Chicken Alfredo (without the guilt!)

I love holidays. Christmas and Fourth of July are my favorites, followed closely by Thanksgiving and Halloween. But even the smaller holidays are exciting for me! I consider Valentine's Day to be a smaller holiday. Now all you Valentine's Day lovers don't get all angry. I only consider it smaller because my hubby doesn't get the day off. But....I love to go all out for this holiday! I love to show my family and friends how much I really love them.

This year I'm doing a countdown to V-day with my hubby. Each day he gets a small treat or gift with a cute note attached to it. My kids will get fun treats on V-day, and of course I'm making treats for their classroom friends. We'll post those recipes later!

Here is a recipe that you can make for your sweetie for Valentine's Day. It is super easy, and way healthier than the traditional version of alfredo sauce (hence the "without the guilt" part). Now you can have your alfredo and eat it too! And it's a ROMANTIC meal. There is something about pasta that screams romance to me, more than any other dish (except maybe chocolate covered strawberries, but you can't have that for dinner...or can you? Hmmm...). Maybe it's that famous scene in "Lady and the Tramp" but sharing a big bowl of pasta is the perfect meal for Valentine's Day!

**Valentine's hint: Pour a little tomato or spaghetti sauce in your alfredo to make pink "love" sauce!

Melt your butter and add minced garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour and whisk into butter until it bubbles (this is your thickener, or roux).

Start cooking your chicken strips, seasoning with garlic powder and salt.

Cook your fettucini noodles according to package directions (to al dente)

Add your chicken broth (careful - it may splatter!) and stir into your roux. Cut off pieces of your cream cheese and stir until melted in. Add your paremesan. Ta-da! You're done!

Stir noodles into sauce until combined. Add chicken (and I added peas) and serve with extra parmesan cheese. And have a Lady and the Tramp moment.

Chicken Alfredo (without the guilt!)

submitted by Girls in Aprons (adapted from Kraft foods)

1 lb. chicken, cut into strips

1 lb. fettucini noodles

3 T butter

3 T flour

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

8 oz. cream cheese, softened and cubed

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Optional - add 1 cup frozen peas, chopped asparagus, chopped fresh spinach, or any other veggie you prefer

Cook chicken, seasoning with garlic powder and salt. Set aside.

Cook noodles according to package directions for al dente (I used just shy of a whole package)

While noodles are cooking, melt butter in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Add minced garlic and let it saute in butter until fragrant, about 30 seconds or so. Whisk in flour until combined and bubbly. Stir in chicken broth until combined. Then add cream cheese cubes and parmesan cheese and stir until cheeses melt. If using veggies, stir in now until cooked through (or wilted if using spinach). Toss with pasta and chicken. Serve warm.