Chicken Alfredo

I love pasta! And Olive Garden is at least an hour away so it's necessary to make it myself. And it's much cheaper that way too!  And please don't look up how healthy this dish is. It's not. I have a friend on Weight Watchers and she calculated the Weight Watchers points. It's better not to know! 

It's a very simple dish to make. Only a few ingredients.
3/4 pound pasta of choice- I used penne becaues it's much less messy than fettuccine
1 1/2 cups broccoli, frozen or fresh
2 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

Cook pasta according to package directions. Add broccoli for the last three minutes of cooking time. Do this while you are completing the following steps. Melt butter and small amount of oil in deep pan.

 
Add mushrooms and cook for two or three minutes.

Pour in heavy whipping cream. Add garlic.

Cook until sauce starts to thicken. It should lightly coat the back of the spoon. Add parmesan cheese and stir while cheese melts.

Slice chicken. I put cajun seasoning on two chicken breasts and seared both sides. Then I cooked for 10-12 minutes in oven until juices ran clear.

Drain your pasta and broccoli.

Add pasta and broccoli to sauce. (This is why you use a deep pan!) Stir to combine and top with more cheese. Then add the chicken and stir.

I made French bread and cut it in half lengthwise. Top with softened butter, garlice, and parmesan cheese.

Toast until broiler until brown. Slice!

Dish up pasta and serve with garlic bread.

Interesting notes: If you are short on sauce you can add milk and stir. Also, to reheat, add a tablespoon of milk and warm in microwave.

This is one my favorite meals! Enjoy!