Chicken & Mushroom Alfredo Lasagna

Budget Tip:

When buying wine for cooking, get the cheapest chardonnay or pinot grigio you can find.  Aim for $5/bottle.  Then when you have some left over you won't feel bad about putting a little ginger ale or a clear soda in it for a spritzer.  This recipe calls for Gruyere cheese and it's not cheap but it's the only thing in this recipe you'll really have to splurge on . 1 1/2 cups is about 1/2 a pound.

I know it seems like there is alot going on in this recipe but I promise once you've done it once, it's super easy and so rewarding.  Choose this recipe when you are on an off-day from your diet because it's definitely NOT lowfat.  You could also add other veggies like freshly roasted red or green peppers.

Suggested Ingredients

8oz of sliced portabello - i like em chunky, but slice them up however you like them
2 minced garlic cloves
1 TBSP olive oil
5 TBSP butter
1/2 cup dry white wine (you can substitute chicken broth)
1/2 of a rotisserie chicken
3 1/2 cups of whole milk - if you want to decrease the fat content, use fat-free but it won't be as creamy good
1/4 cup flour
2 tsp thyme leaves or any Italian seasoning
3/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese - don't worry about going fancy you can easily use the shaker cheese
no boil noodles
1 1/2 cps grated Gruyere cheese

Suggested Cooking Method

You can either pull apart the chicken or cut it up into small cubes. 

Put the milk into a small pot and let it heat up while you cook the next part.  It should just be a bare simmer.

Cook mushrooms, garlic, a bit of salt and pepper in the olive oil + one TBSP of the butter.  Saute until the mushrooms are a bit soft.  Add the wine and simmer briskly - about 2 or 3 minutes.  Transfer this mixture, soupy bits and all to a largeish bowl.  Add the chicken.

Melt the other 4TBSP of butter in a 4qt saucepan over med-low heat.  Add the flour and cook to make a roux, stirring constantly.  Add the milk in a slow and steady stream while whisking.  Add the thyme or Italian seasoning, a bit of salt and pepper.  Simmer while whisking constantly until its a bit on the thick side.  This should take 5 or 6 minutes and you can tell if it's done by dipping a spoon in the mixture and seeing if it sticks to the spoon.  Remove from heat and reserve 1 cup of the sauce. 

Stir the Parmesan cheese into the sauce that is still remaining in he pan.  Stir in the mushroom filling as well.

When doing the next part just make sure you reserve some Gruyere cheese to place onto of the lasagna.  With an 8x8 pan I've found that I can only get two layers so in general, split the mushroom filling in half.

Pour 1/2 of the reserved plain sauce into an 8x8 square pan, making sure it covers the bottom of the dish.  Add 3 lasagna noodles overlapping each other.  Put some of the mushroom filling on top and then sprinkle with Gruyere cheese.  Cover with 3 more lasagna noodles, more mushroom filling and more Gruyere cheese. Cover with 3 more lasagna noodles and then cover with the remaining plain white sauce.  Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

Cover with foil, tenting it a bit so the cheese doesn't stick to the top.  Place the pan on a baking pan covered in aluminum foil so you don't get drippings on your over.  Bake 30 minutes at 425.  Remove the foil and bake for another 15 min or until the cheese is mostly brown.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  You MUST do this to be sure it thickens up all the way so resist that urge to cut into it!

This is an incredibly rich lasagna so I usually serve it with a side of leafy greens and a light balsamic vinaigrette.