convection.

6) While #4 and 5, melt 1 T butter over medium heat. Using the gravy mixer or a whisk and mixing bowl, dissolve 1/4 cup flour in 1 cup skim milk. Add this to the butter whisking continuously. Add 2 more cups of milk along with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, rosemary (optional) and paprika. Bring to simmer and then decrease heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes whisking frequently until thickening.

7) Add 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and simmer 1 more minute. Remove from heat and mix in bacon, garlic and onion.

8) Cut chicken into about 1/2 inch cubes.

9) Combine all ingredients and top with 1/4 cup Parmesan.

10) Bake for 30 minutes in 375 convection oven.

Almost Low Fat Chicken Alfredo Bake with Bite

by DrDan at 101 Cooking For Two November 12, 2010

Well, I had good intentions and if you took out the bacon, it would be less than 10 grams of fat per serving. I started just to make a simple low fat chicken Alfredo baked pasta dish. I got a little side tracked with adding a touch of Penne Rustica from Macaroni Grill. It's a favorite of my wife and daughter so I added some touches from that dish. The final dish is a baked chicken Alfredo with some bite... very nice. The copycat recipes call for heavy cream. My arteries protested and I use fat free milk with good results. I started with a low fat Alfredo recipe from Cooks.com. Bluntly, it didn't work. I don't believe you can coat a quarter cup of flour with only 1 tablespoon of butter. So I trashed the first sauce and using the same ingredients, I dissolved the flour in a cup of milk using a Tupperware grave shaker. It worked great. I was lazy and just cut up precooked chicken breast strips.

Ingredients

1 lb pasta6 oz bacon (optional)3/4 lb cooked chicken cut in 1/2 inch cubes2 green onions sliced (optional)3 cloves garlic minced (optional)1 t fresh rosemary (optional) 1/2 t paprika 1/4 t cayenne pepper1/2 t salt1/4 t pepper1 T butter1/4 c flour3 cups slim milk1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1) Cut bacon into 1/2 inch pieces and brown over medium high heat until crispy.2) While #1 mince garlic and slice green onion.3) When the bacon is done, add the garlic and cook one more minute. Then remove bacon and garlic onto paper towel to drain. Discard bacon fat.4) Cook you pasta according to instructions on package. 5) Preheat oven to 375 convection.6) While #4 and 5, melt 1 T butter over medium heat. Using the gravy mixer or a whisk and mixing bowl, dissolve 1/4 cup flour in 1 cup skim milk. Add this to the butter whisking continously. Add 2 more cups of milk along with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, rosemary (optional) and paprika. Bring to simmer and then decrease heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes whisking frequently until thickening.7) Add 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and simmer 1 more minute. Remove from heat and mix in bacon, garlic and onion.8) Cut chicken into about 1/2 inch cubes.9) Combine all ingredients and top with 1/4 cup Parmesan.10) Bake for 30 minutes in 375 convection oven.

Details

Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 6 servings

Updated

April 23, 2011