Homemade Alfredo Sauce

I think the hardest part about weight management is finding those comfort meals you love without loosing all the flavor while loosing the fat. Thanks to my ward cookbook, I found this recipe in it and was floored by the intensity of the flavor and the creaminess of the sauce. This recipe cuts out the heavy cream and significantly reduces the amount of butter used. Brooks loved this sauce and didn't even know it was lower in fat than the original. And the best part about this recipe is that is is so simple. The finer you mince your garlic the more flavor you will get from it.2 C. low-fat milk (not skim)
1/3 C. less fat cream cheese
2 T. flour
1 tsp salt
1 T. butter
3 garlic cloves finely minced
1 C. grated Parmesan cheese (I used fresh pre-shredded)

Toss the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt into a blender. Process until smooth and set aside. (You need to do this for the cream cheese or it has a hard time melting into the sauce.) In a non stick saucepan, melt butter on medium high heat add garlic. Saute garlic for about 30 seconds or until it becomes fragrant. Add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 min. until it begins to simmer. Keep stirring and cook a few minutes more until it thickens. Remove from heat and add cheese. Stir and cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 min. before using. You can add milk and reheat if necessary.

If you wish for a completely smooth consistency, add the sauteed garlic to the blender and blend with the milk mixture. However, I love the rustic and homey texture the small pieces of garlic provide.