How to Make Alfredo Sauce Without Cream and Cheese
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There is nothing better than a decadent, cream cheese Alfredo sauce when it comes down to dinner. I must admit however, that while my sister's recipe (pictured below) calls for milk instead of whipping cream…I use whipping cream instead. When I am craving Alfredo sauce, it may as well be the worst-for-your-health-ever Alfredo sauce out there.
Homemade Alfredo Sauce With Cream Cheese
There is nothing better than a decadent, cream cheese Alfredo sauce when it comes down to dinner. I must admit however, that while my sister's recipe (pictured below) calls for milk instead of whipping cream…I use whipping cream instead. When I am craving Alfredo sauce, it may as well be the worst-for-your-health-ever Alfredo sauce out there.
I am not sure how the cream cheese Alfredo sauce came to be ( I *think* that it's a copycat Olive Garden recipe) but the point is that it shaves a bazillion calories off of the recipe. You use the cream cheese to add the richness that whipping cream brings to the recipe – and it actually works like a charm! Yes, you are still using butter, milk and Parmesan cheese but you are removing a cup of whipping cream and replacing it with ⅓ package of cream cheese instead.
Make This Alfredo Sauce Without Heavy Cream
My sister swears by this recipe using milk instead of heavy cream in her Alfredo sauce. The real key is that if you aren't going to use whipping cream, you use the cream cheese to add the richness to the sauce. Without it, using milk would result in a far less creamy, watery sauce.You need to use cream cheese or heavy cream- or if you are like me, you use both!
Alfredo Sauce Ingredients
I meant it when I said that this was a 5 ingredient cream cheese Alfredo sauce! All you need is:
- ½ cup salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2/3 8 oz. package cream cheese
- 2 cups milk
- 2/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
If you are going to make a cream cheese Alfredo sauce, give 'er hell. Use a heavier cream if you want and indulge the ever livin' heck out of it. Pair it with toast drenched in butter and garlic – try my sourdough homemade garlic bread recipe! – and have a very large glass of crisp, white wine. Then eat salad for the next week. Or doughnuts. Whatever. Life is short. Enjoy good food, eat vegetables for your breakfast and move a lot.
I have made this twice since my sister gave me the recipe back in February. Speaking of moving a lot, we made this on day two of building the chicken coop out at the Magpie Farm. Which is totally my parents farm, but my sister and I renamed it. I like the sound of it, it has a nice ring to it. We turned this old cow shelter into a shed. We were staving like wolves when we were done and after a day of working outside in the freezing winter, we were ready to CARB UP!
And carb up we did, happily. My sister had told me that she had the best cream cheese alfredo sauce recipe everrrr, so we got the ingredients and made it as soon as we could.
It was amazing.
You can see that she added in her own changes to what she had on the recipe card, as I do believe ( and she can correct me if I am wrong) that she had written it down on the recipe card from a friend. Over the times that she made it, she changed it to her own liking. She also makes a small amount for herself and her son so I have adapted my own recipe to make enough for a family of four. We don't use the lemon pepper at all and don't miss it for a second. I also love to put green peas in mine as well!
And it's soooo goooood. Don't tell my sister that.The fresh garlic makes all the difference in the world when it comes down to this recipe and she was totally right when she added more Parmesan to the recipe. So remember, that photo of the recipe card is NOT the recipe that you follow, it just shows you how both my sister and I collect recipes and adapt them to our own tastes.
I drool just thinking about this sauce. I have never, EVER been a girl that has liked Alfredo sauce from the jar. I'm not picky; I can totally eat spaghetti sauce from a jar no problemo. The Alfredo sauces in the jars are just gross. I can't stand them.
The perfect Alfredo sauce recipe has to be homemade and not from a jar. There's just something "chemical" tasting about the jarred versions ( and this is from the girl who eats mushroom soup from the can, let's remember.)
This, my darlings, is a seriously kick-ass recipe and you need to make it now.Pin it. Save it. Write down " Cream Cheese Alfredo Recipe That Magpie Swears is The Best" somewhere on a piece of paper or in your phone notes and MAKE THIS.
If you are looking for some more great pasta recipes try these:
- Shrimp Alfredo
- Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Instant Pot Spaghetti
Love you guys more than Chocolate AND Alfredo sauce, ( now that's love!)
Karlynn
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- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2/3 8 oz. package cream cheese
- 2 cups milk
- 2/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- 4 servings your choice of pasta we like fettucini noodles
- 1 cup frozen green peas thawed ( optional)
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Prepare 4 servings of your favourite pasta according to the package directions while preparing this sauce!
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In a large skillet, melt the butter and fry the garlic in it until browned. Add in the cream cheese and melt.
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The cream cheese will be lumpy, but whisk in the milk slowly and cook until smooth.
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Add in the Parmesan cheese and cook until smooth again. IF you want to add a cup of peas - this is the time to do so! Cook until the peas are warmed through.
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Add in the 4 servings of pasta - right into the pan! - and swirl around to cover with the Alfredo sauce.
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Divide onto 4 plates and serve!
Use real Parmesan cheese, not the powdered!
Serving: 4 g , Calories: 392 kcal , Carbohydrates: 13 g , Protein: 12 g , Fat: 32 g , Saturated Fat: 20 g , Cholesterol: 91 mg , Sodium: 519 mg , Potassium: 270 mg , Fiber: 1 g , Sugar: 8 g , Vitamin A: 1355 IU , Vitamin C: 14.9 mg , Calcium: 341 mg , Iron: 0.7 mg
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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Karlynn Johnston
I'm a busy mom of two, wife & cookbook author who loves creating fast, fresh meals for my little family on the Canadian prairies. Karlynn Facts: I'm allergic to broccoli. I've never met a cocktail that I didn't like. I would rather burn down my house than clean it. Most of all, I love helping YOU get dinner ready because there's nothing more important than connecting with our loved ones around the dinner table!
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How to Make Alfredo Sauce Without Cream and Cheese
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