Chicken Florentine Lasagna with Bacon

By á-4084

Chicken tenderloins, crispy bacon, two cheeses, spinach, and creamy garlic sauce are all layered together with noodles to create a delicious lasagna.

Ingredients

• CREAMY GARLIC SAUCE:
• 12 lasagna noodles, cooked
• 1 pound chicken tenderloins, cooked and diced, about 8 to 10
• 3 cups Parmesan cheese, grated
• 4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach, raw
• 12 strips bacon, cooked crispy
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 8 cups (1/2 gallon) 1% low-fat milk
• 2 tablespoons natural chicken base (I use “Better Than Bouillon” brand)
• 4 ounces butter, about 8 tablespoons
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 4 ounces flour, about 12 tablespoons
• Pinch or two salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from thecozyapron.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly grease a 12 x 9 x 2 1/2-inch baking dish.

To assemble your lasagna, add a thin layer of the Creamy Sauce to the bottom of the baking dish, and spread evenly.

Add 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce, and add in another, more generous, layer of the sauce.

Next, sprinkle over about half of the diced chicken, followed by about 1 cup of the shredded parmesan and 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella.

Next, sprinkle over about half of the bag of baby spinach, followed by about 1/3 of the chopped bacon.

Repeat with another layer of 4 lasagna noodles, more sauce, the rest of the chicken, another cup of parmesan and mozzarella cheese, the remainder of the baby spinach, and another 1/3 of the chopped bacon; then, cover with the last layer of four lasagna noodles.

Finish by topping the noodles with sauce, then sprinkle over the last cup of parmesan cheese, the last 2 cups of mozzarella cheeses, and the teaspoon of Italian seasoning; bake for about 20-25minutes, or until golden and bubbly.

Garnish with the remainder of the chopped bacon and the chopped parsley, and serve.

CREAMY GARLIC SAUCE:
Add the milk and the chicken base to a large saucepan or medium pot, whisk to combine, and bring to the simmer; then, turn off the heat.

While the milk heats, add the butter to another large saucepan or medium pot, along with the garlic, and place over medium heat; allow to melt together, and stir the garlic into the butter to soften.

Sprinkle the flour into the melted butter/garlic, and stir to combine; stir for about 1-2 minutes to cook out the raw taste of the flour.

Next, slowly add the hot milk into the butter/garlic/flour mixture, whisking constantly to avoid lumps form forming, and allow the sauce to simmer for a few moments until thickened.

Once thickened, turn off the heat and finish by whisking in a pinch or two of salt, the black pepper, the nutmeg, the Italian seasoning, and the parmesan cheese; keep warm, or allow to completely cool and keep in fridge to use later.