How can I make Alfredo more interesting?

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If you want to know how to make jar Alfredo sauce better, there are so many different things you can do.

Add a few different ingredients to take your store bought Alfredo sauce to a whole new level of deliciousness.

Although Alfredo sauce is fairly easy to make, you might not have all of the ingredients. Plus the jarred Alfredo sauce often goes on sale in grocery stores.

That’s when I stock up for those evenings when I don’t have much time but still need to get a meal on the table.

Never feel guilty when you use the prepared version. You can enhance the jarred Alfredo sauce’s flavor that’s already delicious by adding more fresh garlic or garlic powder. 

Or you can change this creamy white sauce up a bit with ingredients that aren’t on the list on the back of the jar. By the time you toss in a few ingredients from your pantry, it will taste homemade.

Brands of Alfredo Sauce in a Jar

Next time you go to the grocery store, peruse the Italian sauce aisle. It seems that this aisle grows a little bit every time I go to the store.

As you look over the selection, you’ll see some national brands, such as Bertolli Alfredo sauce, Rao’s homemade Alfredo sauce, Classico Alfredo sauce, Ragu Alfredo sauce, and generic store brands of Alfredo sauce.

I’ve found that these are all Alfredo sauces of good quality.

However, my favorites are Classico and Raos. But you might like one of the others more.

Like anything else, it’s all a matter of personal taste.

Based on my experience, they’re all delicious, even though they all taste different. I recommend trying all of them … one at a time, of course. 

Many of the brands offer a choice between creamy white sauce and tomato sauce based Italian sauce.

You can also find more specific flavors, such as the creamy basil Alfredo from Bertolli.

My personal favorite is typically the one that’s on sale because I know that I’ll be making it my own sauce after adding a bunch of delicious ingredients.

Ingredients to Make Jar Alfredo Sauce Better

My simple recipe only needs a few extra ingredients for the best results. However, you need to please your taste buds, so try different things.

I typically add 5-6 extra ingredients, but you might like more or less.

It’s all up to you to make it your own sauce with the same or different ingredients.

Here are some things you can add to your own Alfredo sauce to make it delicious:

• Garlic in any form
• Parmesan cheese
• Romano cheese
• Heavy cream
• Cup of milk
• Jarred minced garlic or fresh garlic
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Chopped onions
• White wine
• White pepper
• Black pepper
• Cayenne pepper
• Low fat cream cheese
• Chicken stock
• Dried oregano
• Red pepper flakes
• Italian seasoning
• Parmesan cheese
• Any type of fresh herbs

I also like to add some protein, and I prefer chicken, either chopped or shredded.

I’ve also used shredded beef. Or if you prefer seafood, fish and shrimp are good too.

For an extra creamy sauce, add some cream cheese or heavy cream. If you don’t have either of those, a little bit of sour cream also works wonders and adds depth of flavor to the sauce.

If you want to add color to your Alfredo sauce, top it with chives, parsley flakes, or pieces of red bell pepper.

I do this because I think that when food looks good it also tastes better.

If you like a little bit of tartness to your Alfredo sauce, try adding some yogurt, either plain or Greek.

Another thing you can add is a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. It provides a hint of sour that balances out the richness of the cream.

Then There’s Bacon

Yes, I did just mention bacon because … well, we all know that bacon makes everything better.

Seriously, if you’re looking for a way to make a savory food taste better, try bacon.

And there are times when it works on sweets as well.

I like all kinds of bacon, from the traditional pork bacon to turkey bacon.

For those times when I don’t have bacon that I can cook, I keep packs of real bacon bits on hand. Most grocery stores have them near the salad dressings.

There are many ways to add bacon to your Alfredo sauce. You can stir it into the sauce in strips (cooked, of course). Or you can crumble it and sprinkle it on top.

If you’re not sure you’ll like it, set some aside and try a couple of bites before you add it to the whole pot.

My guess is that if you like bacon, you’ll love it in Alfredo sauce!

Directions for How to Make Jar Alfredo Sauce Better

I’m sure there are plenty of ways to do this, but I’ve found this to be the easiest way.

Feel free to switch out the ingredients to ones you prefer. 

I believe that the best flavors are the ones you and your family like.

I also highly recommend choosing just a few of the above ingredients (or others you might want to experiment with) to test the first few times.

Pour the jar of Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan and turn the burner to medium-high heat.

As soon as you see a couple of bubbles, turn it down to medium-low heat.

Now start adding the ingredients you like.

I highly recommend sautéing the onions if you choose chopped onions as one of the ingredients because that brings out the flavor.

I used all dried seasonings because that’s what I had. But if you have access to fresh ingredients, I highly recommend using those. 

My pepper mill is still packed (from our recent move), so I used already ground pepper.

Fresh ground pepper is much better. Or you can use white pepper.

I added chopped chicken that I cooked earlier to make chicken Alfredo.

If you don’t have fresh cooked chicken, you can use the canned version.

After it’s added to the cream sauce with the other ingredients, you probably won’t be able to tell the difference.

When I’m in the mood for seafood, I might use either shrimp or scallops instead of chicken. Both are good. Try using a variety of different proteins to see which ones you like.

As you add ingredients, you may want to turn the burner up to medium heat to keep the sauce hot.

After everything has been added and the flavors have blended, it’s time to serve it.

I’ve added the directions to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. This is how I made it. However, you can add whatever ingredients you want.

