Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

Original Recipe HERE

I love alfredo sauce, but it doesn't always love me back.  Being mildly lactose intolerant, I need to be careful about anything with an unknown amount of heavy dairy ingredients.  And lots of fresh alfredo is made with cream.  And Lactaid pills don't protect me like they should.  I learned this the hard way New Year's Eve 2005-2006 when a friend's husband whipped up some delicious salmon alfredo pasta.  I took two pills (which isn't supposed to do any more good than one, but I was determined to eat that dinner), and within half an hour my body was cursing me.  I lasted until midnight because I made myself, but I was miserable.  And because I was miserable and couldn't stand the thought of consuming anything else, Husband got to have some beers.  Which meant I had to drive home, clutching at my stomach in agony and huffing and puffing while he blissfully enjoyed his Welcome to 2006 Buzz in the passenger seat.

Anywho, so I stay away from fresh alfredo.  And the storebought stuff can be pretty nasty.  So I was so excited to see this recipe that I thought my innards could tolerate.  I halved the original recipe, and it made plenty for three people to eat for dinner with a little left over.  It tasted great (not too heavy!), and I had no aftereffects.  There's a definite garlic flavor - not too strong, but I'd think the amount could be decreased or eliminated (with perhaps a little more salt and some pepper to liven the sauce back up).  I'll be making this again now that a whole world of alfredo dishes has opened up.

Ingredients

1 cup low-fat milk

1/4 cup (2 oz) low-fat cream cheese
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 Tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1) Put milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in blender.  Process until smooth and set aside.
2) In non-stick medium sauce pan, melt butter on medium-high heat and add garlic.  Saute garlic (slightly bubbly) for about 30 seconds.
3) Add milk mixture to pan. Stir constantly for 3-4 minutes or until just simmering. Keep stirring and let cook for a few minutes more until noticeably thicker.
4) Remove pan from heat. Add Parmesan cheese, stir, and cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using (it will continue to thicken).

Notes: I may try adding a few diced tomatoes and their juice just to experiment with flavors.

Kid Participation:
* Add ingredients to blender
* Push buttons on blender (and teach them about the importance of holding their hand on the lid)