It was a hit - AND we have enough leftovers for tomorrow's lunch, Tuesday's lunch, Friday's dinner and a final lunch on Saturday. This lasagna definitely feeds 12, folks.
I made several adjustments/changes/switches to the original recipe, which can be found here. I just couldn't justify making this dish with heavy cream, whole milk or chicken thighs. Then at 5PM this evening when I realized we'd forgotten to get white wine while we were out yesterday, I decided I'd just use sherry instead - I'm glad I did because it was soooo yummy.
Lasagna with Chicken, Wild Mushrooms, and Fontina Cheese
Makes 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients
4-5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 lb. fresh wild mushrooms (such as chanterelle, black trumpet, or hen of the woods, also called maitake), trimmed, washed, and roughly chopped (we used 1/2 lb of button mushrooms, 1/2 lb cremini mushrooms and 2 tbsp of rehydrated morels)
1/2 lb. spinach leaves, stems removed, washed (we used baby spinach)
4 tbsp butter
2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into approximately 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup fat free half and half
3 cups skim milk
1/2 bunch Italian parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
16 dried lasagna noodles
1 lb. fontina cheese, cut into small dice
1 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and celery with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium high, and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, then add the spinach with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook until spinach is wilted and mushrooms are tender. Remove the vegetables from the pot and set aside, but leave any remaining liquid in the bottom of the pan.
Add the butter to the same pot, and adjust the heat to medium. Season the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper, and add to the melted butter. Cook, stirring, until the chicken is almost cooked through but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add the sherry and simmer until almost completely reduced (about 30 minutes). Sprinkle the flour over the chicken, and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, allowing the flour to coat the chicken and absorb the liquid. Gradually stir in the cream and milk, scraping the pot to release any cooked flour from the bottom and sides (if necessary, stir with a whisk to break up any lumps). Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly, allowing the liquid to thicken. With a spoon or ladle, reserve 1 cup of liquid. Remove the pot from the heat, and add the cooked vegetables and mushrooms. Add the chopped parsley. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.
To Assemble the Lasagna
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the noodles for about 8 minutes; they should be not quite cooked through (al dente). Strain the noodles in a colander, and rinse in cold water. Drain, then toss noodles with 2 tablespoons of olive oil to prevent sticking. Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9" x 13" baking pan. Place a layer of 4 noodles on the bottom, overlapping them slightly. Top with one third of the chicken mixture, then one third of the diced fontina. Repeat layering twice, finishing with a layer of noodles. Spread the reserved sauce on the noodles and then sprinkle with Parmesan. (At this stage, the lasagna can be refrigerated overnight. Cover tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.) Cover with aluminum foil or a lid and bake for 30 minutes. Increase heat to 400 degrees F, remove the foil, and continue to bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more.
Makes 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients
4-5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 lb. fresh wild mushrooms (such as chanterelle, black trumpet, or hen of the woods, also called maitake), trimmed, washed, and roughly chopped (we used 1/2 lb of button mushrooms, 1/2 lb cremini mushrooms and 2 tbsp of rehydrated morels)
1/2 lb. spinach leaves, stems removed, washed (we used baby spinach)
4 tbsp butter
2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into approximately 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup fat free half and half
3 cups skim milk
1/2 bunch Italian parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
16 dried lasagna noodles
1 lb. fontina cheese, cut into small dice
1 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and celery with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium high, and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, then add the spinach with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook until spinach is wilted and mushrooms are tender. Remove the vegetables from the pot and set aside, but leave any remaining liquid in the bottom of the pan.
Add the butter to the same pot, and adjust the heat to medium. Season the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper, and add to the melted butter. Cook, stirring, until the chicken is almost cooked through but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add the sherry and simmer until almost completely reduced (about 30 minutes). Sprinkle the flour over the chicken, and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, allowing the flour to coat the chicken and absorb the liquid. Gradually stir in the cream and milk, scraping the pot to release any cooked flour from the bottom and sides (if necessary, stir with a whisk to break up any lumps). Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly, allowing the liquid to thicken. With a spoon or ladle, reserve 1 cup of liquid. Remove the pot from the heat, and add the cooked vegetables and mushrooms. Add the chopped parsley. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.
To Assemble the Lasagna
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the noodles for about 8 minutes; they should be not quite cooked through (al dente). Strain the noodles in a colander, and rinse in cold water. Drain, then toss noodles with 2 tablespoons of olive oil to prevent sticking. Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9" x 13" baking pan. Place a layer of 4 noodles on the bottom, overlapping them slightly. Top with one third of the chicken mixture, then one third of the diced fontina. Repeat layering twice, finishing with a layer of noodles. Spread the reserved sauce on the noodles and then sprinkle with Parmesan. (At this stage, the lasagna can be refrigerated overnight. Cover tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.) Cover with aluminum foil or a lid and bake for 30 minutes. Increase heat to 400 degrees F, remove the foil, and continue to bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more.
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