I think you’re going to like THIS. REALLY.
I adore the green color, especially during this time of the year. So why don’t make something… green? Something green and yummy? Something that will remind me of summer on these super cold winter days? Honestly, I so miss these summer quinoa salad garnished with fresh strawberries!
Last night I thought: how about a GREEN lasagna? Yes!!! Cheesy green lasagna sounds perfect!
The result? Today I have this colorful yumminess in front of me… Can you believe it?? Do you want to know how this goodness is made?
Well, spinach is the best ingredient of this meal. I made a super duper delicious spinach and mushroom sauce which gave that beautiful deep green color to the lasagna. This sauce is so rich and creamy, you’ll be eating it straight from the saucepan before it touches the lasagna… I have to be honest. I did it…
Here’s another great part – lasagna has a lot of chicken in it! Mmm… I love it! Cooked and shredded chicken, mixed with a red tomato sauce. What could be better? I think it would be a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken you have on hand.
Now it’s time to assemble the lasagna. I started with the noodles on the bottom and finished with the chicken mixture on top, but you can make it any way you like. Don’t forget to sprinkle with cheese on top. Plenty of it!
I am drooling here just looking at these photos… I know you want some of this rich, cheesy, creamy, and wonderfully flavorful lasagna… Am I right? Yeah. I’m sure I am! So let’s head to the kitchen and make your very own green lasagna! 😉
Enjoy this freaking delicious meal, and don’t forget to check out my other healthy winter recipes while you’re here!
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450g) chicken breast , cooked and roughly shredded
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red onion , finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 cloves garlic , chopped
- 1 14.5 oz (400g) can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , divided
- 8 oz. (225g) button mushrooms , cleaned and sliced
- 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups (500ml) milk
- 4 oz. (115g) spinach leaves , cleaned
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 7 oz. (200g) Parmesan cheese , grated
- 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
- 1 tomato , sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add the chopped red onion, oregano, basil, and garlic and cook over low heat until the onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the diced tomatoes, paprika, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix the sauce with the shredded chicken and set aside.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook till water evaporates. Once the mushrooms turn brown, remove from skillet and set aside.
- Return the empty skillet to the stove, add 3 tablespoons of the reserved butter and heat it over medium heat. Add the flour and stir the mixture for a minute. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly over low heat until a smooth sauce is reached (about 5 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat. Pour one-third of the sauce into the blender with the spinach and blend until smooth. Pour the blender mixture back into the skillet with the remaining sauce. Stir to incorporate. Return to the medium heat, add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms. Taste the sauce to decide if it needs more salt. Remove from the heat.
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 9 by 13-inch pan with nonstick spray. Arrange 3 noodles in bottom of dish. Cover with 1/2 spinach mixture. Place 3 more noodles over spinach mixture and cover them with 1/2 chicken mixture. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese evenly over the chicken. Cover with a layer of noodles and spread the remaining spinach sauce. Cover with a layer of noodles and spread with the remaining chicken mixture. Layer the chicken mixture with sliced tomato and sprinkle the top with the remaining Parmesan.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is golden and the pasta is tender (test with a knife). Let the lasagna sit for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving. ENJOY!
2 Comments
Rebecca
February 5, 2014 at 10:07 pmI made this for dinner tonight and my family loved it! I substituted the shredded chicken for chopped vegetarian ‘chikn’ strips and it still turned out perfectly delicious! New family staple meal <3
Jovita
February 6, 2014 at 7:59 amHey Rebecca! Your version sounds amazing! I’m so happy you tried this and that your family loved it! Thank you so much for taking the time to report back!