Delicious shredded chicken layered in tender lasagna with rich, creamy spinach and ricotta cheese sauce, this Chicken Lasagna is Yum personified.  Experience the intoxicating aroma of the rich and flavorful dish, just the whiff is enough to get you hooked! What is Lasagna? Lasagna is an Italian dish made by stacking and alternating layers of flat wide noodles with meat, cheeses, sauce, and spices, this is then baked and served. There are many variations of this dish ranging from seafood to chicken, beef, or even vegan! Regardless of what you like, there a lasagna to suit every taste! Facts About Lasagna

• On June 20^th,2012 in Poland, Magillo Restaurant and Macro Supermarket teamed up to create the largest lasagna. It weighed 4865kg.
• Lasagna is actually the singular form of the word lasagne.
• The first recorded recipe was in a 14^th-century cookbook called Liber de Coquina.
• July 29^th is National lasagna day.

Origins It’s has been long disputed that lasagna originated in either ancient Greece or Medieval Italy. The name lasagna or lasagna is derived from the Greek word “laganon” which means thin strips of bread or wheat. Italians claim to have invented this dish sometime between 1544 to 1692 in Emilia Romagna or Naples. Whether the origins of the dish are rooted in Ancient Greece or Middle Age Italy, it’s still up for debate. When This Creamy Cheesy Chicken Lasagna Should Be Eaten? Lasagna is usually eaten for dinner or as part of the main course in a meal. This can be eating on special occasions such as wedding receptions, banquets, bridal showers, or just at dinner with family, the choice is yours.

Creamy Cheesy Chicken Lasagna Is Best Served With

One of the best things about lasagna is that it goes well with just about any side dish! Have it with salads such as chilled zucchini noodles, or roasted tomatoes. It can also be eaten with garlic bread, or cauliflower bread, the combinations are endless.   How The Ingredients Work for Creamy Cheesy Chicken Lasagna Egg– We used 1 large egg in the ricotta sauce along with the mozzarella and parmesan, and parsley. This helps to thicken the sauce during baking as eggs coagulate when heated. Cold Water – We used cold water to briefly submerge the lasagna sheets after removing them from the heat, this halted the cooking process and prevented the sheets from sticking to each other. This Is How It’s Done! In this recipe, we started by cooking the lasagna and shredding the chicken, then set them aside for later. Next was the Balachamel sauce, we sauteed the then mixed in the flour in a large pot until golden brown. We then added the broth, milk, salt, and black pepper and whisked and simmered to a gravy consistency, next we stirred in the garlic and spinach, and removed it from the heat. To make the ricotta cheese sauce, we whisked together the ricotta, egg, mozzarella, parmesan, and parsley. It was now time to assemble the chicken lasagna! We coated the bottom of the pan with a little of the spinach sauce and began with 3 pasta sheets and continued with half the ricotta sauce, half the chicken, and a third of the spinach sauce. We continued in the same order using the remainder of the ricotta sauce and chicken and finished with the last 3 pasta sheets and 1 cup of mozzarella. We covered it with foil and baked it for 45 minutes, broiled it uncovered for 3 minutes, and rested it for 10 minutes before serving.   Why Should You Make This? This is a rich, savory, inexpensive, and delicious dish, perfect for dinner with family, special occasions, or formal events. It goes well with almost any side dish and doesn’t take long to make at all. It’s the total package! Terms Used In The Recipe Al Dente– This means to cook the pasta just enough so that it will still be firm when eaten. Broil– The is the act of cooking meat or fish (or in our case the cheese) with direct heat to induce browning. Questions And Answers Q: What can I use as a half and half substitute? A: You can use equal parts milk and heavy cream as a replacement. Q: How do I know when my lasagna is done baking? A: Use a toothpick to test the lasagna. Insert the toothpick into the lasagna, if it goes in easily, the lasagna is done, the sauce will also start to boil around the edges of the pan. This recipe for Chicken Lasagna is moist, tender, and rich with the flavors of 3 kinds of cheese and other spices. It’s simple to make, cost-effective, and filling. This hearty dish is comfort food that’s so beloved, there are hundreds of variations to the original recipe and I’m sure, there’s more to come.  

Yield: 12 Serving

Creamy Cheesy Chicken Lasagna

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Succulent lasagna layered in shredded chicken, ricotta and béchamel sauce, and baked to rich and creamy perfection.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken Lasagna

• 9 lasagna sheets
• 4 cups shredded chicken breast

Spinach Cream Sauce (Belachamel)

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 4 tbs unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ cups chicken broth
• 1 ½ cups of half and half milk
• 5 oz spinach (chopped)
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)

Ricotta Cheese Sauce

• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup parsley
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• 3 cups mozzarella cheese (set aside 1 cup for topping)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. in a large pot, cook the lasagna al dente in salt-water, then drain the hot water once cooked, then flush with cold water and drain. Shred the chicken and set it aside.

Sauce

1. In a large saucepan, sauté the onions with a tbs of olive over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until soft. Whisk in 4 tbs of butter and 1/3 cup flour for 3 minutes or until it is a golden color.
2. Add to the mixture the half and half milk, chicken broth, salt, and black pepper and whisk until smooth. Let this simmer for 5 minutes until it is a thick, slightly runny consistency.
3. Stir in the garlic and spinach, then remove it from the heat.

Cheese Sauce

1. Using a whisk, combine the ricotta, egg, parmesan, parsley and 2 cups mozzarella in a large bowl.

Assembling the chicken lasagna

1. Use a small amount of béchamel sauce to coat the bottom of the 9x13 casserole dish, then add 3 lasagna sheets, ½ of the ricotta sauce, ½ the shredded chicken, then 1/3 of the spinach sauce on top.
2. Add another 3 lasagna sheets, the remaining ricotta, ½ shredded chicken, and 1/3 spinach sauce.
3. Continue with the last 3 lasagna sheets, the remaining spinach sauce, and the 1 cup of mozzarella cheese as the topping.
4. Cover with tin a large sheet of foil and bake. Using toothpicks, suspend the tin foil just above the cheese to prevent touching. Bake this in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and allow the cheese to brown for 2-3 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
   
   
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