Old Fashioned Chicken and Noodle Lasagna

Aside from a few lasagnas with white sauce, I’ve pretty much always made {and loved} a simple red sauce lasagna. So when I saw this recipe for a lasagna that seemed to be having an identity crisis and couldn’t decide whether it was a soup or lasagna, I was intrigued and had to make it.

Made it. Loved it. So should you. It’s so different than any lasagna you’ve probably ever tried. And trust me when I say that’s a good thing!

Ingredients

1 pound boneless chicken breast {or 3 cups of chopped rotisserie chicken}
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 sprig or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
5 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup flour
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup milk {I used 2%}
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
9 No-boil lasagna noodles
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups {6 oz} shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. butter a 2-quart baking dish and set aside. Bring a medium saucepan full of water to a boil. Sprinkle water with thyme. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and add to water; reduce heat, cover and simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from water and place on cutting board to cool. Toss cooking water. {Skip this step if using rotisserie chicken}

While chicken is cooking, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan. Add mushrooms and onions and cook until just tender, about 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from pan and set aside.

Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in same saucepan and reduce heat to medium-low. Whisk in flour until well combined. Stir in chicken broth, milk, 1 tablespoon thyme, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, cooking and stirring until thickened. Remove 1 cup of the sauce and set aside.

Add in carrots and peas into the pan and stir into sauce. Cover and cook until tender, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Coarsely chop chicken and add to sauce. Add in mushroom mixture and stir to combine. Simmer until heated through.

Spread 1/3 cup of the reserved sauce in prepared baking dish. Top with three noodles, half the chicken mixture and a third of the cheese. Repeat layers, ending with 2/3 cup of sauce {do not add final layer of cheese yet!}.

Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until noodles are tender and cheese is browned and bubbly. Enjoy!