can I substitute 1/2 1/2 for the heavy cream when I make sauces(like alfredo?)?

Answer 1

Not with great success. The heavy cream is what makes alfredo sauce. Half & half will create a weak sauce that won't satisfy.

Go get some heavy cream.

Answer 2

When I was a chef we did it all the time, you may want to warm it on the stove or in the microwave for a few minutes, it will not go as thick as 35% cream in sauces, so you may have to cook them longer, and in the place of alfredo sauce, add a touch of cornstarch to thicken it up before adding the cheese.

This will cut the fat content of the sauce, but as I said you may have to cook it longer to get the right consistancy, what we did in the restaurant business was ahve our base sauces like, bechemel, veloute and demi glaze quite thick and the 1/2 & 1/2 was to thin and smooth out the sauce at the end, the same applies to home use just make sure not to over cook it as it will curdle.

Answer 3

It's better in some sauces than others. In classic Alfredo sauce (that is, softened butter and cream over hot noodles), it's not QUITE as good as the original but it works.

What we've started doing is using the various "fat-free half and half" (FFH&H) products as substitutes, whenever possible. We made a decent Alfredo with fat-free half and half, plus real butter, and reduced the fat content significantly.

In other sauces, the FFH&H works even better. It's great, for example, in one we make with browned Italian sausage and mushrooms with sherry -- we sprinkle a small amount of flour over the meat and mushrooms to help thicken the sauce, then use FFH&H. As the flour absorbs the liquid it becomes creamy, but all the fat from the cream is eliminated from the sauce.

And finally, FFH&H makes a great cream soup. We're fond of simmering vegetables in chicken broth, then pureeing them and adding some kind of thickening agent (used to be butter mixed with flour, lately it's cornstarch and broth) and finally adding FFH&H. It gives it a luxurious feel and flavor without adding fat.

(And for the record... what makes it work is that it's basically skim milk with condensed skim milk added, plus a few other ingredients to give it the feel of half & half. It's good in coffee, too, but we cook with it almost all the time now in place of the "real thing" -- now that my wife has gall-bladder trouble, we need to reduce fat however we can.)

Answer 4

Better Homes and Gardens has a good recipe for Alfredo sauce with Half and Half

My alteration on the recipe is:
1 lb pasta
1 cup half and half
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter

cook and drain the pasta, return to pot. Mixin half and half, cheese and butter until pasta is coated. Serve.

Answer 5

absolutely - i do it all the time and have yet to have anyone notice.

another idea for your alfredo sauce - take 1 cup of chicken stock to 1 package of cream cheese. it's fantastic and you can use this as a base for pretty much any sauce.

Answer 6

Yes, it will work fine for alfredo, we do it all the time here at home. You just have to reduce it a lot longer.

Answer 7

It should work fine for alfredo sauce. It won't be as rich, or as fattening, but it will still taste delicious.

Answer 8

Yes you're just reducing the amount of fat you're adding to the sauce.

Answer 9

Yes you can
but if it still runny u can add a tablespoons of flour dissolved in two tablespoons of water which will make it thick

Answer 10

yes, but it will take more cheese to get the proper consistency. or you could add a little flour or cornstarch.