Creamy Chicken Lasagne

A Yummy Creamy Chicken Lasagne made with, Creamy Chicken, White Sauce, and Home Made Tomato Sauce.

The Recipe Intro includes more info. Check it out.

Ingredients:

For the Tomato Pasta Sauce:

For the White Sauce:

Method:

Tomato Sauce:

1. Bring 3 1/2- 4 liters of water to boil in a large pot.
2. While the water comes to a boil,  rinse the tomatoes. Remove the hard stem sections using a sharp knife or vegetable carver. Also, make a cross incision on the opposite side. This is to make it easier to peel the tomatoes, once blanched.
3. Add the tomatoes to the boiling water and blanch for 15 seconds. Strain and set aside to cool.
4. Once cooled, peel the tomatoes. Cut each in half, and remove the seeds. Chop up roughly.
5. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan and add the chopped onions.
6. Sauté till the onions are softened. Then add the garlic, bay leaves, pepper, and salt. Cook on medium heat for five minutes.
7. Next, add the chopped tomato pulp and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
8. After this time, add the tomato paste and stir through. If the sauce seems too dry at this point, you can add some water to loosen it a little. Bring it to a simmer.
9. Add sugar to balance the acidity. Remove from heat.
10. Use a hand blender to blend to a sauce-like consistency. (If using an ordinary blender, allow the sauce to cool off before blending).
11. Optional: Add 1-2 tsp of freeze-dried tomato powder. It enhances color and flavor – but you can skip it if you don’t have it.
12. Return the pan to heat and add the fresh, torn basil leaves. Cook for a minute. Set aside.

White Sauce:

1. Heat and melt the butter in a thick/heavy-bottomed saucepan.
2. Add 2 Tbsp plain flour and stir over medium heat till the mixture is smooth and the flour is cooked.
3. Gradually pour in the warm milk, stirring continuously to get a smooth mixture without any lumps.
4. Once, all the milk is added and you get a smooth and thickened consistency, grate the nutmeg into the sauce.
5. Also, add the salt and pepper and stir well to incorporate.
6. Once the sauce is thick and bubbly, stir in ¼ cup of the cream and heat through. Set aside.

Creamy Chicken Filling:

1. Heat the olive oil (2 Tbsp) and the butter(1 Tbsp) in a wide nonstick pan or skillet.
2. When the butter has melted, add the chopped onion, garlic, and celery. Sauté till the onion is softened.
3. Next, add the diced (drained) chicken and sauté just till the chicken becomes tender and no longer pink. The chicken will turn uniformly white in color and some juices will be released from the chicken as well. Don’t cook till dry, the pasta will require all this moisture to cook properly.
4. Add salt to taste. (About ½ tsp).
5. Now, take just about HALF of the prepared White Sauce in a cup, reserving the rest for later. To this, add ½ cup of the cream and whisk well.
6. Add this mixture to the chicken, and heat through. As it begins to bubble, taste and add salt as required. Also, add black pepper (¼ tsp). Set aside.

Assemble the Layers:

1. Preheat oven to 180 °C / 356 °F.
2. Mix and blend all the cheeses together. Set aside.
3. Lightly grease a baking tray with butter.
4. Divide the prepared tomato sauce, into 3 parts. Add the first (1/3d) in a thin layer on the bottom of the pan.
5. Over, this place a single layer of the precooked pasta sheets, (overlapping only slightly). Break off the last sheet to fill the odd corner.
6. Pour over HALF of the chicken mixture making sure to cover the pasta sheets thoroughly. This is important to ensure proper cooking.
7. Dollop the next (1/3rd) portion of the tomato sauce over the chicken filling and spread gently and uniformly, using a spatula or ladle.
8. Sprinkle a thin layer of cheese over the top.
9. Next, add the next single layer of pasta sheets and spread the remaining chicken filling all over the top, covering thoroughly once again.
10. Top with the last (1/3rd) portion of the tomato sauce, spread evenly. Sprinkle another thin layer of cheese.
11. Now, take the remaining white sauce and mix with the remaining cream (½ cup). Pour this over the top and spread well, sealing the corners and edges.
12. Top with the remaining cheese mixture. Bake in the preheated oven on the lower rack for 35-45 minutes, or until cooked through.
13. Check after 35 minutes, by pricking a form to the bottom. If done, the fork should move through easily.
14. Let Lasagne stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
15. Yummy,  Hot, and Creamy Chicken Lasagne are ready to be served.

Creamy Chicken Lasagne

Notes:

• When using the instant (ready to cook) lasagna sheets, it is extremely important that they have plenty of sauce to soak up. That is why our chicken filling is quite loose in – consistency. Some might also want to leave the assembled lasagna to rest for 10 minutes, to allow the sheets to soften a bit, although I don’t find it necessary. Also, make sure to check the expiry date on the instant lasagna. The fresher boxes always give good results, which is why I never keep them in my pantry for too long.
• If you feel that the top of the lasagna is getting brown before the pasta is cooked, cover the top lightly with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.

Key Ingredients: Chicken, Pasta, Tomato, Cream, Onion, Garlic, Celery, Milk, Butter, Flour, Cheese, Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil, Basil.

Let us know if you tried it – Creamy Chicken Lasagne.