I love Italian food! It is my major weakness… especially fettuccine alfredo. It’s hard to resist that pasta smothered with creamy cheesy garlicky goodness. Most recipes are fairly complicated and long for homemade alfredo sauce. So I made it at home rarely, if ever. Then I made up my own recipe that was quick and easy, yet really yummy too.
Ingredients:
4 oz. cream cheese
4 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3/4 cup 2% milk
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese
Dash of salt
Dash of fresh ground pepper
*note – this makes about four adult servings, double as needed for more.
First, put the cream cheese and butter in a small saucepan.
Then add the garlic and the milk.
Next add the Parmesan, the salt and the pepper.
Then put on the stove over medium heat. Stirring it with a whisk as the cream cheese and the butter melt. Once it begins to boil whisk constantly so it doesn’t burn and turn down the heat after about 2-3 min to med/low heat. Let it cook for about 5-7 min more while whisking, until it is a little thicker but not quite the thickness you want your sauce to be. It will thicken as it cools down. If it is too thick on the stove it will be very thick and chunky off the stove.
We don’t always have fettuccine noodles at home and use whatever pasta we have on hand. Last night all I had was elbow noodles, so we had elbow noodles with alfredo sauce!
Yes that is halved hotdog bun toasted garlic bread! We make do with what we have 🙂 its pretty good, you should try it! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Johanna
My Crazy Blessed Life! 
Thanks for this! I know an easy Alfredo recipe, but it calls for heavy cream – something I NEVER have on hand! These ingredients I’m much more likely to have in the house. 🙂
Posted by Kayla | August 15, 2012, 10:33 amYou make the best alfredo sauce! Wish I was there.
Posted by Sheila | August 15, 2012, 3:11 pmActually, you can melt the butter only (first step) and add cut up chicken breasts or shrimp and cook until the meat is done through and then add the other ingredients as listed. I have a similiar recipe and it is SO yummy.
Posted by LeAnn | October 20, 2012, 2:57 pmThis was simply AMAZING!!!! Also easy, and I had everything on hand. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Posted by Ali | October 21, 2012, 6:05 pmLooks good! I always use hot dog buns too! It seems like we always have leftover buns! I think I’m going to make alfredo tonight!
Posted by Casey | October 22, 2012, 12:06 pmHot dog or hamburger buns work great for garlic bread as well as garlic cheese bread. It has a nice chewy texture!
Posted by Tabitha | October 24, 2012, 10:33 amHot dog and hamburger buns are my favorite for toast!
Posted by Penny | February 7, 2013, 2:19 pmI have used this recipe for couple of years know and agreed it is the best. Add a pinch of nutmeg and it is even better.
Posted by Karen | October 24, 2012, 3:51 pmI have been using this recipe for about 10 years and love it! I use the shredded parm in the bag instead of the grated from the can because it melts better but delicious either way!
Posted by Kayla N. | October 27, 2012, 8:48 pmI made a variation of this which was just as good!
add 1 package frozen cooked squash
eliminate garlic powder
add 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
add 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
add 1/2 tsp ground sage
simply amazing!
Posted by Alison S. | November 1, 2012, 4:34 pmI saw this on pinterest today and immediately jumped up to make it for our lunch. It was amazing. I grated fresh parmasean, bumping it up to 1 cup. It made enough for me and three kids. My middle kid had 2 big servings! I had sauted portabella mushrooms with mine and it was amazing.
Posted by Sharon | November 5, 2012, 12:33 pmJust found this recipe – it sounds great and I can’t wait to try it out on my family. I’ve done the hotdog-turned-garlic-bread thing before and it’s fantastic. 😀
Posted by Kathleen | November 27, 2012, 9:23 amMy recipe for Alfredo sauce has the exact same ingredients, although I don’t tend to measure. I orinally started using half and half with this recipe, but have found that you can use almost any milk. I’ve also used 1%. This is delicious and easy and you will receive lots of compliments.
Posted by Kathy Lawhorn | November 30, 2012, 4:40 pmThis is absolutely amazing!! I’ll never buy jar Alfredo again! I’ve done out once following the recipe and tonight I’m doing it again but adding pesto at the end. I also am out of milk but had cream left over from the holidays so I used that instead. Extra fattening that way but should be amazing!! Thank you for posting this!
Posted by Amy Wyatt | December 4, 2012, 8:10 pmI do the same with left over hot dog buns, as well with sandwich rolls and sliced bread. my husband gives me a confused look but chows them down. Too funny.
Posted by Melissa | December 23, 2012, 7:56 pmThis loos really yummy!
