When it comes to pasta dishes, is there anything more hearty than a heaping plate of lasagna? I think not, and this white shredded chicken lasagna is the perfect comfort food when you are craving those carbs!
I have a confession. I’m not a big lasagna fan.
I know, right? It’s bizarre, considering how I’m in love with all things pasta. For some reason, I’ve just never grew too entirely fond of those casserole dishes full of layers of noodles. However, even as I type this post it sounds totally ludicrous, especially given the fact that I could probably scarf down this entire casserole by myself right now.
I think it may be that the noodles are the problem. Those thick store-bought lasagna noodles with the curly edges just weren’t doing it for me! My fiancé has been insisting that we make lasagna for… just about ever. And so I finally gave in, but I told myself I’d have to make fresh lasagna noodles if this was going to happen.
(If the store-bought lasagna noodle is your thing -and there is totally no reason why they shouldn’t be! – use them instead in this recipe. It will make your job a whole lot easier!)
Looking for a refresh on lasagna? Check out my recipe for white shredded chicken lasagna with roasted poblano peppers! #BloggersBlast http://wp.me/p61F7n-X6 Click To Tweet
I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am about this recipe. I am officially a lasagna convert! Making the noodles homemade really makes a huge difference because you can roll them super thin, much thinner than store-bought lasagna noodles. The noodles seem to just melt right into the cheese and the chicken and the lovely béchamel sauce when you cut into this dish, which is exactly how lasagna should be, in my opinion!
I added some extra special touches in this dish also: fire-roasted poblano peppers give a nice heat to the dish, while fresh spinach and gruyere cheese are the perfect accompaniments to the creamy white béchamel sauce.
Now it’s your turn: What is your favorite lasagna recipe? Share with me by commenting below!
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 cup semolina flour
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp. milk
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 poblano peppers
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 3 cups gruyere cheese, grated
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ tsp. salt, plus extra for seasoning
- ½ tsp. black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
- 4 cups spinach
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- Combine all-purpose flour, semolina flour, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Beat on medium speed just until combined, about 30 seconds. Add eggs, milk and olive oil. Beat on medium-high speed until mixture forms a dough ball. If it is too dry, add a splash of water at a time. If it is too wet, add about ½ tbsp. all-purpose flour at a time. Remove dough from stand mixer and wrap in plastic wrap. Allow to rest for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the toppings.
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes per side. Allow to cool for several minutes, then shred chicken with two forks or with a stand mixer. Set aside.
- Roast poblano peppers whole over an open flame (either a gas stove or a grill) until charred. Remove stems and seeds from peppers and thinly slice. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Boil a large pot of salted water over high heat.
- Next, roll out the pasta dough. You want to roll the dough into thin long sheets. You will need 8 sheets that are about 5-6 inches wide and 12-13 inches long. Let noodles rest for several minutes before cooking in salted boiling water for about 30 seconds. (Cook them in batches to avoid crowding the pan.) Lay the pre-cooked noodles out on baking trays to rest while you prepare the sauce.
- To make sauce, melt butter and olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 7-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Slowly add flour, whisking constantly to prevent clumping. Allow roux to simmer until bubbly, about 2-3 minutes. Add chicken stock and milk and bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently until slightly thickened. Remove saucepan from heat and add gruyere, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until everything is melted and combined.
- To assemble lasagna, spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of baking pan and top with one layer of noodles (use 2 of the pre-cooked lasagna noodles per layer). Top with another layer of sauce, ⅓ of the shredded chicken, ¼ of the roasted poblano peppers, and a handful of spinach. Repeat this two more times, with a layer of pre-cooked noodles, sauce, ⅓ of the shredded chicken, ¼ of the roasted poblano peppers, and a handful of spinach. Top with the last layer of pre-cooked noodles followed by the rest of the sauce and roasted poblano peppers. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of parmesan cheese over the top. Cook lasagna in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Heat broiler to high and toast lasagna under broiler for 2-3 minutes until the top of the cheese and noodles is crispy and golden brown. Remove from oven and slice to serve. Enjoy!
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Sarah is a food blogger from Metro Detroit who believes that gourmet food should be accessible to all home cooks. 
I love the flavors in this, Sarah. You can some times buy packaged fresh lasagna sheets, too. I can’t remember who makes them. And with the poblanos making this with corn tortillas and Mexican cheese is a possible variation.
And as for my favorites, other than classic lasagne, I love Julia Child’s wild mushroom version, though it requires lots of steps. I probably found ways to shortcut it. I haven’t made it for a while. It has a béchamel sauce and an unusual tomato sauce with orange eel!
Wow that sounds unbelievable! I would totally try it. Do you happen to recall which cookbook it is in?
Marlene, that is awesome about the fresh pasta sheets! I didn’t know that, if you remember the name will you please share? I will look the next time I go to the grocery store too. And it would be a great variation to make with tortillas because of the Poblano peppers! Thanks for those awesome ideas!
i definitely am craving lasagna right now after seeing this recipe and photos. yum!
Thanks for your lovely comment, Thalia! I hope you try the recipe 🙂 I craved it so much when I wrote the recipe… made the recipe… edited these photos… uploaded the photos… wrote the post… 😀
Looks so good. I never had chicken lasagna, thanks a lot
Thanks for your lovely comment, Keith! You’re welcome, I hope you enjoy the recipe!
My mom makes amazing classic lasagna so I tend not to make it myself. My favorite lasagna to make isn’t actually lasagna but a Tex-Mes version using tortillas instead of noodles. I’m loving the flavors in this version though! Fire roasted poblanos sound perfect with a creamy bechemel like this! Yum!
Erin, that Tex-Mex version sounds incredible! I’m a huge fan of Mexican so maybe that will be another way to enjoy lasagna in our household! Thank you for your thoughtful comment, please let me know what you think if you end up trying the recipe!