Creamy, Cheesy Homemade Turkey Alfredo in Under 30 Minutes
Creamy, Cheesy Homemade Turkey Alfredo in Under 30 Minutes
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So a few weeks ago, I was making a mock stroganoff using ground turkey (our go-to ground meat), a fresh tomato, some herbs and a can of cream of mushroom soup. I started by browning the turkey in some Irish butter and garlic then added in the tomato and rosemary. But then I stopped and looked in the pot. The colors looked amazing. The smells were drool-worthy. And I realized adding in that can of soup would ruin it all. Everything would taste and look like cream of mushroom soup.
But I had already started my pasta and gluten-free pasta isn't something you want to reheat, so running to the store for another option was out of the question. So I started rooting around the pantry and fridge when I saw my heavy cream and green can of parmesan cheese (I know it's not as good as the fresh stuff, but if you saw how much I use in a month, you would understand why I have to go cheap. I can never have enough of my "shakey cheese").
A light bulb went off in my head. Alfredo sauce is simply butter (already in the pan), parmesan cheese and cream. So I went off script despite knowing Phil doesn't love alfredo sauces. I crossed my fingers and hoped I didn't ruin dinner as I lowered the heat and poured in the cream and cheese. After adding in more garlic and letting the sauce come together, I held my breath and took a taste.
It was amazing y'all! I got really excited, told the hubs it was a creamy, cheesy pasta (I didn't want to taint his opinion by calling it "alfredo") and dished out a couple of bowls. Yeah. We didn't have any leftovers and it immediately became a new household staple.
The best thing about this sauce is you probably have a good chunk of the ingredients in your pantry and fridge. If you don't, I know that by shopping at Walmart, this meal costs me about $13 if I needed every single thing (but I would also have leftover ingredients at the end), so it's pretty cost effective as well. You can probably swap the cream for milk, but you may need something to thicken the sauce. I can't drink milk, so I honestly don't know as I never buy/use it. Oh and as mentioned above, I'm gluten free, so you can save even more money by buying regular pasta.
The second best thing about this meal is how filling it is. I use about half a pound of ground turkey, half a box of pasta, a few tablespoons butter, about 1/2 - 1 cup of heavy cream, a splash of water, a lot of "shakey cheese" and whatever herbs and veggies I have on hand. This makes two huge servings that fill us up and don't leave us wanting more in an hour. The fat and protein really fill you up and the veggies help break up the richness of the sauce. You could easily double the recipe and pair it with a salad and maybe some garlic bread for a hearty meal fit for a family of hungry teenagers.
And finally the third best thing about this is how quick it comes together. I can usually have it plated in about 20-25 minutes if I am not dancing around the kitchen, avoiding cats. Tack on an extra 10 minutes for dancing though. It helps work up the appetite.
Recipe Disclaimer - I don't like hard and fast recipes. They are zero fun to make. I do however like guidelines for my creations so I don't forget an important element. Don't think of this as a hard and fast recipe, but instead guidelines to make it awesomely yours!
OK, now on to the good stuff!
Homemade Turkey Alfredo in Under 30 Minutes
Servings - 2Ingredients
8 oz Ground Turkey (can use any meat of choice or even mushrooms for a meatless meal)
2 tbsp Butter (I recommend Kerrigold as it's AMAZINGLY delicious)
1 Roma Tomato
2 cloves Garlic
Fresh or Dried Herbs of Choice (I prefer fresh rosemary and basil, but go with your favs/what you have on hand)
Heavy Cream
Parmesan Cheese
1/2 box Rotini or Penne Pasta
Optional - Diced Onion, Fresh Baby Spinach, Green Peas, Sliced White or Baby Bella Mushrooms, Diced Peppers, Cooked Crispy Bacon Pieces, Whatever YOU Want! Toss in the extras at their best time for optimal cooking. I can't tell you when as I don't know what you plan on tossing in, so godspeed!
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| The photo isn't the best...but this meal is! |
1. Start your pasta, you know the drill. Fill up a big pot with water, bring to a boil, add some salt, a little drizzle of oil and dump in your pasta. Give it a stir and let it do its magic. Drain when done.
2. Melt your butter in a skillet and brown up your ground turkey. While its browning, mince your garlic, chop/tear your herbs if using fresh and dice your tomato. I like to seed my tomatoes, however I toss the seeded bits and juice in the skillet as they have great flavor. You do whatever you like.
3. When your meat is done browning, toss in the garlic, tomato and if using dried herbs or sturdy fresh herbs (like rosemary). Cook down a bit until the tomatoes are done and garlic/herbs have started flavoring the mixture.
4. Reduce heat to a simmer and add in your cream and cheese. I don't have amounts for this because it's based on how cheesy and how rich you want your sauce to be. I use about 1/2 cup cream but have been known to go a little heavy and use about a full cup. And as far as cheese goes, I like to taste the cheese but not overwhelm the sauce. Add some water if needed to help cut the richness and create a smooth sauce. Add your gentler fresh herbs, like basil.
5. Once the sauce tastes like magic in your mouth, gently fold in your cooked and drained pasta. Scoop up a big bowl and be prepared for a midweek food coma! (And if you are like me, toss a little extra cheese on top, because can pasta ever be too cheesy??)
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