Chicken Lasagna with Greens, Mushrooms & Walnuts

Have you heard? lasagna is the next big food trend. Really?! No, I didn't make that up. I read that startling information online this week as Taste predicted 2018 will be "The Year of Lasagna." Well, for once I am on trend with my recent pan of a creamy white chicken lasagna served with a dollop of red sauce on the side. Mmmmm, I can't help but smile in contentment while remembering the flavors of this favorite comfort food. I won't make any claims for healthy eating with this recipe, just a promise of irresistible palate-pleasing layers of rich, creamy deliciousness. 

Do you remember your first pan of lasagna? Old school lasagna with red sauce might have been one of my first kitchen achievements as a new bride, along with spaghetti & meatballs, Irene's tuna cashew casserole, and a handful of taco and enchilada concoctions. The tuna casserole dropped off the menu decades ago, and my lasagna casseroles have strayed markedly away from the more traditional. Nonetheless, winter weather still calls for a tempting pan of baked pasta.  

Well-suited for a weeknight meal, or for make-ahead cooking on the weekend to serve later in the week or freeze, this white-sauced chicken lasagna merits repeat appearances. Make a double batch, you will love the convenience of a ziploc bag filled with frozen individual servings to reheat on a busy weeknight. Yes, it's that good and shines as a quicker version of similar but more time consuming recipes. Use no-cook pasta sheets to eliminate one messy step; Italian seasoned chicken sausage will take less time to prep than chicken pieces; and a jar of sauce can substitute for your own homemade red sauce. I won't judge. 

The lasagna tastes decadently rich and satisfying enough so one 8"x8" dish provides six servings for the two of us. It's freezer-friendly after baking, with individual servings wrapped in plastic wrap, and then a wrap of aluminum foil. I defrost, unwrap and place in individual ovenproof dishes to reheat in the oven. Cover and bake until warmed completely through, then uncover and bake a bit longer to bubble the cheese and crisp up the top. Yum.  

Chicken Lasagna with Greens, Mushrooms & Walnuts

serves 4-6

6 small no-cook lasagna noodles
1 cup ricotta, whipped with a fork to loosen
4 cups fresh spinach, cleaned & rough chopped
1 cup walnut pieces, rough chopped
1 lb Italian chicken sausage, cooked or 2 cups cooked thigh meat
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, shredded
*Mushroom Bechamel Sauce (see below)
2 cups prepared red pasta sauce (optional accompaniment) 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Set out the ingredients and lightly coat an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Prepare the sauce and set aside.
3. To Assemble: Spread a scant cup of sauce evenly across the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange 2 or 3 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce, covering without overlapping. Dollop 1/2 of the ricotta on top of the noodles, spreading it around somewhat; next scatter 1/2 of the spinach. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the nuts, 1/2 of the chicken and finish with 1/3 of the cheeses. 
4. Cover with half of the remaining sauce and repeat the layers. Top with the remaining pasta, sauce and cheeses.
5. Cover with aluminum foil, place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer until golden and bubbly. OR place under the broiler for several minutes until lightly browned in spots. Let rest for 10+ minutes before serving to firm up.
6. Use a wide spatula to serve, accompanied with warmed red pasta sauce if you choose.

Mushroom Behamel Sauce

1/4 cup butter

2 cloves garlic, mashed

1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced thin

6 fat green spring onions, minced

1/4 cup flour

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups whole milk, lukewarm

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp fresh nutmeg

Salt and white pepper, to taste

1. Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add garlic, mushrooms & onions and cook 4-5 minutes until onions are translucent and tender. 
2. Sprinkle in flour and cook until flour is incorporated and lightly browned, whisking constantly.
3. In small increments, gradually whisk in the chicken broth and milk and cook until slightly thickened, whisking constantly as it cooks. (The sauce should be loose, not a heavy paste!) Add the basil, oregano and nutmeg; stir to incorporate. Taste; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside while preparing the lasagna ingredients. 

Chicken-Broccoli Casserole

Revisiting an old classic.

Dust from a recent construction project sneakily infiltrated every nook and cranny throughout the house, so Spring cleaning included a lot more territory than usual this year. I left the kitchen cabinets until the end, uppers and lowers including several enclosed bookshelves. The bookshelves certainly made it seem more like playtime instead of a dreaded chore. I rediscovered a few treasures, books I hadn't cooked from or even read through in a long time. Waves of memories flooded over me when I pulled a well-used, spiral-bound, 1974 cookbook off a top shelf where it had rested, out of sight, for ages. Giggles followed after I scanned the title and cover photos: Get It On In The Kitchen pictures a variety of produce, seafood and one braided loaf tastefully draped over a naked female form. Oh yes, I definitely remember that book.

Photo: Now this is a book cover designed to attract attention

Local PNW authors John Lysaker and Ray Gorder note they designed the book for people who like to entertain,

"the kind of folks who enjoy feeding their friends and who tend to end up talking and laughing in the kitchen."

Don't most good gatherings end up in the kitchen? The authors included recipes from both locals and friends across North America, plus over 100 recipes from some interesting notables of the era... an eclectic group of contributors. Casual entertaining may have changed a bit in the past 40 years, but recipe ingredients and descriptive commentary have changed far more. Quinoa, arugula, sriracha, umami and gluten-free baking were not mentioned in any of the recipes, not even once.

Knowing that I write all over my cookbooks I flipped to the index at the back of the book where dozens of recipe titles highlighted with my yellow magic marker vied for attention.  Score! the one that really stood out was a homestyle version of Chicken Divan, an American classic said to be invented in the 1930's at Manhattan's Divan Parisien Restaurant. Oh my, that dish has appeared at so many meals over the years that I can't remember when I last referred to the written recipe. Today more health-focused cooks might prepare a proper Mornay sauce with mushrooms instead of preparing the canned soup/mayo version noted below, but this casserole was a major hit "back in the day." 

It's dated but Chicken-Broccoli Casserole still comes in handy after a chilly, rainy day of fishing in a small open boat in SE Alaska. We welcome a quick, tasty meal upon return to the big boat... comfort food, right now, please!  
   
Here's the process in photos:

Step 1: Precook the chicken breasts and broccoli spears.

Step 2: Arrange the broccoli in a baking dish, stems to the center.

Step 3: Place the halved chicken breasts down the center of the dish.

Step 4: Mix the sauce and pour over the chicken breasts.

Step 5: Scatter shredded cheese and seasoned bread crumbs over the sauce.

Step 6: Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes.

Chicken-Broccoli Casserole

based on two similar recipes in Lysaker's Get It On In The Kitchen

2 chicken breast halves
1 small head broccoli, separated into large spears
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
sprinkle of cayenne (or chipotle chili powder) optional
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated or shredded
2 Tablespoons Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Poach the chicken breasts in lightly salted water; remove skin and bones. Set aside to cool. (OR use breasts and thighs from a precooked deli chicken.)

Steam or microwave broccoli spears until barely tender; set aside to cool. (OR use 1 package of frozen broccoli spears.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl mix together the soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry and cayenne (if using).

Place broccoli into a shallow casserole with flowery tops on the outside, stems arranged to the middle. Line chicken breasts in a row down the center of the casserole over the broccoli stems. 

Pour or spoon the sauce over the chicken, but leave the broccoli tops uncovered. (You will have sauce left over to use on another casserole or with vegetables & rice.) Sprinkle the grated cheese over the sauce. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the cheese. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until warmed through and the cheese topping begins to bubble and brown, approximately 20 to 30 minutes. (Adjust time according to the degree of crunchiness desired for the cheese topping.)