Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Chicken Lasagna

Chicken Lasagna

Tomato Sauce:
(based on Tomato Sauce with White Wine)
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cans tomatoes
2 bell peppers, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon mixed herbs

White Sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
1/4 cup grated parmesan

500 grams diced chicken
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon basil paste or basil pesto

Dried lasagna sheets
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Make the tomato sauce. Chop all of the vegetables, then heat some oil in a large saucepan. Throw in the onion and garlic, cook for a couple of minutes, then throw in everything else. Just let it simmer away while you prepare everything else and it will be ready when you are. Make sure that the stove is not too hot or you could burn it to the bottom of the pot (I did this, it didn't ruin the sauce but cleaning the pot was a huge nuisance!)

Cook the chicken. Make sure that it is diced up quite small, then heat some oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic, the basil (or basil pesto), then add the chicken. Stir it about until the chicken is cooked through, then remove the pan from the heat and leave the chicken to cool.

Make the white sauce. Take a heavy bottomed, medium sized saucepan and melt the butter. Stir in the flour and keep stirring for a couple of minutes, while the butter/flour paste sizzles away. Then add the milk very slowly. Add just a little and keep on stirring quickly with a wooden spoon to keep the sauce smooth. You should have the heat on medium-low and stir until the sauce is smooth and thick. Then add a little more milk and do the same thing, each time letting the sauce thicken a bit before adding more milk. Finally, when all the milk is in you should have a thick, creamy sauce. Season it with salt and pepper until it tastes good, then stir in the parmesan.

Finally, the last step - putting the lasagna together. Begin by spooning a about a third of the tomato sauce into your large lasagna dish. Lay dried lasagna sheets over it, then spoon on a half of the white sauce. Lay half of the chicken over the white sauce. Then repeat, with a layer of tomato sauce, a layer of pasta, a layer of white sauce and a layer of chicken.

Spoon the last of the tomato sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Place the dish in the oven and bake for about half an hour.


If you have the time and patience, turn the oven off and let the lasagna sit for up to a half hour longer, so that it can solidify a little. That way it will hold it's shape when you serve it.


On the other hand, if you are really hungry then dig in straight away. It will still taste amazing, it will just look a little sloppy.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Jaimie,
    This is a great Lasagna dish that we would really enjoy! Hope you are having a wonderful Spring day. Thank you so much for sharing your great recipe with Full Plate Thursday and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete
  2. This looks great! I bet the family would love this one. Going to give it a try! Please link up to NYOR's Foodie Friday Don't forget to leave a comment!

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