Posted by Jennifer | December 28, 2012, 10:56 amHad it last night- yum! Thanks
Posted by Laura | December 29, 2012, 11:32 amMade this tonight for dinner. Hands down this is the Alfredo should sauce I’ve every ever had. It’s a MOUTHGASM!!! So easy to make. We will definitely be making this again.
Posted by Valerie | December 30, 2012, 11:55 pmWow! I was on the fence about trying it…until I read this! I want a mouthgasm too!!! Lol
Posted by Jen | February 19, 2015, 4:18 pmOMG!!!!! made this last night for supper, Loved it!! Will be making again and again!
Thanks so much!
Posted by Laurie | January 1, 2013, 12:42 amThe green beans look pretty good too !
Posted by Sue Barry | January 2, 2013, 2:46 pmThis was delicious!! And so quick & easy. Thank you so much for a great alfredo recipe that is made with ingredients I always have in my fridge. My fiance approves too, he said “This is so good, I wanna just drink it!” It was a perfect supper after coming home from ice fishing!
Posted by Erika H. | January 4, 2013, 9:51 pmI have always wanted to make an alfredo sauce but thought it was too difficult. I tried your recipe today and it was absolutely fabulous! My kids said i made the best alfredo sauce. 😉 Thank you!
Posted by Cynthia | January 6, 2013, 4:15 pmSo I made this yesterday for dinner and I quadrupled the recipe cause I know my family they will not just eat one serving. This was amazing, i added chicken and tomatoes to the sauce. Brilliant and I don’t think I will be allowed to buy store bought anytime soon. I had enough leftover to make an Alfredo type mac and cheese. Even better the next day.
Posted by Laura | January 6, 2013, 4:21 pmThis is good and very easy. A bit too much garlic for us.
Posted by Elizabeth | January 8, 2013, 7:39 pmDoes it have to be fresh shredded parmesan cheese or will the powdered work?
Posted by Kayla Battaglia | January 15, 2013, 1:23 pmI use powdered most of the time 🙂
Posted by crazyblessedlife | January 15, 2013, 2:06 pmAnyone tried adding spinach??? I am making this tonight and think I will add some chicken and spinach!!!
Posted by Melissa Plant | January 16, 2013, 9:36 amI make one similar to this! Normally, I use full fat “everything”. I am going to try the low-fat cream cheese and skim milk tonight. Love the pic with the hot dog bun! We do the same thing at our house if there’s no garlic bread in the freezer. It doesn’t have to look fancy to taste yummy!
Posted by Vicky | January 17, 2013, 1:28 pmI found this on pinterest and made it tonight with shrimp. My (very picky) husband kept saying MmmM between each bite while the kids were slurping away. Very happy and full family..thanks for sharing!
Posted by Angie | January 18, 2013, 8:40 pmI’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it!
Posted by crazyblessedlife | January 19, 2013, 4:06 amI found this recipe on pinterest and I am no longer allowed to buy the jar stuff or make it any other way. I have tried making alfredo sauce in the past but it always calls for expensive heavy whipping cream and no matter what I do, I can’t seem to get it to turn out right. It always turns out grainy and separates. Your recipe is most cost effective (a block of cream cheese is half the price of a quart of cream) and always turns out velvety smooth and delicious!
Posted by Amber | January 25, 2013, 6:50 pmI pinned this awhile back and being as fettucine alfredo has been requested for dinner tonight, i’m going to give this a try. I want broccoli and chicken, husband and oldest son want shrimp, younger son wants chicken and daughter will only want pasta and sauce most likely, so I think I’m going to do an alfredo bar – mix and match and make your own 🙂 This recipe will be perfect!!
Posted by beth lee | January 31, 2013, 1:03 pmWe only have 1% milk on hand…it’s between skim and 2%. Will this work as well?
Posted by Lisa | February 4, 2013, 9:24 amI used 2% 🙂
Posted by crazyblessedlife | February 5, 2013, 8:27 pmThis is close to the Alfredo sauce I make except for the cream cheese. I am making it to put in white chicken lasagna. I bet it is going to be out of this world! Homemade alfredo sauce beats anything in a jar. Thanks for sharing. Btw hot dog buns are not just for hot dogs in my world! Lol
Posted by Suzanne | February 10, 2013, 8:37 amDoes this freeze well? Have you tried?
Posted by LynnAnn | February 16, 2013, 5:16 pmI haven’t tried that, but if you do let me know how it goes!
Posted by crazyblessedlife | February 16, 2013, 9:55 pmJust made this and my husband says it is not only the best alfredo he’s ever had, but the best Italian he’s ever had! Thank you!
Posted by TST | February 18, 2013, 6:55 pmWas wondering how much pasta you used? We were gonna use penne tonight.
