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So I found this recipe on LiveJournal. It had pictures and everything. Whomever posted it has a spouse/significant other who doesn't like mushrooms, and therefore has to be made a separate portion. I can't find the original recipe, or I'd give credit. Anyway, the snide comments are all mine.
Ingredients
- 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 8 ounces (or more) mushrooms, sliced
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp dried tarragon or basil
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 8 lasagna noodles, cooked
- 1 package (8oz) cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere
- 1 cup shredded Muenster
- 3 Tbsp slivered almonds
Get a Big Pan, There Isn't Mush Room In This One!
Boil the lasagna noodles in water until done. Drain, rinse to remove the sticky starch residue, slice in half lengthwise. Curl up the halves in the bottom of a 9x13 pan, or on individual plates. Set aside.
In a large frying pan, sauted the onions and mushrooms in the butter until the onions are translucent. Push to one side, then add the chicken and sear both sides. Add broth, spices, and salt. Bring up to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken mixture from the liquid. Reserve the liquid in the pan, and spoon the mushroom and chicken mixture over the lasagna noodles.
Have Some Cholesterol
Add the cream cheese to the reserved liquid in the pan, and heat until melted. Stir with a whisk until smooth, to deglaze the pan. In a bowl, mix the sour cream together with the flour, then whisk in the half and half until smooth. Add the sour cream mixture to the cream cheese mixture in the pan. Cook until thick and bubbly, then simmer two more minutes over reduced heat. Spoon the cheese sauce over the noodle rings, top with the shredded cheeses and broil until melted and brown. Top with the slivered almonds, serve immediately.
Notes and Hints and Stuff
- Too. Much. Cholesterol. Calorie. Overload.
You can lighten this up a bit. Instead of butter, saute in olive oil. Find eggless lasagna noodles. Use lowfat or fat-free cream cheese, sour cream, and half and half. (I recommend low-fat versions as a good compromise between healthy and retaining the taste/texture. Low fat cream cheese is called "Neufschatel", and yes, there really is fat-free half-and-half. Honest.) Leave out the almonds.
- Invite Friends
This is a HUGE recipe. It makes a lot. Invite some friends over or be prepared to have leftovers all week. And while I'm on that topic, I think it takes substantially more than 8 lasagna noodles. I used 13, and it was still overwhelmed by sauce. You can also stuff large pasta shells with the sauce.
- What Are "Gruyere" and "Muenster"?
They're cheeses. White, strongly flavored, aged cheeses. In a pinch you could use a strong swiss cheese, provolone, or even mozzarella. Won't be as flavorful, but if you live somewhere without fancy cheese, you can make do.
- Is This Chicken Done Yet?
I had a hard time getting the chicken to cook all the way with the way the recipe was originally written. I ended up having to cook it with more broth, and longer, so it would cook everything thoroughly. I might have made the chicken chunks too big, or my pan might have been too deep instead of wide enough for one layer of food to cook. Whatever, just make sure the chicken cooks thoroughly.
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