Chicken Alfredo

Chicken Alfredo is a quick and heart meal! It's definitely not diet food but it is delicious. And it's another meal in which you can eliminate the meat if you'd prefer.

The basics to an and Alfredo sauce is a white sauce or bechemel sauce. It is very easy to make and you can add any type of cheese to change the flavor. It is also the base for homemade Macaroni & Cheese.

Ingredients

1 cup Half & Half or Cream

2 cups Milk

3 TBS Butter

3 TBS Flour

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 package Penne pasta

3-4 Chicken Breasts, cooked and diced

4-5 pieces cooked bacon

Basil & Parmesan to garnish

Directions

Bechemel Sauce

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk the flour into the butter and cook on low-medium heat until it forms a light tan paste. Don't cook too long or it will darken and taste burnt. One your paste is light tan, whisk in the Half & Half or heavy cream. Allow this mixture to thicken and simmer. Once it has thickened, add the milk until you get the right consistency. If the sauce is too thin, let it simmer longer to thicken or add a small sprinkle of flour. If it is too thick, add more milk a little at a time. Once you complete sauce has thickened, add salt and parmesan cheese. Add more salt or cheese to taste. That's your alfredo sauce!

Boil your penne until al dente (slightly firm, still has a "bite" to it).

Add you crumbled bacon and diced chicken to the pasta. Add the Alfredo sauce and mix. Top with more bacon and basil and parmesan.

Enjoy!