I remember when I first came to L.A., the city was just so alluring with its creative cuisine. I just had to try all the new dishes I could get my hands on. What struck me the most is the creamy sauces of the different pasta places in town. And you know me, I just had to recreate it at home!
This post is made possible by our friends from Kroger. As always, all opinions and ideas expressed in this post are entirely my own.
Chicken Alfredo
Contrary to your first impression, this creamy sauce recipe is all American even though it uses Italian seasoning. The authentic recipe only carried two ingredients for the sauce; Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese and Butter. It was often paired with different varieties of pasta with other ingredients to make it more personal. Today’s Chicken Alfredo recipe is perfectly crafted to pair with the natural flavors of chicken meat. Kroger’s private collection Italian seasoning makes it a lot easier to tweak this recipe and make it your own.
Recipe Ingredients
What goes in Alfredo Pasta? I like keeping them as authentic as possible but I’d also like to make it my own. You can make this easy recipe truly your own by tweaking and exploring flavor combinations for this dish. Don’t be afraid to mix and match.
Chicken Breast – This is one of the leanest part of the chicken. It’s full of protein! All-Purpose Flour – An all-around ingredient you can use for different cuisines. Kroger conveniently carries a collection of flours you can use. Italian Seasoning – A simple mix of dried herbs you can make at home with this recipe or from Kroger’s private collection is a favorite of mine. Garlic Powder – A pungent ingredient that adds an earthy and aromatic tone to the whole dish. Butter – This super versatile ingredient that gives my dish a moist and flavorful sensation. Kroger has Simple Truth Butter that does the trick for me. Minced Garlic – Whether you use it fresh, dried, or powdered, this gives your whole dish a mouthwatering aroma. Check out my quick guide for this ingredient here. Thyme – using fresh herbs for this recipe is great but dried ones also work fine. I’m actually using dried thyme for this recipe because it has a longer shelf life. Heavy Cream – This liquid ingredient has a high fat content which also means … more flavor! Cream Cheese – A block of this creamy ingredient gives us a milky and a bit of salty cheesiness Chicken Stock – This ingredient has a lot of rich flavors in it. I can’t reiterate how important this is for the dish. Kroger’s Simple Truth Organic Chicken Broth also comes in a low-sodium option, for those watching their salt intake. Parmesan Cheese – Skip the bottled ones. Get freshly grated parmesan by grating them at home. I suggest buying the vacuum sealed cheese for better quality. Penne Pasta – A hollow type of pasta best used for creamy sauces as it catches a fuller serving and flavor. Spinach – A healthy leafy green that gives a slightly bitter undertone to a dish to make it more versatile Parsley – This aromatic green garnish is perfect for the creamy and buttery dishes Salt and Pepper – to taste.
Tips and Tricks
Don’t be scared when whisking – when your cream mixture clumps up, just keep adding the milk while whisking until you reach the consistency you desire. Just add the cheese – Don’t wait for the milk to thicken up or reduce. The cheese will thicken it for you. Sauce too thin? – if this problem arises after adding in the cheese. Just let it simmer to evaporate the water content. This will thicken the mixture up Use real cheese – I personally prefer real cheese than the pre-grated parmesan. It gives a richer and tastier flavor.
Making ahead and storage instructions.
My hubby and my son, Desmond, would often request this dish even if they just had it the night before. Luckily, Kroger’s ingredients are fresh so I can have a longer shelf life without compromising the quality. Here are some simple steps to make this dish in advance.
Chicken Alfredo Sauce
Make the sauce. Prepare the sauce as you would normally do Let it cool. Once it reaches room temperature, you can add it in a container and cover it. I usually just use cling wrap to cover my container’s opening. Refrigerate. keep it in a draft-free and cool part of the fridge away from moisture. You can use this for up to 2 days. Freeze. If you plan to use it a while further, you can opt to freeze the sauce to give it about 4 months of shelf life.
Chicken
Season the chicken. Rub the chicken meat with the Italian seasoning, whether homemade or from Kroger’s collection, but hold back on the flour. Wrap the chicken. A cling wrap will do but I highly suggest wrapping it again with a layer of foil. This is to avoid freezer burns as you store it. A frozen chicken breast can last up to a whole year.
Reheating
Start with the chicken. I would thaw down the chicken until it soft enough to handle. This is when I use the flour to coat the meat. Cook the chicken. I’ll fry it until golden brown Reheat the sauce. I directly reheat the sauce while vigorously whisking the mixture until it’s smooth and silky. Combine the ingredients. This is the time when I add in the cooked pasta, and the chicken
More Delicious Chicken Recipe
Creamy Garlic Tuscan Shrimp Creamy chicken Pasta Salad White Pizza Sauce Tuscan Chicken Blognese Sauce
Making Chicken Alfredo
Prep to Cook the Chicken
Season the Chicken: Salt chicken, then season with Italian seasoning. You may salt and pepper only if desired. (Photo 1) Make the Flour Coating: On a plate, mix flour, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder (Photo 2). Coat the chicken breast in this flour mixture. Remove the excess flour. (Photo 3) Cook the Chicken: Heat oil in a large sauce-pan or large skillet over medium heat until hot, and then add the chicken. Brown about 4-5 minutes on each side to ensure even brownness. Gently remove the chicken and set it aside. (Photo 4)
Make the Sauce
Melt the Butter: Add butter to the same skillet over medium heat until melted (Photo 5), then add garlic thyme. and sauté for about 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic is soft and fragrant (Photo 6) Make the Cream: Turn the heat down to medium-low. Whisk in the heavy cream (Photo 7) then add cream cheese while whisking, until blended. Cook for about 2-3 minutes (Photo 8) Mix in the Cheese: Then add the chicken broth and mix. Throw in the parmesan cheese and stir until melted. (Photo 9) Reduce heat to low. Whisking often to make sure everything melts together and to avoid burns. Let it cook for about 4-6 minutes, or until the sauce thickens (Photo 10) Season the Sauce: Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the Pasta: Add drained pasta, followed by spinach to the skillet, mix to fully combine all ingredients. Adjust seasonings. (see photo 11) Place the Chicken Back: Turn off the heat, return the cooked chicken breasts into the pan and let it soak up some of the sauce. (see photo 12.) Enjoy! Serve warm on a plate or bowl with sliced chicken on top.
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”y8feA7Y7″ upload-date=”2020-12-03T13:14:08.000Z” name=”Chicken Alfredo” description=”Chicken Alfredo – perfectly rich and creamy chicken pasta dish cooked in one pan using just a handful of ingredients with a dreamy and hearty Alfredo sauce that’s ready to take you head over heels. Easy and fancy meal that’s perfect for dinner date night or for busy weeknights.” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”] This was first posted on Aug 5, 2018.
