Recipe

Creamy Chicken and Spinach Lasagna

By: 

Robin Asbell

Recipe Information

Total Time: 

1 hour 50 minutes; 1 hour active

Servings: 

12

If you like Fettucine Alfredo, you will love this lasagna. Creamy, cheesy, and stuffed with chicken and spinach, this lasagna is pure comfort in a pan. The smoked cheese gives it a hint of smoke flavor, but you can also use Asiago cheese for a tangier taste.

Ingredients

  • 12 whole lasagna noodles
  • 10 ounces salad spinach
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 cup unbleached flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 cup milk
  • 12 ounces (3 cups) shredded smoked provolone or mozzarella (or Asiago)
  • 2 ounces (1 cup) Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
  • 2 pounds ricotta cheese
  • 8 ounces chicken breast, cooked, shredded
  • 2 large Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

Preparation

  1. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and reserve. Preheat the oven to 400⁰F. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Undercook the noodles by 3 minutes, they will finish cooking as the lasagna bakes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
  2. Bring a pot of water to boil for the spinach, and drop the leaves in, stirring to submerge for one minute. Drain, rinse with cold water, and then wring out until very dry. Chop the spinach finely. Reserve.
  3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in flour and salt, then stir constantly for about 2 minutes.
  4. Take the pan off the heat and gradually mix in the broth and milk, and bring to a bubble, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups of provolone cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Season with basil, oregano and ground black pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
  5. Spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture on the bottom of the 9 × 13-inch baking pan. Layer with 1/3 of the noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta and 1/3 the chicken, then dollop 1 cup of the sauce over that. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over the chicken and pat to make an even layer, then cover with 1/3 of the ricotta, 1/3 of the spinach, 1 cup of sauce, and then another layer of noodles, ricotta, spinach and chicken. Finally, cover it all with the remaining noodles, remaining sauce, and the remaining 1 cup of provolone cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
  6. Bake for 40 minutes, until bubbly around the edges and golden brown on top. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Garnish with diced tomato and a sprinkle of parmesan at serving.

Serving Suggestion

Serve this creamy dish with a crisp green salad and steamed or roasted carrots in herbed butter.

Nutritional Information

470 calories, 25 g. fat, 113 mg. cholesterol, 725 mg. sodium, 30 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. fiber, 30 g. protein

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