Dinner time is a special moment for family connection. Prepare a skillet of this easy Bacon Shrimp Alfredo with the kids and enjoy the smiles around the table.
Let’s talk about Alfredo sauce for a moment. For years many of us have relied on jarred sauces for quick meals. They’re convenient and fine in a pinch, but a homemade Alfredo can be ready in about 10 minutes and tastes far fresher. You’ll be surprised how simple and delicious it is.
My husband makes an amazing homemade Alfredo for my birthday every year, and it’s so good I don’t know why we don’t make it more often. This week I decided to upgrade a regular weeknight dinner and make a from-scratch Alfredo.
Traditional Alfredo is essentially three ingredients: butter, Parmesan, and milk (or half-and-half) melted together into a silky sauce. Our family loves cheese, so I add a bit of mozzarella for extra creaminess—because extra cheese is always a good idea.
To make the meal more exciting, I added roasted red peppers, crisp bacon, and popcorn shrimp. Our kids aren’t huge fans of plain seafood, but breaded popcorn shrimp are usually a hit and make this pasta kid-friendly.
Making dinner together builds family memories. Cooking side-by-side gives you time to catch up on the day, and you can extend the evening with a quick game after the meal—Uno or Phase 10 are family favorites around here.
Now that evenings are cooler, one of our favorite after-dinner activities is gathering around a bonfire to roast marshmallows and tell stories. Those are the small traditions our kids remember.
Our kids love being involved in the kitchen. As they help with simple tasks, they develop life skills that will let them prepare meals independently as they get older. Time in the kitchen also encourages better eating habits and positive routines around food—things we value for our family.
With all the sweets that pass through our kitchen, the kids have developed serious sweet teeth, so any opportunity to talk about balanced choices and healthy eating is welcome.
As sports seasons wind down we still have those last-minute games and practices. I need quick, satisfying dinners that come together in minutes to feed hungry athletes. This dish works well: boil the pasta, bake the popcorn shrimp, and make the sauce—all in about 20 minutes—so we have more time to sit and talk before heading out.
Start with a pot of boiling water and a sheet pan of frozen shrimp. When the pasta goes into the boiling water, pop the shrimp in the oven. They cook in roughly the same amount of time, so do them simultaneously.
While the pasta and shrimp cook, make the sauce. Melt butter in a skillet, stir in minced garlic and grated Parmesan, then slowly whisk in half-and-half. Let it simmer briefly until it thickens, then stir in mozzarella until melted for extra richness.
If you want to keep it simple, the sauce alone is delicious, but we like mix-ins. Stir cooked pasta with diced roasted red peppers and crumbled bacon for extra flavor and texture.
Spoon the sauced pasta into bowls and top with the baked popcorn shrimp. It’s an easy, crowd-pleasing dinner that’s both comforting and fun to serve.
Recipe
Bacon Shrimp Alfredo Pasta
6 servings
10 minutes
20 minutes
30 minutes
Homemade Alfredo sauce with bacon and popcorn shrimp makes a fun, kid-friendly meal that everyone will enjoy.
Ingredients
- 1 package SeaPak Popcorn Shrimp
- 8 ounces pasta
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ cups half and half
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup diced roasted red pepper
- ½ cup crumbled cooked bacon
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.
- Place the popcorn shrimp on a cookie sheet and bake according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and Parmesan. Slowly whisk in the half-and-half and simmer until the sauce thickens, then stir in the mozzarella until melted.
- Add the cooked pasta, roasted red peppers, and crumbled bacon to the sauce and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately, topped with the cooked popcorn shrimp. Makes about 6 servings.