Right now we’re eating quite a bit of swiss chard and kale. Chard and kale are great because they grow year round here and they are my “filler” vegetables. And right now we’re needing that filler as we no longer have any broccoli or cabbage growing and the green beans and summer squash isn’t producing just yet. So chard and kale it is.
I’m the only one in my family that really likes cooked greens so I try really hard to make the greens as appealing as possible when I do cook them. Usually that means putting them in something else.
My family never complains when I put them in chicken alfredo.
Chicken alfredo is a meal that I reserve for when we’re getting tired of certain vegetables. So we’re eating it about once a week or so right now. Then when the summer vegetables start coming in I’ll stop making it for a while. When my family is tiring of summer squash, I’ll start making it until the summer squash harvest is over.
The recipe is super easy and you can put in any vegetables you like. We like onions, carrots, summer squash, spinach, chard and kale. We just mix in whatever is ready in the garden.
Chicken Alfredo with Greens
Homemade Chicken Alfredo is easy to make and very versatile. We like to add onions, carrots, summer squash, spinach, chard and kale to make a one pot meal. We just mix in whatever is ready in the garden.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds cooked pasta
- 1/2 onion
- 1 head of garlic (minced – we like a lot of garlic, adjust for your family)
- lots of spinach (I probably use 1/2 pound – enough to fill a 4 quart pot before it cooks down)
- 1 block of cream cheese
- 1/2 to 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- about 4 cups milk
- salt and pepper
- olive oil (to sauté veggies)
- flour or arrowroot to thicken
- cooked chicken – we used chicken fajita meat that I cooked in the oven. (optional)
Instructions
Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
Sauté the onion and garlic in large pot. When onion and garlic are tender, add spinach and sauté.
Add cream cheese and melt. Add milk and Parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste and thicken if you want to.
Serve over pasta and chicken. Enjoy!
Notes
In the summer, we substitute squash, zucchini and carrots for the spinach. In the winter we use spinach, kale or swiss chard. If we have broccoli, we sometimes put that in also.
So, tell me, what are your “filler” meals for those times when your garden isn’t really producing things your family loves?