CHICKEN LASAGNA WITH SPINACH

Chicken Lasagna with Spinach image

My boyfriend and I love chicken lasagna with spinach. I never could find the "one" recipe that I really liked. I have a habit of gathering 3 or 4 different recipes and mixing them up to create my own. I have made this with and without chicken, either way it is wonderful.

Provided by Crystal

Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian

Time 2h5m

Yield 16

Number Of Ingredients 21

Ingredients

8 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
12 fresh mushrooms, sliced
½ cup chopped onion
8 cloves garlic, minced, divided
salt, divided
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
1 (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles
3 (9 ounce) packages fresh spinach
2 cups whipping cream
2 cups half-and-half
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon crushed dried sage
1 bay leaf
cooking spray (such as Pam®)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 ½ cups shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 (32 ounce) container ricotta cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Steps:

Heat 3 tablespoons butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, mushrooms, onion, 1/2 of the minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in spinach; set aside.
While chicken is cooking, bring 2 large pots of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in the boiling water in one pot, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside. Drop spinach into the boiling water in the second pot and blanch for 1 minute; pour into a colander to drain.
Combine cream, half-and-half, remaining garlic, onion powder, sage, and bay leaf in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high power in 1-minute increments until boiling; stir well.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 12x15-inch piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray.
Melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour; stir and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue stirring and add cream mixture. Cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, remaining 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, mix ricotta cheese and 3 cups mozzarella cheese in a medium bowl. Fold in 1/4 cup of the cream sauce.
Assemble lasagna in a deep 9x13-inch baking dish as follows, spreading ingredients in each layer: 1/2 cup cream sauce, 1/3 of the chicken-spinach mixture, 1/3 of the noodles, 1/2 cup cream sauce, 1/3 of the chicken-spinach mixture, 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, 1/4 cup cream sauce, 1/3 of the noodles, 1/2 cup cream sauce, remaining chicken-spinach mixture, remaining ricotta mixture, remaining noodles, remaining cream sauce, remaining Parmesan, and remaining mozzarella. Cover with the aluminum foil, sprayed-side down.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top starts to turn golden, about 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 567.7 calories, Carbohydrate 31.8 g, Cholesterol 126.1 mg, Fat 36.3 g, Fiber 2.4 g, Protein 30.4 g, SaturatedFat 21.7 g, Sodium 733.7 mg, Sugar 2.4 g