Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
So easy, so creamy and just so simple to whip up in 30 minutes from start to finish – perfect for those busy weeknights!
Alfredo sauce is certainly not one of those “clean-eating” New Years type dish, but with all this broccoli, it all balances out, right?
I should also mention that this is certainly not one of those heavy alfredo sauces either – it’s a light sauce with a thin coating because that’s really all you need here.
There’s just no need to add in those extra calories, especially when it’s only the first week of January!
Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
So easy, so creamy and just so simple to whip up in 30 minutes from start to finish - perfect for those busy weeknights!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rotini pasta
- 12 ounces broccoli florets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 boneless, skinless thin-sliced chicken breasts
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- ¾ cup milk, or more, as needed
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Within the last 2 minutes of cooking time, add broccoli; drain well.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.
- Melt butter in the skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and garlic powder until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in Parmesan until well combined, about 1 minute. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk as needed.
- Stir in pasta, broccoli and chicken. Gently toss to combine; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
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I would love to see the calorie and fat counts along with the recipe. It helps those of of who need that.
Jay, I try my very best to provide nutritional information for select recipes. However, if nutritional information is not provided, it is best to use online resources at your discretion to obtain such information.
Beautiful photos!
Twinkle love the half and half idea to cut down on calories! And maybe just sprinkle some of the parm on top instead of mixing in. Trying to night!
I am new to your site. My husband and I are empty nesters and trying to loose weight. I’m looking for recipes that are healthy, quick, and easy with variety. I am hoping to cook at home more and eat out less. Yours recipes seem to fit the bill perfectly. I have noticed you use pasta, heavy cream and other items that are not particularly “diet ” friendly. Items like the heavy cream and are also not items I have on hand. Can you suggest way to “skinny” down some of the recipes? Also, is there a list of core items you would suggest to have on hand or that should become a part of our weekly shopping list? Thank you for your time. I am really excited about trying your recipes.
Sharyl, my site is not focused on diet-friendly recipes – they are simply home-cooked meals made from scratch, which is generally a lot healthier than eating out or ordering take-out! However, I do have specific “skinny” recipes that you can check out:
https://damndelicious.net/2014/06/18/skinny-queso-dip/
https://damndelicious.net/2014/12/22/skinny-mexican-casserole/
https://damndelicious.net/2014/01/24/skinny-fettuccine-alfredo/
https://damndelicious.net/2014/08/06/shrimp-alfredo-pasta-bake/
https://damndelicious.net/2014/05/23/lighter-general-tsos-chicken/
https://damndelicious.net/2014/01/29/skinny-egg-salad-sliders/
https://damndelicious.net/2014/01/01/skinny-taco-dip/
As for core items to have on hand – I would recommend stocking up on some of these items: ground beef, chicken breast, Greek yogurt (you can substitute this ingredient for sour cream), milk and fresh vegetables.
I hope that helps!
COuld you use heavy whipping cream I don’t have whipping cream?
Yes!
Couldn’t you use fat-free half & half instead of the milk and heavy cream and still get the consistency and flavor without the fat and calories? I almost always substitute it and think it’s a miracle product. How can it be half & half and be fat-free at the same time!?!?
Yes, that should work just fine. Although I prefer to list out both milk and heavy cream as half-and-half is not really something most people have readily available.
I’ve never used half and half as a substitution, but I like the idea. Is it for just heavy cream, the combo of heavy cream and milk, or both? Are the amounts the same? Thanks in advance for any tips!
Stephanie, half and half is a dairy product consisting of equal parts light cream and milk.
Oh sorry, yes I know what half and half is! I was just wondering how you recommend substituting it? Using the same amount as you would heavy cream, for example? Just looking for some tips to mainly stay away from heavy cream. Thanks!
Half and half consists of both heavy cream and milk so it would be best to substitute this for both ingredients, not just the heavy cream.
simple yet delicious
Broccoli totally balances it out and like is all about balance anyway! 🙂
Did you use fresh or frozen broccoli? Or does it really not matter?
It is best to use fresh broccoli.
I used frozen broc. Also added fresh tomato.
Made this, added asparagus also, turned out yummy. Great Alfredo Sauce! Thanks!!
We make a recipe very similar, we don’t use the Heavy Cream. It is one of my Husbands favorite meals. Great Photos!