White Chicken Lasagna

So after that amazing Simple Fettuccine Alfredo I was craving another white pasta dish. I'm sensing a dangerous trend here, so this will be my last white pasta dish for awhile. Jeans season is upon us and I'd like to continue to fit in mine.

Anyhoo, I stumbled across a great-looking White Chicken Lasagna recipe by One Ordinary Day on pinterest (shocker, right?). I made some modifications to make a little healthier (whole wheat whole grain noodles, nonfat cheeses, low sodium broth, etc.). I also omitted a layer because I was concerned I'd need to be rolled out of bed if I had even one slice of a four plus layer white lasagna.

Let me tell you, this did not need those extra layers of noodles and cheese. It was absolutely delicious without it, and it didn't feel as heavy as I expected. In fact, I added so much spinach and chicken, and so little actual cheese, it was pretty balanced! (Or as balanced as a white pasta dish can be!) This is a great meal and so yummy, especially as the weather starts getting colder. 

Ingredients:
*9 whole wheat whole grain lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions
*1/2 c. butter
*1 onion, minced
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1/2 c. flour
*1/2 tsp. salt
*ground black pepper, to taste
*2 c. low sodium chicken broth
*2 c. nonfat milk 
*3 c. skim mozzarella cheese, divided 
*1/2 c. shredded or grated Parmesan cheese, divided
*1 tsp. basil
*1 tsp. oregano
*1 c. part-skim ricotta cheese
*1 1/2 c. cooked and shredded chicken (I cooked 2 breasts - 1-1.5 would be enough - in the slow cooker on low for 4 hours, covered halfway in low-sodium chicken broth)
*1 1/2-2 c. spinach (I used frozen, thawed in microwave with excess liquid drained)

Directions:
*Melt butter in a large saucepot.  Add onions and garlic and cook over medium heat until translucent.  Add flour, salt, and pepper.  Cook flour mixture 1-2 minutes.

*Add chicken broth and milk.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1 minute.  Turn off heat and add 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese.  Stir in dried spices.

*Lightly spray a lasagna pan or 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Ladle some cheese sauce onto the bottom to thinly cover.

*Add a layer of lasagna noodles.  Layer with more cheese sauce, the chicken, and the ricotta cheese.

*Add another layer of pasta.  Top with cheese sauce and spinach.

*Add another layer of pasta.  Top with cheese sauce. Add remaining 1 c. mozzarella cheese and 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese.

*Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

*Remove foil and continue to cook until bubbly.  If cheese doesn’t brown on top, turn on the broiler for the last couple minutes. (I cooked mine another 10 minutes after removing the foil. Then I turned the broiler up to 405 degrees for about 3-4 minutes until the cheese was completely melted and golden.)

*Allow lasagna to sit about 15 minutes before serving for easier slicing.

Onions, garlic, and butter

Cheese sauce

Layer one

Chicken layer

Chicken and ricotta

Cheese sauce and spinach

Final layer

All brown and bubbly

Creamy goodness

Steamed up my phone a bit! (All my pictures are taken on my phone)