SEVEN OR LESS
Melt herbed cheese as a chicken sauce
By Sarah Fritschner
Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal
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| Chicken and artichokes are served over spaghetti with a creamy sauce of soft herbed cheese melted in a skillet.
Gannett News Service |
But, said NPD vice president Harry Balzer, "they are not necessarily cooking the dinner, and they are not necessarily eating the same thing."
For years, people who didn't cook dinner often purchased carryout from a restaurant. Supermarkets, he says, are regaining ground lost to restaurants, by providing deli departments and more heat-and-eat options in their aisles.
The increase in cook-friendly convenience foods makes dinner easier to get on the table. Herbed cream cheese is instant seasoning for a quick Alfredo-style chicken dish.
In this dish, I use Alouette, an herbed cheese spread sold in 6.5-ounce containers in supermarkets. But there are many types of herbed cheese spreads available, and any one will work in this recipe. Boursin comes in 5.2-ounce containers. It works too.
You can use more or less cheese and milk to make more or less sauce.
You'll need a pound of cooked, hot spaghetti, vermicelli or fettuccini.
CHICKEN AND ARTICHOKE SAUCE FOR SPAGHETTI
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
- 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts (not marinated)
- 1 (6.5- to 8-ounce) package herbed cream cheese
- 1 cup milk (or white wine)
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over high heat. After a minute or so, add onions and stir. Adjust heat so onions cook quickly but don't burn. Cook them until they're beginning to brown.
While the onions cook, cut chicken into 2-inch pieces. Drain the artichoke hearts and quarter them. Add chicken to the skillet and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Add artichoke hearts, herbed cheese and milk to the skillet, stirring to distribute and melt cheese. Add more milk, if desired, for a thinner sauce. Pour sauce over hot noodles, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Serves six.
Nutritional analysis per serving: 553 calories; 21 grams fat, 25 grams protein, 65 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 360 milligrams sodium.
