Chicken Lasagna

Greg's cousin, Bill, and his wife Michelle got us this cookbook for one of our wedding showers back in November. They are both reporters for the Times-Picayune of New Orleans. This is a cookbook of recipes that were lost by people when Katrina happened, and they wrote in to the paper (where they had originally found the recipes) and asked for them to reprint it. It is really neat because each recipe has notes from the people that wrote in looking for the recipe and why it was important to them. Super cool cookbook, with some really good recipes.

I actually have grease splatters all over the cookbook before ever using it because this recipe has been laying open on the counter for weeks. I have wanted to cook this for a while, but with mine and Greg's crazy schedule, it's hard to find time.

Here are the ingredients:

- 1 stick of butter

- 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour

- 4 cups of milk

- 1 tablespoon garlic salt, plus 1 teaspoon

- 3 teaspoons parsley flakes

- Salt

- Black pepper

- Pinch of red pepper flakes

- 1 tablespoon water

- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

- 1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chiles with their liquid

- 3 tablespoons dried chopped onion

- 2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic

- 1 teaspoon onion powder

- 12 lasagna noodles

- 2 cups Swiss cheese

- 2 cups Monterey Jack-Cheddar cheese mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

The first step is to make the sauce. You melt the stick of butter down over medium heat. Add the flour and make sure that it blends well. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly, until all of it is added and the mixture is smooth. (I freaked out a little because it wasn't thick and creamy like I expected, but it thickens up the longer that it cooks). Add 1 tablespoon of the garlic salt, 2 teaspoons of the parsley flakes, slat and pepper to taste, and then add the red pepper flakes. Simmer the sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally while you cook the chicken.

I used chicken tenders because it is easier to cut them into cubes. Pour a tablespoon of water into the skillet, and add the chicken, green chiles (I ran these through the food processor because Greg won't eat chunks of anything), dried onion, fresh garlic, onion powder, the remaining 2 teaspoon of parley flakes, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of garlic salt and salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked (about 7 minutes). Add the cooked chicken to the pan of sauce, and cook over very low heat for about 15 minutes.

OH, make sure you have already cooked the lasagna noodles. I started them when I was making the sauce, and they were done by the time I cooked the chicken.

Coat the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of the sauce, so that the noodles don't stick to your pan. Place a layer of 2 lasagna noodles in the pan, and top with cheese, then sauce, and then another layer of cheese. Repeat until all of your ingredients are done.

Cover your dish with aluminum foil and back for 1 hour. I baked it for 45 minutes covered and then 15 uncovered to get some color on the top. Let it sit for about 15 minutes before serving.

Here was the finished product! I wish that you could smell the lasagna as it cooked! I couldn't wait until it was done because it smelled so good. And Greg, who was hesitant about me making it because he isn't a fan of new foods was pulled in by the delicious smell as it cooked.

So, there it is. I would say that it turned out perfect! It was a wonderful meal, and I imagine it would be perfect for a cold wintery night, but it was just fine for last night. We really enjoyed it and of course will be enjoying the leftovers this week.

In other news, Dancing with the Stars started last night, and we were both so excited. I have some how gotten Greg pulled into watching it with me. We were really excited to see Chad Ochocino and Erin Andrews. Those are our favorite by far. And, truth be told, Greg actually called and voted! HA! We are excited to see everything that happens this season. Who are your favorites?