Chicken and Mushroom Lasagne

This classic Italian dish wasn't so very classic last night, in fact the recipe is courtesy of Emeril of French-Canadian and Portuguese decent. There's not a spec of Italian in him and not a lick of tomato in the stuff either. That's got to prove lasagne doesn't need to have either to be great. 

I'd been planning on making a vegetarian wild mushroom version but got the "look" from the big guy when I admitted it was meatless...duh it would be if it were vegetarian now wouldn't it? Consequently, I did a little more research and ended up making this one from Food Network.com.

Although simple to put together, as is the case with all lasagne dishes, it does take some time to build. In this case mushrooms are sauteed in butter until golden brown, then onions and garlic hit the pan. Once the onion softens, flour is added to make a roux followed by milk. When the sauce thickens, a little color hits the pot (spinach) along with pepper, nutmeg and grated parmesan. Of course I made a couple of changes to the recipe, including but not limited to adding a little vermouth to the mushrooms and I substituted some mozzarella for parmesan because there's anything better than soft gooey melted stringy cheese. Oh, the big kicker  - I cut the bechamel mushroom sauce AND the chicken in half and it still made a huge pan of good stuff with plenty of both but minus some calories.

About the chicken, I used a pound of chicken tenders coated in Emeril's essence then sauteed and cut into bite size pieces. The essence is really the "essence" of the lasagne so while you could use pre-cooked chicken or left over turkey, for heaven's sake don't forget about it. While the flavor profile is extremely delicate, the Emeril spices make all the difference in the world. Check out the Food Network Link above for his recipe. I make a bunch of it up and save it in a special spice jar in the cupboard. It's great stuff to have on hand.

I think this lasagne's a new favorite. Course I probably say that all the time because I've never met a pasta dish I didn't love but this one's really great. Even the big guy liked it very much and after his second piece he said he'd do it all again in spite of the spinach. I'm finding a way to get those green things in him somehow. Next thing you know he'll be eating pea soup.

Chicken & Mushroom Lasagne (adapted from Emeril via Food Network)

 4 tablespoons butter

1/2 pound button mushrooms, sliced thin

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons dry vermouth or white wine

1/4 cup all purpose flour

3-1/2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

8 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

3/4 cup grated parmesan

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound chicken tenders

1 tablespoon Emeril’s essence (see below)

10 pieces of oven ready lasagna noodles

1-1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon butter

Spray 9 x 13 inch x 2 inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Melt butter in large sauté pan and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are brown and liquid has evaporated. Add chopped onion and garlic and saute until onion is soft. Add vermouth and cook until liquid has evaporated. Stir in flour and cook stirring constantly until a roux forms – about 2 to 3 minutes, scraping bottom of pot and moving vegetables around so roux doesn’t scorch. Slowly whisk in milk. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook, stirring until mixture thickens. Add parmesan and spinach and continue cooking until mixture bubbles and almost boils. Remove from heat. Set aside (cover top of béchamel with piece of plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming.)

Heat sauté pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil and heat until oil shimmers. Coat chicken tenders with spice mixture. Add to hot pan and cook approximately 5 minutes until chicken golden on both sides and cooked in the center. Cover pan for last minute of cooking. Remove to a cutting board, cool slightly and cut into bite sized pieces.

Preheat oven to 375. To assemble lasagna, place approximately 1/2 cup of béchamel sauce in bottom of prepared pan and spread evenly. Place 3 lasagne noodles in bottom, and if necessary cut an extra noodle to fill gaps. Cover with 3/4 cup béchamel and spread evenly. Add half the chicken pieces and sprinkle with a half cup of mozzarella. Repeat layers, finishing with layer of noodles, then béchamel. Top with remaining half cup of mozzarella. Place casserole on sheet pan to catch any drips and bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Comments

[Big Guy]

Don't push it!

LU

[June]

MMMM - curry, Brussels sprouts, spinach, salmon. I suppose I should quit while we're ahead. LMAO LU2

[Hungry Texan]

Mmm, this looks so good! I love mushrooms and spinach. I may even try this meat-less!

[June]

That's a great idea to try it meatless! Shrimp or scallops would be yummy too.

[Nanan]

Now - this is MY kinda lasagna!!!! No tomatoes or ricotta!!!! hahahaha don't think you'll sneak in the pea soup...

[Mags]

This looks like such a interesting recipe and totally different from regular lasagna. I love it!

[pam]

Oh wow! I can see why it's a new favorite!

[June]

Lea - I thought you'd like this one for the very reasons you mentioned.

Mags & Pam - good old Emeril. Most of the time he really comes through. It is really good and the best thing is it's made with "oven ready" noodles. I used Barilla brand no boil lasagne noodles and really loved the texture.