Mix Your Sauces

Something else I like to do is mix a couple of different types of sauce to create a whole new flavor sensation. One that we especially like is this delicious pasta and meatballs dish that I make in my Dutch oven.

You can also try mixing Alfredo sauce with different salad dressings. I use a lot of Catalina dressing to add some extra zing to … well, to almost anything.

How to Serve Alfredo Sauce

My husband and I like fettuccini Alfredo. Since I have a gluten sensitivity, I get fettuccini pasta that’s gluten-free. 

You can serve this however you like, but I’ve found this to be the best way to serve this easy recipe.

After cooking the pasta and putting it on the plate or in the bowl, I scoop some pasta sauce (in this case, Alfredo sauce) over it.

Then I top it with parmesan or a blend of parmesan and Romano. 

Or, if you prefer, you can mix the pasta into the Alfredo sauce. For a baked dish, mix all of it and put it in a greased baking dish.

Top it with mozzarella cheese and pop it into a 350˚ oven. Bake it until the cheese on top melts and then serve it hot.

It’s always good to enjoy any pasta dish with a side salad or steamed vegetable. My husband also enjoys a slice of crusty Italian bread with butter. 

How to Thin Out Alfredo Sauce

If you prefer a thinner Alfredo sauce, there are some easy ways to thin it out. A lot depends on how creamy you want it.

Here are some ways you can thin out Alfredo sauce:

• Add milk. I recommend doing this very slowly, just a couple of tablespoons at a time because it will thin out very quickly.
• Use some of the pasta water from the noodles. The starch from the pasta will help keep some of the body and prevent it from being too watery.
• Add chicken broth, beef stock, or vegetable broth. Again, I recommend adding just a little at a time, until you get the consistency you want.
• You can also add water, but that “waters down” some of the flavor. You might need to add more seasonings if you choose water.

Healthier Options

If you’re trying to keep this recipe as healthy as possible, make sure you find ingredients without added sugar, including the Alfredo sauce.

Other things you might want to use are low-fat cream cheese, low-sodium broth, and chopped vegetables such as broccoli or spinach.

This is actually a good way to get non-veggie loving kids to have more nutrition because the creamy sauce on top of the pasta dominates the flavors.

I also have a delicious but healthy low-fat Alfredo sauce that I make from scratch. It’s not quite as creamy, but you still get the flavors you love. I make it with low-fat Greek yogurt, which adds a little bit of extra flavor.

How to Keep Alfredo Sauce

If I have any of this creamy Alfredo sauce left over, I pour it into a medium or large mason jar, depending on how much I have.

Then I put it in the refrigerator. It’s good for at least 4 or 5 days. However, it rarely lasts that long at our house because I love leftovers for lunch. 

Can you freeze Alfredo sauce? Yes, absolutely! Put the Alfredo sauce in an airtight container and store it in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat it, let it thaw for several hours. Then put it in a covered saucepan over medium heat.

I’ve noticed that when I freeze Alfredo sauce, the sauce sometimes separates. But all I have to do is stir it as it heats, and that usually solves the problem.

You can also thicken it by adding a little bit of cornstarch. The best way to do this is to make a slurry of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1/2 cup of your favorite cold broth (mine is chicken).

Whisk it and then slowly add it to the Alfredo sauce. It thickens as it gets hot.

Is There Protein in Alfredo Sauce?

Alfredo sauce by itself has protein from the dairy it contains. Most Alfredo sauce has a cream base.

If you add chicken, meat, or other type of protein, it has quite a bit more.

Does Alfredo Sauce Have Vitamins and Other Nutrients?

Yes, Alfredo sauce does have vitamins.

Most brands of Alfredo sauce in a jar include vitamin A, calcium, thiamine, folic acid, and more. Anything else you add contribute to the nutritional value of this delicious food.

See this recipe shared at Full Plate Thursday and Weekend Potluck.

Why Is It Called Alfredo Sauce?

It’s named after restaurateur Alfredo di Lelio who featured it at his restaurant in Rome, where it was ceremoniously prepared at the table.

More Delicious Italian-Inspired Recipes

My husband and I enjoy dishes with seasonings that give them the Italian flavor we love. Here are some of our favorites:

Zucchini Pasta Sauce

Easy Homemade Marinara Sauce

How to Make Jar Spaghetti Sauce Taste Homemade

Penne with Italian Meat Sauce

Crock Pot Italian Chicken – from Back to My Southern Roots

Italian Chicken Zucchini Casserole

Ingredients

• One 15 ounce jar of your favorite Alfredo sauce
• 1 cup of chopped cooked chicken
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of onion powder
• 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup of sliced red bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon of chopped chives

Instructions

1. Pour the contents of the jar of Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. Turn the burner up to medium-high heat. As soon as the sauce begins to bubble, turn the heat down to low.
2. Add the ingredients you want. I added the chicken minced garlic, garlic powder, and onion powder. Turn the burner up to medium-low heat.
3. Continue to cook until the mixture is hot, stirring frequently.
4. Serve over fettuccini or your favorite pasta.
5. Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese over the top.
6. Garnish with the red bell pepper and chives.

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 594Total Fat 52gSaturated Fat 31gTrans Fat 2gUnsaturated Fat 17gCholesterol 173mgSodium 487mgCarbohydrates 10gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 22g

The nutrition information is a product of online calculators. I try to provide true and accurate information, but these numbers are estimates.