An Experiment with Greek Yogurt

Hello, again! It's been few weeks since I've posted anything- forgive me, life got a little crazy.

I've been prepping this post for a while in my head, but haven't had the time to sit and write it all down. So tonight before we have dinner I'm making myself get this one done because I'm so excited to share it with you all!

 A couple of weeks ago Aaron and I had two of our closest friends over for dinner, Brittni and Pat. Brittni and I have been friends since forever..literally, it feels that way. We met the first day of 4th grade. She and I were in the same class and she approached me on the playground. I'm pretty sure the conversation went something like "Hi, I'm Brittni. I'm new..will you be my friend." Little did I know that her thought process on this whole "friendship" thing was based on the fact that between me and the other girl with a very similar name, I was the least smelly and most approachable. This still cracks me up because for those of you who know me, you know that I'm not always the most approachable person! She was brave though and took that first step towards me, and we've been friends ever since. (Well, we've had our ups and downs, but really regardless of what we go through in life, she'll always be my person.)

Brittni and I on my birthday a couple of years ago <3

Pat, on the other hand, has always been like family to me. Our mothers had us only 2 months apart and were close friends, so Pat and I have always known each other. We weren't always close, in fact we hardly talked after toddler-hood until we both had just moved to Rochester about 2 years ago. We went to different schools and life took us both in different directions, but the reunion was definitely welcomed. Aaron and Pat instantly hit it off and enjoy geeking out together as often as they can. It was difficult at first coming to terms with Brittni and Pat dating, but the two of them are really quite perfect for each other. I wish I had a picture of when Pat and I were little together. I know my mom and his mom probably have them. It would have been a good laugh. :)

Anywho, we had them over for dinner. It had been forever since Brittni and I had cooked a dinner together. Regardless of where we have lived, cooking with her has always just been something we did when we saw each other. I had been waiting to bust out this recipe I found (yes, on Pinterest) and I knew that it would be the perfect meal for the four of us to share. I was nervous about using the Greek yogurt instead of the heavy cream recipe I've used in the past. I know that substituting Greek yogurt is the healthier alternative, so I had to do it (we've been trying very hard to change the way we eat) So, with our wine glasses filled with one of my favorite wines, we began cooking away. On the menu: "Skinny Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo"

Here's your list of Ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and cut into chunks (about 2 cups)

2 cups roasted broccoli florets

8 ounces fettuccine

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup skim milk

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 pinch ground nutmeg

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

*I doubled this recipe when I made it, knowing that we'd want the left overs, which was smart thinking on my behalf because it was sooo good!

*I also suggest adding just a little bit more garlic, and some salt to the Alfredo sauce just to add some more flavor.

"First step in this recipe is to cook and drain your pasta. Set that aside and then begin working on your Alfredo Sauce.
 Next step is to add some olive oil to a pan, heat over medium-low heat. Add garlic (I think I used around 6-7 cloves..because I love, love, love garlic) and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden. This takes about 1 to 2 minutes."

Olive Oil, Garlic

"Whisk in the flour until smooth (about 2 minutes). Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, Greek yogurt, milk, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring gently, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese."

Alfredo Sauce pre-cheese.

 In the mean time, while your sauce is thickening fry up some chicken. I bought 4 chicken breasts from the meat market thinking that I'd need all of it, but I'm not sure what I was thinking. I ended up cutting 2 of the breasts in half and just pan-frying those. I heated up some olive oil and garlic and placed the chicken breasts in, allowing them to cook until they were done.

Pan frying some Chicken Breasts

When the Alfredo sauce and chicken were done I combined them in a large bowl. I threw in some broccoli from a steamed freezer bag and tossed it all together with the pasta I had previously cooked. I then tossed on some more Parmesan cheese and a little basil for extra flavor.

When all was said and done a we managed to put together a pretty awesome meal. I loved using the Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream. For both Pat and I- this was just a much better alternative. So, there you have it- "Skinny Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo".

Serve it up with a glass of your favorite Riesling and some homemade garlic bread, and you've got yourself one awesome dinner to share with friends. 

Thanks to Brittni, this bread came out AMAZING! Just butter your bread, throw on some minced garlic, Parmesan cheese and dried basil. Broil it in the oven for about 5 minutes- depending on how crispy you like it.

Special shout out to Courtney Horan, Contributor at Celebrations.com for the recipe.