Homemade Alfredo Sauce

[Old Fashioned]

Per discussion elsewhere about store bought brands of Alfredo sauce, I wanted to post a homemade version. I have made sauce a few times and it's really pretty simple and few ingredients but when I checked my 3x5 card file, it shows using 2 cups of fresh basil and I know for a fact I've never used that recipe cause I've never had that much basil on hand, ever and the amount seemed extreme to me. So then I did a search and came up with hundreds of variations, but not the actual recipe I've used and settled on a generic simple basic recipe to post. Any variations are by choice and some options are listed below.

https://snappygourmet.com/homemade-alfr ... ce-recipe/

Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese good quality freshly grated (see note below)
1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper (optional)

Instructions

Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt butter, then stir in minced garlic cloves. Cook about 1 minute or until garlic is soft and fragrant, stirring constantly.
Slowly add the heavy cream to the saucepan, whisk until cream comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 3-5 minutes or until it starts to thicken.
Stir in Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper until smooth and thick.


***NOTES*** regular butter, milk or even evaporated milk can be used. Some recipes call for adding cream cheese. I've tried that and it does make it richer & creamier. You can also add about a teaspoon of Italian seasoning and/or a pinch of nutmeg. Some recipes called for lemon juice & zest but as with any chosen variations from the basic, it's by your own taste buds. Some recipes call for adding chicken broth, but to me that takes away from the creamy cheesy sauce. I say work with it, and find what's right for you.

If you want and is most common, is to add chicken. I would recommend if using fresh thick cut/sliced chicken.......to brown it in some olive oil first, then remove from pan before adding butter & other ingredients for the sauce, then put the chicken back in once the sauce is made to your liking and simmer for a few minutes. All using the same pan, so you can scrape any bits of browned chicken into the sauce. Leftover cooked chicken also works, just add at the end to heat thru.

Sliced mushrooms can be added to the chicken in the beginning, to cook a few minutes and remove all to make the sauce...then add back in after. You can also add some chopped veggies for a tetrazzini.....which is pretty much the same as alfredo, but with veggies.

[patriceinil]

Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

[Farmfresh]

Wonderful! I have two in this family that LOVE alfredo sauce. I will be sharing this recipe with both of them.