My
mother makes a phenomenal lasagna and over Christmas break this year I got to
spend some time in the kitchen helping her make it. It is awesome, a little
complicated, and I devour every single bite – it is that good. Unfortunately
her recipe calls for ground beef and my husband has eliminated beef from his
diet, so I had to get a little creative and think of a way to make lasagna with
chicken instead. While I believe her recipe would be just as good with chicken,
I thought a white creamy sauce would work better for us. Thus, the Spinach
Cheese & Chicken Lasagna recipe was born.
What
you need:
9
lasagna noodles
1/2
cup butter {1 stick}
1/2
medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon
minced garlic
1/2
cup all-purpose flour
1
teaspoon salt
2
cups chicken broth
1
1/2 cups milk
4
cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1
cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1
teaspoon dried basil
1
teaspoon dried oregano
1/2
teaspoon ground black pepper
1
cup ricotta cheese {I use light}
2
cups chicken – cubed & cooked
1 package
of frozen chopped spinach - thawed & drained
1
tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
How
to make it:
Preheat
oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cook
lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse with
cold water.
Melt
the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add
the onion and garlic to the butter and cook until tender.
Add
the flour and salt and let simmer until bubbly.
Add
the chicken broth and milk and mix well. Let the mixture boil for 1-2 minutes
while stirring constantly.
Once
the mixture has thickened up a bit stir in 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup
Parmesan cheese.
Add
the basil, oregano, and ground black pepper.
Remove
from heat, and set aside.
Spread
1/3 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Layer
with 1/3 of the noodles, the ricotta, the spinach, and the chicken. {REPEAT}
Arrange
remaining noodles and spread remaining sauce evenly over noodles.
Cover
the noodles with the remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan
cheese. Sprinkle with the chopped fresh parsley.
Bake
35 minutes in the preheated oven.
I
made this for dinner this week and my husband gobbled it up. I am even bringing
some leftovers to my mother-in-law to try, as we simply cannot eat it all. I am
not a big white sauce person when it comes to lasagna and have only ever loved
one white sauce lasagna ever {the Portabella Mushroom Lasagna from Biaggi’s is
AMAZING}, but I really enjoyed this lasagna – white sauce and all. I hope that
you enjoy it as well.
