Pesto Alfredo Chicken Pasta (under $5)

This week my husband and I agreed that we are only going to eat out once or twice on the weekends only. So that meant making every meal at home all week long. I know...like it's a big deal to eat at home, right? Well, it was actually more challenging than I care to admit...but by Saturday we felt so much better and had sure saved a lot of money!

I pulled out one of my favorite recipes this week: Pesto Alfredo Chicken Pasta. It is SO good and is a great alternative if you are craving pasta from an Italian restaurant.

Ingredients:

1/4 c basil pesto $1.00

2 c whole grain pasta $.50

1/4 c milk $.10

3/4 of a jar of alfredo sauce $1.00

2 c cooked, cubed chicken $2.00

1 c mozzarella cheese $.75

salt, pepper, and parsley flakes (or real minced parsley) to taste

To start off, I poach my chicken. I saw how to do it on Rachel Ray once and I have never cooked my chicken any different ever since. I bring a large pot of water to a slight boil, add a half of an onion (in large chunks) and a bay leaf and boil it for about 20-30 minutes (depending on how many pieces of chicken are in the water). Then when it comes out, it shreds or cuts so easily and is SO moist.

1. Start by boiling your pasta in a large dutch oven.

2. Drain your pasta and leave it set aside in the strainer so you can use the same pot for the rest of the ingredients (I like to use as few dishes as I can).

2. In your pot throw in your chicken, alfredo sauce, pesto, and milk. Keep on medium high heat and bring to a boil for a minute or two to thicken it up. Add salt or pepper to taste.

3. Once the sauce is has thickened a bit, add your cooked pasta and stir all together.

4. In a casserole dish (I use a 13x13) layer in half of your pasta and chicken mixture, half of your mozzarella cheese, the other half of the pasta mixture, and top it all off with the rest of the mozzarella. Sprinkle some parsley on top of you like, cover, and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Total (4-6 servings): $4.35

http://