CHICKEN FLORENTINE LASAGNA WITH BACON RECIPE - (4.4/5)

Chicken Florentine Lasagna with Bacon Recipe - (4.4/5) image

Provided by á-4084

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

CREAMY GARLIC SAUCE:
12 lasagna noodles, cooked
1 pound chicken tenderloins, cooked and diced, about 8 to 10
3 cups Parmesan cheese, grated
4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach, raw
12 strips bacon, cooked crispy
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped
8 cups (1/2 gallon) 1% low-fat milk
2 tablespoons natural chicken base (I use "Better Than Bouillon" brand)
4 ounces butter, about 8 tablespoons
4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
4 ounces flour, about 12 tablespoons
Pinch or two salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly grease a 12 x 9 x 2 1/2-inch baking dish. To assemble your lasagna, add a thin layer of the Creamy Sauce to the bottom of the baking dish, and spread evenly. Add 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce, and add in another, more generous, layer of the sauce. Next, sprinkle over about half of the diced chicken, followed by about 1 cup of the shredded parmesan and 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella. Next, sprinkle over about half of the bag of baby spinach, followed by about 1/3 of the chopped bacon. Repeat with another layer of 4 lasagna noodles, more sauce, the rest of the chicken, another cup of parmesan and mozzarella cheese, the remainder of the baby spinach, and another 1/3 of the chopped bacon; then, cover with the last layer of four lasagna noodles. Finish by topping the noodles with sauce, then sprinkle over the last cup of parmesan cheese, the last 2 cups of mozzarella cheeses, and the teaspoon of Italian seasoning; bake for about 20-25minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Garnish with the remainder of the chopped bacon and the chopped parsley, and serve. CREAMY GARLIC SAUCE: Add the milk and the chicken base to a large saucepan or medium pot, whisk to combine, and bring to the simmer; then, turn off the heat. While the milk heats, add the butter to another large saucepan or medium pot, along with the garlic, and place over medium heat; allow to melt together, and stir the garlic into the butter to soften. Sprinkle the flour into the melted butter/garlic, and stir to combine; stir for about 1-2 minutes to cook out the raw taste of the flour. Next, slowly add the hot milk into the butter/garlic/flour mixture, whisking constantly to avoid lumps form forming, and allow the sauce to simmer for a few moments until thickened. Once thickened, turn off the heat and finish by whisking in a pinch or two of salt, the black pepper, the nutmeg, the Italian seasoning, and the parmesan cheese; keep warm, or allow to completely cool and keep in fridge to use later.