Foodie Friday: Chicken Lasagna

Ahhh lasagna. A nutritionally dubious comfort food that we just love to eat. This version is slightly less  horrible for you since it opts for chicken instead of sausage and red meat.  It goes together quickly and is a lot less labor intensive than a traditional recipe.

This recipe is adapted from Runner's World Magazine.

Quick, Creamy Chicken Lasagna   

Ingredients:

15 oven-ready lasagna noodles (I've used rippled and flat - both work)

4 C shredded chicken (I've cooked breasts in the crockpot or if pressed for time, used a whole rotisserie)

1 1/2 tsp dried basil (I use organic)

12 oz cream cheese, softened (yes you could use organic here but nothing compares to Philadelphia brand)

1/2 C chicken or vegetable stock (I use organic)

3 C marinara sauce (preferably no sugar added)

4 C shredded mozzarella (I use less)

3/4 C grated Parmesan cheese (I skip this…Me + Parmesan = no bueno)

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine chicken, basil, 8 oz of the cream cheese and 1/4 C broth. Mix remaining broth and cream cheese in a separate bowl and set aside. In a 9x13 baking dish (make sure it's broil safe) spread 1/3 C marinara on the bottom. Then, assemble 4 layers as follows: 3 noodles, 2/3 C sauce, 1 C chicken mixture, 3/4 C mozzarella and 2 TBS Parmesan (if using). Top with broth mixture and remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes until cheese is bubbling away nicely. Remove foil and turn oven to broil (leaving dish on the same rack). Remove when top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.