Dressed Up Chicken Alfredo

Tonight, I felt the urge to share a lil' recipe I threw together for dinner.

I don't know what you call it, but Dressed Up Chicken Alfredo is what I'm calling it tonight!

It's real easy, and you probably have most of this stuff sitting in your cabinet and fridge - I did, that's why I made it.

Here's what you need:

- 1 good-sized skinless, boneless chicken breast or about 4-5 skinless, boneless chicken tenders

- Sweet Peas, I used a 16oz can, but 1/2lb fresh or frozen will work too

- Carrots, I used about 4 fresh carrots, canned works but they don't hold up as well

- Onion, I used just a medium sized yellow onion

- Garlic, I always have a jar of chopped garlic, used about 2 TBLsp, if fresh, use about 2 cloves

- Pasta, I used 8oz of angel hair, but you can use whichever you like best

- Olive Oil

- Salt & Pepper

- Parsley (optional)

- Parmesagn (optional)

- Alfredo sauce, I used a jar of store-bought, you can make fresh too with just some parmesagn cheese, butter, milk, and maybe a lil bit of flour:  melt the butter, stir in the parmesagn & flour, pour the milk in slowly, bring to a boil, turn off the heat, keep stirring til it gets right - you can add a bit of milk if it's too thick

Now...real simple:

- Peel the carrots, and chop em up if using fresh.  Put them in boiling water, let them boil at least a good 10 minutes or so.  If using canned, skip this step.

- While the carrots are cooking if using fresh, then take the chicken and chop it into cubes - they ain't got to be fancy.  Heat up about a Tblsp of olive oil in a good-sized skillet, dump the chicken in, and set 'er on med-high.  Add a dash of salt, and 2 or 5 dashes of pepper.

- If you used fresh carrots, and you've boiled em for about 10 minutes, now throw in the sweet peas in the same pot.  Boil for another 2 minutes or so, and cut the heat off, drain the water, and set aside.

- Using that pot you just used for the peas & carrots, fill it back up with new water, let it come to a boil, then throw in your pasta.  About 8oz is all you really need unless you just want a mouthful of pasta.

- When the chicken has turned white, and the juices are runnin' clear, chop up that onion, and throw it in with the chicken.  Now I like my onions to have some texture - not just foo foo in the recipe, so I don't cook them all the way til they're clear.  

- Now if you put in too much oil, you should drain the chicken/onion in a colander/strainer.  Do that, then dump it back in, throw the garlic in with it.  Let that cook for another good 2 minutes.

- Time to pour in the alfredo sauce.  Just put the whole pot/jar of it in with the chicken/ onion/ garlic mix.  Give a good stir or three.

- Now put the peas & carrots in with the alfredo/chicken/ onion/ garlic mess.  Stir it all around and make it look pretty.  

- All you have to do now is drain your pasta, throw a lil dab of butter in it so it doesn't stick together.  Now one thing I did learn from Martha Stewart:  Let the pasta let off some steam in the colander when you drain it.  This takes out some of the water, and lets the pasta taste better in whatever sauce you throw it in.

- Put the pasta on the plates.

- Make a lil center place for the filling to go into.

- Scoop the Aflredo mixture into the center of the pasta, and you're done!  Well almost...

- Options:  You could sprinkle some of that parmesagn cheese on top, throw some parsley on top, and some folks may even like to just stir the pasta right on in the skillet with the Aflredo sauce.  It's all up to you

- More options:  Now I used peas and carrots.  But chopped spinach works, broccoli, mushrooms, and who knows what all else.

It's real simple folks, and only one pot and one skillet!  My husband loves me for that!

Catch ya later!