Your whole family will love this hearty family dinner with creamy chicken Alfredo and caramelized carrots – and it all comes together in under 45 minutes for under $10!
This post is part of our $10 Dinner Ideas series, brought to you by Brigette on our team! Each week, she’ll share easy, delicious, and affordable dinner ideas that cost less than $10 to make, use everyday ingredients, and fast food.
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Chicken Alfredo
This creamy skillet recipe is the ultimate comfort food! There’s a lot to love about chicken alfredo — it’s a crowd pleaser, of course super easy to throw together quickly with just a few basic ingredients, it can easily be made without gluten (use gluten-free pasta!), and it’s cheap!
While many recipes for chicken alfredo use heavy whipping cream, our family actually opts for milk instead. It’s rich enough with cheese and butter – and, unlike hot cream, I always have milk on hand.
I paired it with roasted carrots, and there’s something about cold weather that makes roasted carrots taste better! Add a little olive oil and salt and pepper, and somehow they come out of the oven all caramelized and wonderful. Also, I love that a large bag of carrots is only $1.35!
Chicken Alfredo Dinner Menu:
- Chicken Alfredo
- Roasted carrots
Ingredients for Chicken Alfredo:
- 1-lb boneless chicken breast (Aldi – $2.49/lb) — $2.49
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil (Aldi – $7.25 for 33 tablespoons) – $0.44
- A 1-lb box of pasta (Publix) – $0.46
- 4 tablespoons of butter (Aldi – $0.85 per stick) cost 0.43 $
- 3 cloves of garlic (Aldi – $1.75 for 3-ct pkg) $0.19
- 8-oz package cream cheese (Aldi) $1.45
- 1/2 cup milk* (Aldi – $0.19 per cup) $0.10 (*You can use heavy cream instead of milk if you like)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (I used one chicken bouillon cube + 1/2 cup water) (Aldi – $1.79 for 25 cubes) $0.07
- 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese (Aldi – $2.45 per can) – $2
- 1 2-lb bag carrots (Aldi — $1.35) — $1.35
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil (Aldi – $7.25 for 33 tablespoons) — $0.44
- salt and pepper
Dinner Grand Total: $9.42 (Serves 6)
How to Make Chicken Alfredo:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain, reserving about a cup of hot pasta water.
3. While the pasta is cooking, cut the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces and mince the garlic cloves.
4. Clean and wash the carrots and cut them into small pieces/thick sticks if they are big.
5. Spread the sliced carrots on the cookie sheet (cover it with parchment paper for easy cleaning!). Rub the carrots with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until browned and tender – about 20 minutes.
6. In a large pan, fry the ground chicken in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until cooked. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
7. In the same pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and saute for one minute.
8. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Combine 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup chicken broth and blend until smooth.
9. Add 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese and cook until smooth, about a minute. Add salt and pepper to taste.
10. Stir in the pasta until well combined. Add the reserved pasta water as needed to thin the sauce.
11. Top with chicken. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired. Serve with roasted carrots.
Chicken Alfredo with Roasted Carrots ($10 Family Dinner Idea)
Your whole family will love this hearty family dinner with creamy pasta and caramelized carrots- and it all comes together in under 45 minutes for under $10!
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Ingredients
- 1- lb boneless chicken breast Aldi — $2.49/lb — $2.49
- 2 Spoons olive oil Aldi – $7.25 for 33 tablespoons – $0.44
- 1- lb a box of pasta Publix – $0.46
- 4 Spoons butter Aldi – $0.85 per stick – $0.43
- 3 cloves garlic Aldi – $1.75 for 3-ct pkg – $0.19
- 8- oz a packet of cream cheese Aldi – $1.45
- 1/2 cup milk* Aldi — $0.19 per cup — $0.10 (*You can use whipping cream instead of milk if you like)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth I used one chicken bouillon cube + 1/2 cup water (Aldi — $1.79 for 25 cubes) — $0.07
- 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese Aldi – $2.45 per can – $2
- 1 2- lb a bag of carrots Aldi – $1.35 – $1.35
- 2 Spoons olive oil Aldi – $7.25 for 33 tablespoons – $0.44
- salt and pepper
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
-
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain, reserving about a cup of hot pasta water.
-
While the pasta is cooking, cut the chicken breast into bite-size pieces and mince the garlic cloves.
-
Clean and wash the carrots and cut them into small pieces / big sticks if they are big.
-
Spread the sliced carrots on a cookie sheet (lined with parchment paper for easy cleanup!). Rub the carrots with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until browned and tender – about 20 minutes.
-
In a large pan, fry the ground chicken in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until cooked. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
-
In the same skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and saute for one minute.
-
Stir in cream cheese until melted. Combine 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup chicken broth and blend until smooth.
-
Add 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese and cook until smooth, about a minute. Add salt and pepper to taste.
-
Mix the pasta until well combined. Add the reserved pasta water as needed to thin the sauce.
-
Top with chicken. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired. Serve with roasted carrots.
Notes
This recipe can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta.
Nutritious food
Calories: 855kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 40g | Oil: 41g | Saturated Fats: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 3g | Monounsaturated Fats: 15g | Trans Fats: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 909mg | Potassium: 1289mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 38881IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 458mg | Iron: 2mg
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