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!

Potato Soup

This potato soup is lovely on a crisp fall day. It's hearty enough to fill you up with out adding meat but of course, my husband requested his with sausage. It was still delicious!

Ingredients

2-3lbs Red Potatoes with skins on if you like

3 medium carrots

3 stalks celery

1 large onion

3-4 cups of milk

4-5 cups of water

2 TBS Butter

1 cup shredded Cheddar

Chopped Scallions

Salt & Pepper

1 lb Sausage (if desired)

Directions

There are two ways to make this soup: a quick way and a little bit longer way. Both are delicious.

Quick Method

Place diced potatoes, carrots, onions, celery in a dutch oven or large pot. Fill with water just to the top of the veggies not above the veggies. Let the veggies simmer in the water until most of the water is evaporated. Then use a masher to mash some of the veggies but still leave some whole for texture.

Add the milk, salt, and pepper.

Garnish with shredded cheddar and scallions.

Longer Method

Saute the onions and celery in a saute pan with butter until soft.

Boil Carrots and Potatoes in just enough water to cover the veggies. Boil until the water is almost gone.

Add the sauteed onions and celery. Mash with a masher but leave some veggies whole.

(If you like a more blended soup, you can use an immersion blender to puree the soup or a food processor.)

Add the milk, salt, and pepper.

Saute sausage in a saute pan. Add to the soup if desired.

Garnish with cheese and fresh scallions or chives.