Alfredo Bake with Broccoli & Sausage

Today is all about comfort food!  Earlier this morning I shared a breakfast recipe for my Easy Cheesy Grits and now I’m sharing another cozy dish – my Alfredo Bake with Broccoli & Sausage.  I used to shy away from making anything that had a creamy sauce because I thought that it’d be impossible to fit something like that into my daily points but once I started experimenting with recipes, I learned some tricks to make it work.  And I mean, what kind of life would I be living if I denied myself my favorite creamy comfort foods?!  One serving of my Alfredo Bake with Broccoli & Sausage is 8 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans.

One of the best tricks I’ve learned over the years is to bulk up higher point foods with things that are filling and low in points.  I usually do this with veggies – I love sneaking them in wherever I can!  Adding in lean, low-point (or zero point!) proteins is a great option too.  This really helps you stretch those points.  I honestly can’t remember the last time I made pasta without adding in a bunch of veggies.  It makes it so much more filling and lowers the points… win, win!

Today we’re making a lighter version of a classic and we’re bulking things up by adding in broccoli and a low point protein.  I’m using Gilbert’s Craft Sausages Caprese Chicken Sausages in my alfredo bake.  The caprese sausages are so flavorful and this variety works perfectly with our flavor combo!  These sausages are 3 WW SmartPoints each and you can check their store locator to see if they are available in your area.  If not, no worries, just substitute a similar flavor of sausage or you can even use some cooked chicken breast for zero points.

Making a creamy alfredo sauce from scratch is probably a lot easier than you think and you just need a few simple ingredients.  You start by melting some butter in a sauce pan and quickly sauteing a couple of cloves of minced garlic.  You add a little flour to the melted butter and stir until a paste forms – this is what will thicken our sauce! To make our sauce lighter I use half chicken broth and half dairy.  I do a combo of skim milk and greek yogurt for the dairy because I like the extra creaminess from the yogurt.  The sauce just needs to simmer for about 8 minutes and then it’s ready to go! So easy and what’s better than a creamy, garlicky sauce?!

We combine our sauce with the rest of our cooked ingredients and bake everything in the oven for about 15 minutes.  The top layer gets golden and slightly crunchy while the bottom is perfectly coated in our creamy alfredo.  This dish is the perfect comfort food and it’ll please just about anyone!  I love serving it with a big side salad for dinner or taking leftovers for lunch.

My Alfredo Bake with Broccoli and Sausage makes 6 servings at 8 WW SmartPoints each on both the Blue and Green WW plans- enjoy

Alfredo Bake with Broccoli and Sausage

 

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Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• ½ c skim milk
• ½ c plain, fat free Greek yogurt
• 1 c low sodium chicken broth
• ½ c shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 8 oz uncooked penne pasta
• 2 heaping cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 Gilbert's Craft Sausages Caprese Chicken Sausages (or sub similar sausage*), cut into ¼ inch pieces
• 1 tbsp bread crumbs
• pinch of crushed red pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add penne to boiling water and cook until pasta is al dente, according to the package directions.
3. During the last 3 minutes of cook time add the broccoli florets to the pasta and boiling water. Once pasta is fully cooked drain pasta and broccoli and return to the pot.
4. While your pasta is cooking prepare the alfredo sauce - in a small saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, until garlic is fragrant, taking care not to burn.
5. Add flour to the butter and stir until a thick paste has formed. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, breaking up all clumps, until the mixture is smooth.
6. Add in the milk and greek yogurt. Bring mixture to a soft boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 5-8 minutes, until sauce has thickened.
7. Stir in ¼ c of the Parmesan cheese, a pinch of crushed red pepper, and add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add the sauce to the pan with your cooked pasta and broccoli (the sauce will continue to thicken in the oven). Add in the chicken sausage. Stir until well combined.
9. Place pasta into a medium-large baking dish. Sprinkle the top with 1 tbsp of bread crumbs and the remaining ¼ c of Parmesan.
10. Bake for 15 minutes until the top is golden brown. Allow to sit at least 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Makes 6 servings at 8 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans.

*Double check the points calculations if you substitute another type of sausage. The Gilbert's Caprese links are 3 SmartPoints each. Feel free to substitute cooked chicken breast which would lower the points.*

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅙ of the recipe | Calories: 225 Fat: 5 Saturated fat: 2 Carbohydrates: 36 Sugar: 3 Fiber: 3 Protein: 11

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I am so excited you are making one of my recipes and I would love to see how it turns out! Make sure to share it on Instagram and tag me @rachelshealtyplate and use #rachelshealthyplate so I can see your creation!