After many years fearing bell peppers (I am still constantly fighting my oh-so-picky inner child) I’ve  found that they’re a delicious addition/alternative to other vegetables in many dishes. Red has become a favorite for me- I love the sweetness they offer to balance out salty flavors, and the bright color takes the blah out of just about everything. Alfredo is a popular dinner favorite here, but I must confess how sick I am of using broccoli. (Not knocking broccoli; I just need a 5-year or so break from it.) Red peppers were an easy swap here, and cream of mushroom soup makes this alfredo faster than the traditional method.

CHICKEN AND RED PEPPER ALFREDO

serves 4

• 8 oz pasta of your choice (I’m partial to linguine)
• 2 tsp olive oil or butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large red pepper, sliced
• 8 oz chicken breast, in large dices
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (Amy’s Kitchen tastes the best as far as canned soups go)
• 1/2 cup lowfat milk
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan
• freshly cracked black pepper

Cook pasta according to directions, drain, keep warm. In the meantime, heat a large skillet to medium-low, add olive oil, then add garlic. Cook for a few minutes until garlic is fragrant, but not burning (yuck). Add red pepper, saute for about 5 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Increase heat to medium-high, add chicken, onion powder and a little black pepper, and cook until chicken is no longer pink. For some extra oomph let the chicken brown up and get a little crispy for a texture/flavor contrast.

Transfer chicken and peppers to a plate. Pour soup and milk into the pan, whisk together, then add parmesan. Cook over medium-low, whisking often, until mixture starts to thicken. Add cooked pasta, chicken and peppers and heat through. A few more shakes of parmesan and a bit of pepper brings it all together.

Resist the urge to eat it out of the pan; serve with garlic bread, salad or both, and enjoy!