Posted by Brandy | February 22, 2013, 12:25 pmI always use enough for four people.
Posted by crazyblessedlife | February 23, 2013, 8:48 pmThis was yummy and so easy to make! When I made it I used undated butter with the cream cheese and I didn’t have any garlic powder, so I used Garlic Salt, but I only put enough in to taste and not make it overly garlicky or overly salty. Thanks for the recipe and I’ll be making this again. 🙂
Posted by Cindy DeShields | February 26, 2013, 9:11 pmHave you ever tried making this in a crock pot? I made it and loved it – and my office has an Italian themed lucnch tomorrow and I wanted to make it but wasn’t sure if it would cook right?!
Posted by Tara | March 27, 2013, 5:44 pmNope but if it works let me know!
Posted by crazyblessedlife | March 29, 2013, 9:20 pmI suspect it might burn in a crockpot. Alfredo sauce is kind of delicate and if its heated too much, tends to separate.
Posted by Amber | March 31, 2013, 10:30 amI wanted to make chicken Parmesan and fettuccine Alfredo for dinner tonight but didn’t have any Alfredo sauce. It’s very nasty out tonight, rainy and cold, and I didn’t want to go to the store to get the sauce so I searched simple Alfredo sauce on Pinterest and this recipe was returned in the results.
It is simply delicious and I had everything on hand. I added about double the milk because I like mine a little thinner.
Delish. I may never buy jar or box Alfredo again! Thanks so much for sharing!
Posted by Mony Coleman | April 4, 2013, 7:32 pmthanks for the quick and easy recipe! I was in a bind tonight, and short on my store bought Alfredo sauce! All things work out for the best though. Now, I never have to use store bought again!
Posted by Jenna | April 18, 2013, 5:53 pmWhat’s the calorie count per serving?
Posted by Debbie | April 18, 2013, 8:26 pmReblogged this on adventuresofastayathomemommy and commented:
This is the alfredo sauce recipe I use. Its perfect. Yummy and so simple!
Posted by adventuresofastayathomemommy | April 19, 2013, 7:50 pmI just tried this tonight & it was delicious and easy!!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!!!
Posted by Gina | April 24, 2013, 6:57 pmPrepared this today and turned out wonderful. I used it for chicken roll ups. Will bake tomorrow evening for our Teacher Appreciation Dinner at our Church. It is a definite “keeper”!!! Thanks for sharing. Debbie
Posted by Debbie Widner | April 26, 2013, 10:28 pmGod bless!!! The recipe is very easy for me, thanks.
Posted by Nydia | May 24, 2013, 3:19 pmI have been using a similar recipe for several years and it is the best! Very forgiving if you don’t have the exact ingredients or the exact amounts. I made enough for my son’s graduation party recently (we had a pasta bar) and it reheated very well.
Posted by Gina | July 6, 2013, 10:41 pmThanks just had it and the whole family loved it 🙂
Posted by yasmin | July 10, 2013, 10:05 pmMade this last night for shrimp and whole wheat pasta. SO good and so easy! I will never buy any alfredo in a jar again! Also, when I reheated it for lunch today, it reheated very well, not near as “saucy” as last night, but still covered the pasta and shrimp and tasted fabulous!
Posted by jenn | August 19, 2013, 11:55 pmThis is hands down the best alfredo sauce I have ever eaten and it’s so easy to make. It’s absolutely delicious and beats Olive Garden by a long shot, which used to be my favorite until I tried yours!
Posted by Laci | September 13, 2013, 9:30 pmCould I use water instead of milk? That’s the only thing I don’t have on hand, and can’t go to the store.
Posted by bcooperwork | September 23, 2013, 4:43 pmI don’t think it would taste the same…
Posted by crazyblessedlife | September 23, 2013, 6:45 pmis it any different adding almond milk instead of normal milk?
Posted by alana rathbun | January 15, 2014, 12:54 pmjust made this and it is sooo good!! i made a few changes…used colby jack cheese and added bacon and minced garlic…delish!!! so easy to make. This is the only alfredo we are eating from now on. Thank you for sharing!!
Posted by Brielle | April 13, 2014, 5:28 pmAbsolutely fabulous!!! I used the shredded parm as it is what I had to hand and it worked, as well This is my go-to alfredo recipe…IF you are looking for an easy, quick deepish recipe-look no further! Thanks so much for the recipe!!!!!
Posted by Di | April 24, 2014, 5:14 pmwould love to make this but I was wondering if it refrigeratable. If so, will it taste the same?
Posted by Tori Haynes | June 12, 2014, 2:27 pmIf I wanted to add chicken how would I do it?
