Chicken Broccoli Alfredo (Lightened Up)

Your taste buds will be so happy with this delightfully rich and creamy but lightened up Chicken Broccoli Alfredo. A super satisfying meal that won’t break the fat and calorie bank.

Truth be told, I haven’t allowed myself to eat pasta with alfredo or any other full on, cream based sauce, for most of my adult life. It was an easy sacrifice for me to make in my effort to stay in the same size jeans. As a result, if I even attempt it to eat it now, I can only manage a forkful or two. It’s just too rich for my taste buds. On the other hand, my boys have no problem demolishing a huge plateful.

This lightened up version makes us all happy. It doesn’t qualify entirely as a “skinny” recipe since there is still some butter and Parmesan involved but replacing heavy cream with fat free half-and-half reduces the amount of fat and calories by a substantial amount. It is far less guilt inducing and will satisfy both the cream sauce lovers and the folks watching their waistlines, alike.

I’ve heard the good and the bad about using reduced or fat free ingredients and everyone should choose what suits them best, but here is the breakdown. Two tablespoons of fat free half-and-half has 20 calories and zero grams of fat. The same amount of heavy cream has a whopping 100 calories and 10 grams of fat.

I like to stock the dry pastas available from Trader Joe’s. This 16 ounce bag of organic fusilli was only $1.29 and it’s good stuff. Fusilli is a great choice for alfredo but you can substitute any dry pasta you’d like to use.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. While the pasta is cooking, lightly steam 3 cups of chopped broccoli until fork tender. I have this handy, dandy, pasta pot with a steamer basket insert. My pasta cooks below in the larger pot while my broccoli steams up above.

This very old and beloved pot was given to me by my mother-in-law at my bridal shower and it has cooked a ridiculous amount of pasta over the years. It’s a wonderful thing when a loved one gives you a kitchen item and every time you use it, they come to mind. I frequently feel the presence of my mother-in-law and my own mom in my kitchen when I’m cooking.

Meanwhile, cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite size pieces. Cook the chicken in a little olive oil, seasoning with some seasoning salt and fresh ground pepper as it cooks. When it is thoroughly cooked, remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

Transfer the cooked and drained pasta, the steamed broccoli, and cooked chicken to a casserole dish.

Time to whip up the lightened up alfredo sauce. Whisk 1/3 cup flour into 1/3 cup melted butter in a large saucepan. Cook and whisk for a minute or two and then gradually add 2-1/2 cups fat free half-and-half. Use a wooden spoon to stir the sauce until it begins to thicken. Reduce the heat to low and add 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and fresh ground pepper, to taste. Remove the pan from heat and add 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. I’m using the shaved Parmesan I get from Costco.

Stir until the Parmesan is melted and the sauce is smooth.

Pour the alfredo sauce over the pasta mixture and stir well to combine. Bake the pasta at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, just till warmed through.

When heated through, remove it from the oven and sprinkle with some additional Parmesan before serving.

Slice a loaf of French bread and open a nice bottle of wine and dig in!