Help with creating a Chicken Lasagna

[styeffo69]

Hi Folks....nice to be here.

A complete cooking novice here, for years i've fancied creating a lasagne type dish for my family but seeing as my daughter hates minced meat i was thinking of something with chicken strips.....

My thoughts are Lasagne sheets interspersed with chicken strips and diced peppers ( any thoughts on best colour?) .

Also i was thinking of putting red leicester on each of the uppers of the pasta sheets, so it can melt in.....

For the top i am quite good at a cheese sauce, which i'd use red leicester again.....any ideas, hints, tips all gratefully received.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I think strips of chicken and smoked ham covered in a cheese sauce would make a fine dish.

I would also try a mixture of crab, shrimp and thin fillets of mild fish covered in a Newberg sauce.

Leave the meat out and make a walnut cheese version with dabs of Stilton melted in a cream sauce and maybe a few dried cranberries or cherries scattered about.

It may not be classic lasagna but, I'm sure it will be tasty!

 

[pacanis]

Not quite lasagna, but Google chicken tetrazzini.
Good stuff. And using spaghetti lends itself well to chunky ingredients.

 

[styeffo69]

Still thinking of using pasta sheets, maybe bechamel sauce also....

Please continue to offer tips etc

 

[jennyema]

The pasta sheets will get dry and brittle if they aren't well coated in thick sauce of some sort.

 

[GotGarlic]

I buy a "stoplight" package of bell peppers (one each of red, yellow and orange) and a green pepper every week. Since there's only two of us, I can usually get two meals out of them; I like to use all four colors in my dishes.

Bechamel is good, but kind of bland. Do you want this to have an Italian flavor? You could dice the chicken and cook it, as well as the peppers, in a seasoned tomato sauce, then layer the pasta sheets, ricotta-parsley cheese mixture, tomato sauce, etc.

I'm not familiar with the flavor of Leicester cheese, but a cheese sauce instead of tomato sauce would work. It would have to be layered along with the other layers, as jenny said, or the dish will be dry. hth.

 

[Zhizara]

I like to use thin slices of eggplant instead of noodles.

 

[Kayelle]

There's no reason not to use chicken and make the lasagna with a red sauce just like you would with ground beef or sausage. The others are right about needing a large amount of liquid with the lasagna noodles
On the other hand, I make a great Italian chicken casserole you may want to try.
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f21/italian-flag-casserole-77300.html

 

[buckytom]

+1, k-l.

just replace the mince with partially pre-cooked chicken strips.

the question is if you intend to mske a white or red lasagna, and then if you're using already boiled lasaga noodles, or the no-boil type.

 

[Addie]

If you are using the no cook lasagna sheets, make sure you soak them in hot water first. You don't have to boil or cook them Just a ten minute soak. It will aid in the noodle to absorb any of the sauce.

 

[Cerise]

Welcome to DC.

Chicken strips may be too bulky & slide out. I would use ground or shredded chicken. Grill boneless skinless chicken breasts with lime juice, S&P. Shred the chicken. Grill the peppers (any colors you like - a combo is good) & onions. I would take a Mexican approach, & use a green salsa, cream, & Jack cheese. Lasagna roll-ups are easier. I made chicken enchiladas w/ green sauce (below). I think it could be adapted to lasagna.

Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Green Sauce - Martha Stewart Recipes

 

[jennyema]

You could just make traditional lasagna with ground chicken or turkey instead of ground beef

 

[GotGarlic]

I took "my daughter hates minced meat" to mean any kind of meat or poultry.

 

[Dawgluver]

I took "my daughter hates minced meat" to mean any kind of meat or poultry.

Me too. I wonder if daughter could tolerate cubed or shredded chicken.

 

[Kylie1969]

A big welcome to DC

 

[styeffo69]

Yeah she just doesn't like the texture of minced anything....