Posted by Desiree | September 21, 2014, 3:05 pmDice up chicken breast in bite size pieces and add to the butter after it has melted. Let it cook through and then add your other ingredients as stated in recipe.
Posted by LeAnn | September 21, 2014, 3:56 pmWhat kind of Parmesan cheese do I used? Can I use it from a bag? Or does it have to be freshly grated? Also, Is this recipe hard or easy? We are planing on using it for a cooking club.
Posted by Gina | October 14, 2014, 2:15 pmThis sauce was yummy!!!!
Posted by Priscilla | November 24, 2014, 1:48 pmwe use hot dog buns for garlic bread too! Lol it’s actually pretty good 🙂
Posted by Jessica | December 1, 2014, 5:36 pmGreat recipe! I will definitively do it again but with less garlic salt it was too much for my taste! Texture was great and the recipe is easy to follow
Posted by roxane | December 4, 2014, 5:22 pmI was looking for a quick,easy alfredo sauce one night while making dinner, Spotted your recipe, made it,family loved it. We won’t be buying the jar stuff anymore! thanks again for posting a great recipe.
Posted by Sue Reinhardt | December 6, 2014, 10:14 pmSimple and so Good ! I love veggies so added sauteed red pepper strips , and some onion and mushroom .
Thanks for the Recipe !!
Posted by Jim Fields | February 4, 2015, 4:14 pmI love this sauce. I found this recipe via Pinterest and immediately tried it out. So simple and tastes great. Thanks for sharing it.
Posted by Larissa | February 10, 2015, 3:00 pmI have made this sauce a few times, but with Linguine noodles, but tonight I didn’t have anything but lasagna noodles. Anyway, I decided to make a lasagna with alfredo sauce, chicken, and frozen veggies. It was delicious. This sauce is great on anything. I love it.
Posted by sandy | February 22, 2015, 8:06 pmI just made this! It is delicious!
Posted by Geri | February 24, 2015, 1:24 pmThis recipe is fantastic! I just cut the garlic powder & Parmesan in half for our tastes. The first time I made it I added 2 cups chopped chicken & 2 cups chopped cooked broccoli & stuffed it into cooked jumbo shells. Delish! This morning I did the same but with chopped turkey & stuffed it into manicotti shells & froze them to see how they work as a freezer meal! It tastes so fantastic I just want to eat it straight from the pan! Thx for sharing a great recipe with ingredients I have on hand:)
Posted by Rachel | February 27, 2015, 11:13 amJust found this Alfredo recipe gonna try it out tonight for super…
Posted by shelby | March 3, 2015, 1:58 pmI love this sauce make it everytime! Thank you so much for the recipe! I love your measuring cup to!
Posted by angela | March 23, 2015, 7:38 pmI made this tonight. I’m so far from someone who can cook but it turned out wonderfully! I added some basil and oregano and used a bit of half-n-half with milk. Definitely adding this one to my repertoire, it will be a nice change from grilled cheese and instant noodles. 🙂
Posted by T.A | March 26, 2015, 3:30 amHey I just made this, and it turned out a little pasty… Any suggestions to fix this??
Posted by Megan | April 13, 2015, 6:52 pmAdd more milk
Posted by crazyblessedlife | April 13, 2015, 6:53 pmWanted to find something my VERY picky family would eat, and this is a winner!!! Easy ingredients, time saver, and wonderful 😁 Thank you for dinner!
Posted by Shawna | May 3, 2015, 7:16 pmI made this for Mother’s Day and now everyone tells me that the “i have ruined them for bottled sauce” forever LOL my husband even refuses to buy the stuff anymore so that i will “have” to make it :-D. Thank you for yhe awesome recipe
Posted by Krystal | June 2, 2015, 8:48 amSOOOO GOOOOD THIS IS A KEEPER AMAZING
Posted by Janice | June 4, 2015, 2:16 pmlove this recipe. This is a big hit with my family everytime I make it.
Posted by Sharon Wahid | June 22, 2015, 1:17 pmThank you for your recipe, this sauce was delicious, mother and I enjoyed eating over chicken fettuccine, definitely it’s a keeper!!!!
Posted by Maria | August 31, 2015, 6:42 pmI made this tonight and it came out so good! Thank you!
Posted by Mel | September 27, 2015, 5:55 pmI made this tonight and it came out so good! Thank you!
Posted by Mel | September 27, 2015, 5:56 pmThis is such and easy and fantastic alfredo sauce! I even added italian seasonings into the sauce. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Posted by Joyce | October 11, 2015, 3:49 pmI love the use the bread you have! I’ve used hamburger buns to make garlic bread and it’s just as good- softer too! I’m making the Alfredo sauce tonight.
