For this Chicken Mushroom Lasagna, I'm using morel mushrooms. Pickers forage for morels in the spring, where they flourish in areas where there was a forest fire the previous summer. The little honeycombed fungi are highly prized by chefs and very expensive.
Using Dried Mushrooms
Because they aren't in season, hard to find, and expensive, I'm using dried morels. The bonus of using dried and reconstituted mushrooms, is you get to use the flavourful water that you soaked the shrooms in for your recipe, as well. I used that soaking water in the creamy bechamel sauce for this chicken lasagna. Which really amped up the mushroom flavour. I do love fresh mushrooms, but dried ones of all kinds are really handy to keep in the pantry. Since they aren't perishable, you always have mushrooms on hand. You can use dried mushrooms in almost any recipe in place of fresh ones.
Mushrooms For Vitamin D
Did you know that mushrooms are the only source of natural vitamin D in the produce section? And drying mushrooms increases vitamin content, as a bonus. They are a source of lots of other vitamins and minerals, too. Check out The Nutritional Value of Mushrooms for more nutritional info.
Fresh Herbs are Best
I have a lot of fresh sage growing in the garden, which is wonderful for Thanksgiving coming soon, and for this chicken mushroom lasagna. Sage has a sweet, bitter flavour, and it's always delicious with chicken, and with earthy mushrooms, too. If you don't have fresh sage, you can substitute dried instead.
You can use any mushrooms for this lasagna, including fresh ones, but if you get a chance to try the dried ones, you'll be impressed. This lasagna is rich, creamy and cheesy. It's delicious with a green salad on the side and a nice change from the usual lasagna. (Not that the usual lasagna isn't delicious too)
If you are a lasagna lover, like us, here are a couple of other delicious lasagna options: Best Lasagna with Meat Sauce; or Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
Recipe
Chicken Mushroom Lasagna
Ingredients
- 0.5 oz package dried morel mushrooms
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 chicken breasts boneless, skinless , cubed
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
- 2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 9 oven-ready lasagna noodles
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 2 cups grated mozzarella Cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Put dried mushrooms in hot water to soak.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high and cook chicken cubes until browned on all sides.
- Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
- In the same skillet melt butter over medium-low heat, then whisk in flour until smooth.
- Remove the pan from heat and slowly whisk in the milk.
- Return pan to heat and whisk constantly while simmering until sauce is smooth and thick. Remove mushrooms from water (they should have soaked about 20 minutes) to a cutting board.
- Whisk mushroom soaking liquid into the bechamel sauce until smooth.
- Remove from heat, and stir in salt, nutmeg, sage and thyme. Coarsely chop mushrooms and stir into the sauce. Stir the cooked chicken cubes in there, too.
- Build lasagna by spreading a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of an 9" x 13" baking pan. Layer three lasagna noodles, then spread with the ricotta cheese and ⅓ of the sauce.
- Layer three more lasagna noodles, then the mozzarella, then ⅓ more sauce. For the final layer use the remaining three lasagna noodles, the remaining sauce, and then the Parmesan cheese.
- Bake in the center of the oven for about 60 minutes, until bubbling and golden on top. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing into squares.
Nutrition
Isabelle @ Crumb
Love everything about this lasagna, especially the fact that it's made with dried morels. I love fresh morels, but they're incredibly hard to find... I did manage to score a package of fresh morels at my local Sobeys, of all places, but that was years ago and much to my disappointment they haven't shown up since. So I don't mind making do with the dried kind, especially when they're used in such a gorgeously cheesy, creamy, gooey lasagna.
Colleen
Thanks so much, Isabelle! I know, fresh morels are so hard to find. You really lucked out at Sobeys! The dried ones, though are really wonderful too.
[email protected]
First of all - what a beautiful (and beautifully photographed) pasta dish! Secondly, I love your flavour choices here, and dried morels (plus that incredible soaking liquid) make for such amazing ingredients. Fresh morels are certainly a spectacular treat, but mushrooms in general are one of those rare ingredients that are, in my mind, equally spectacular when dried. Great job, and kudos for putting such a cool spin on a timeless classic!
Colleen
Thank you so much Sean! I agree with you about dried mushrooms. There are so many varieties and they're super versatile. Cheers!
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
What a fun and tasty alternative to a classic dish. Love the addition of mushrooms and chicken. This is party perfect...and great make a HUGE batch or two for freezing. I know when I make lasagna I always have to make at least 3!! My kids seem to always get a pan each LOL!!
Colleen
Thanks Gloria. Isn't lasagna the perfect meal for a hungry family? And so freezer friendly, too.
Karen Ahmed
Yum yum
Colleen
That sums it up Karen! 🙂 Thanks
suki
i love making lasagna 🙂 it makes me complete the day week or month 😀 lovely post
Colleen
Thanks Suki! I think everyone likes lasagna, don't they?