Chicken & Spinach Lasagna

I have had requests for this recipe that I posted a picture of in Saturdays Project 365 post, so here it is. This recipe is gluten-free, but you can easily adjust it and use non-gluten-free items if you want to.

Chicken & Spinach Lasagna

Pam olive oil spray
1 each: red, green, yellow bell pepper, cored & diced
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1 red onion, diced
2c frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2c Portobello mushrooms, chopped (I eliminated due to my allergy to mushrooms)
4T balsamic vinegar
a pinch or two of each: fresh basil, thyme, oregano, mint, nutmeg
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1/2c gluten-free chicken broth
3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
4c gluten-free marinara sauce (you will need more if using uncooked noodles)
1 box rice lasagna noodles, uncooked or cooked - makes no difference
15oz small curd cottage cheese or ricotta
8oz cream cheese, softened
4oz shredded mozzarella cheese (I grate mine fresh)
4oz grated parmesan (I grate mine fresh)
1 egg, lightly beaten
dash nutmeg
4oz mozzarella for topping - optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom of your 9x13 lasagna-style baking dish with Pam.

In large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add peppers, spinach, garlic, onion and mushrooms. Stir for a couple of minutes. Lower the heat and add the balsamic vinegar and herbs; season with nutmeg, sea salt and pepper. Stir and cook for approximately 5 minutes; add the broth. Continue to cook until the liquid is reduced and the veggies are soft, about 10-15 minutes.

When the veggies are cooked, remove the pan from heat and stir in the chicken pieces. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cheeses with the egg, and dash of nutmeg. You can also add some finely chopped parsley if you wish.

Spoon 1/2 the marinara sauce into teh bottom of the baking dish. Arrange 1/3 of the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce.

Cover evenly with the veggie-chicken mixture, pressing down with a spatula to make a dense, compact layer. Spoon a little sauce over the layer.

Top with another 1/3 of the lasagna noodles, and press down.

Spread the cheese mixture in an even layer. Top with remaining lasagna noodles and press firmly.

Cover with remaining sauce, allowing the sauce to seep in and around the sides of the dish.

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top. Add a sprinkle of herbs if you like.

Cover the lasagna loosely with foil. Bake for 50-60 min, or until lasagna is hot and bubbling.

Makes 9 very generous servings. 

NOTES:

Allow the baked lasagna to sit for a few minutes before serving. This allows it to set up and makes it much easier for slicing and serving.

If you use uncooked noodles, you will need more sauce to allow the noodles to simmer  and soften while cooking.

I froze individual servings into baggies. It reheats great!

When I made this to have for the fair, I stuck with the 9 large servings, because I knew that's all I'd have. At home, I'd be tempted to cut into 12 servings instead and have a salad along side it. You'd still have plenty.

Nutrition Facts Gluten Free GF Chicken Lasagna
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	468
Total Fat	14g
Saturated Fat	6.6g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	90mg
Sodium	906mg
Carbohydrate	49.8g
Dietary Fiber	6.4g
Sugars	12.4g
Protein	36.2g
Vitamin A 53% Vitamin C 158% Calcium    36% Iron 18%