Posted by Cheri Gibbs | January 14, 2016, 6:41 pmThank you it was very good and extremely easy to make! Also I had everything on hand ….couldn’t get any better than that:)
Posted by Momo | January 26, 2016, 7:31 pmThis was excellent! Homemade is seriously the best way to go. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
Posted by Angie | February 26, 2016, 11:08 amThanks this is an easy recipe for things that I have on hand normally.
Posted by Ashley | July 21, 2016, 9:14 amWonderful sauce and much less guilty than using heavy cream. The hotdog buns?? They and hamburger buns are my “go to ” for ……French toast! We like it better than any other leftover bread.
Posted by Nancy | August 4, 2016, 8:40 amJust wanted to leave a Big Thank You for this quick and easy recipe that allows me to use things I mostly always have around the kitchen. The hubs hates store bought Alfredo but loves this stuff. Thanks for making me look good. My carbonara has never tasted so good.
Posted by carmenona | August 21, 2016, 6:54 pmThis will be my go to Alfredo recipe from now on. Me and my husband really loved it. I added sateed mushrooms and 2 cloves of garlic instead of the powdered. I cooked them until they were slightly blackened and it added an extra depth of flavor. Also I did half cream, half milk. I will try just milk next time. If it’s not as good then I’ll use half and half in the future. I didn’t
think the powdered Parmesan would taste good in it but it did. Thanks for a great recipe.
Posted by Brooke | December 29, 2016, 7:34 pmVery tasty. I was going to say it was too much garlic but that is only because my brain read “tablespoon” not “teaspoon”. But I like garlic 😉
Posted by Toni | January 30, 2017, 6:08 pmThank you soooo much, my family LOVES this recipe for the alfredo sauce and I love that its not full of overly processed ingredients. My kids constantly ask me to make chicken alfredo now 🙂
Posted by Tana Weakland | May 18, 2017, 9:18 pmThank you ! Easy and yummy.
Posted by Kandis | August 5, 2017, 5:14 pmHi! I know you published this a few years ago but I just found the recipe! I tried this tonight and it has been my favorite alfredo! It was so easy and reminded me of Olive Garden alfredo. Loved it! I didn’t have cream on hand so I searched for recipes that didn’t have it. Can’t wait to make it again! Thanks!
Posted by Shannon | August 5, 2017, 5:49 pmI’m so glad you liked it! It’s still a family favorite and so easy 🙂
Posted by crazyblessedlife | August 5, 2017, 5:50 pmI have totally done the hotdog buns garlic bread before! I called it fancy bread then told my kids afterwards what it really was. They loved it & ask for “fancy bread” for supper! 😂
Posted by Samantha | October 15, 2017, 4:36 pmThank you! Alfredo is my favorite and I don’t have thick cream so I kept looking till I found one with milk. I’m having it with leftover spaghetti and some garlic chicken
Posted by Tia | December 25, 2017, 9:07 pmI made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing this. I will definitely make it again.
Posted by Lashonda | January 9, 2018, 7:10 pmWill 1% milk work?
Posted by Sheri | January 10, 2018, 11:18 pmI haven’t tried it. If you do let me know if it works. I have tried it with almond milk and it was great!
Posted by crazyblessedlife | January 14, 2018, 8:34 amThanks so much! Had everything on hand and I’m the only one who likes alfredo so perfect for me in a home film of red sauce lovers!
Posted by Elissa | January 24, 2018, 9:58 pmI do that too
Posted by Christina | January 26, 2018, 1:17 pmThis is so simple to make, and is delicious! I subbed half n half for the milk. I doubled the recipe. Added to my rotation!
Posted by Crystal | January 30, 2018, 4:35 pmHad random chicken ravioli in the freezer and needed a quick sauce. Everything I found called for heavy cream, which I never have, but I did have cream cheese so I tried this and it was super yummy! I will definitely make it again! Thank you!
Posted by Karley | February 20, 2018, 8:05 pmAlso, I used nonfat milk (cause that’s what we had) and it still got nice and thick and was delish!
Posted by Karley | February 20, 2018, 8:07 pmThere is nothing wrong with using what you have on hand. With 6 kiddos (which includes 2 teenage boys) we have to do this regularly! It’s not always the easiest to do, but we sure get by just fine. God Bless!
Posted by Chrystal | August 19, 2018, 11:49 amI never let buns expire (they morph into garlic bread -butter garlic parsley-so easy) gonna try your cream cheese alfredo-never made that before.
Posted by Jane | April 17, 2020, 12:39 pm