Four-Cheese Chicken Lasagna

If you followed our CSA adventures at all, you'll know that we got a lot of kale.  A. Lot.  Bunches.  Oodles and oodles of kale.  I barely knew what kale was before last summer, now my 6-year-old likes to remind me periodically that he hates kale.

Needless to say that with so much kale coming into our house, I had to get creative with what to do with it. So when I saw this recipe in a magazine, I knew I had to try it.  Just because it called for kale.

I am incredibly talented at wrecking pretty lasagna layers when scooping.

And, once again, I LOVE when I'm forced to try something new and the experiment totally pays off!

Four-Cheese Chicken Lasagna
Recipe slightly adapted from Food Network Magazine
Prep time: 30-40 minutes   Cook time: 1 hour, 25 minutes   Bake time: 1 hour, 5 minutes   Rest time: 30 minutes

For the sauce:
2 tbsp EVOO
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine
3 cups water
28 oz (one can or two 14oz cans) crushed tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

For the lasagna:
2 bunches of fresh kale, stems removed and leaves finely chopped*
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 15oz containers cottage cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated asiago OR cheddar
1 lb lasagna noodles (whatever you prefer, whether it's the boil or no-boil kind)

*The fresh kale is AMAZING but this can be substituted with frozen. OR if kale really isn't your thing you can use spinach too, fresh or frozen. Using frozen greens would allow you to skip Step #5 altogether.

1. For the sauce: Heat the EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and cook until browned, turning once (about 5 minutes).

I used a combo of thighs and breasts for this actually.

2. Add the onion, garlic, and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes.

When dealing with only tablespoons, invest in a tube of tomato paste. Save your cans!

3. Stir in the water, crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, parsley, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 50 minutes.

It's hard to get a clear shot when steam gets in my way.

4. Remove the chicken thighs and shred. Return the shredded chicken to the pan and cook until thickened, about 20 more minutes. Remove the bay leaves.

You could chop this instead, but I love how shredded chicken soaks up more sauce.

5. Optional Step (can be skipped if using frozen greens): While the sauce simmers, steam the chopped kale in the microwave until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water and squeeze dry.

I feel healthier just looking at this.

6. Place the kale in a bowl, and stir in the eggs, cottage cheese, and half of the Parmesan and parsley. Add a little salt and pepper and stir to combine. Set aside.

Rule of thumb: don't like something? Just add cheese.

7. In a medium bowl, combine the shredded mozzarella, shredded asiago, and remaining Parmesan. Set aside.

I was fully prepared to use Cheddar, but rejoiced when I found some pre-shredded Asiago.

8. For the lasagna build: [NOTE: I used no-boil noodles, but if you can't find those, make sure your noodles are boiled, drained, and tossed with a teensy EVOO to prevent sticking before you build.] Preheat oven to 350.

My setup station!

9. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce in a 9x13 baking dish. Top with one-third of the noodles. Cover with half of the kale mixture, then two more cups of sauce. Sprinkle with one-third of the mozzarella mixture. Repeat the layers (noodles, kale mixture, sauce, mozzarella mixture). Top with a final layer of noodles, the remaining sauce, and the remaining mozzarella mixture.

Sauce

Layer  Set 1: Noodles

Layer Set 1: Kale

Layer Set 1: Sauce

Layer Set 1: Mozzarella. Repeat layer sets starting at Noodles a couple more times

Finish with Parmesan

10. Set on a baking sheet to help keep any bubbling drips from baking onto your oven. Loosely cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Then uncover and bake until golden and bubbly, about 25 more minutes. Let stand 30 minutes before serving. Total time to allow in this step is 1 hour and 35 minutes!!

I'm fairly neurotic when it comes to labeling and details.

I froze one and baked up one right away as a reward for my day's work.

So by now if you weren't intimidated by the number of steps I listed, you probably just freaked out over the time necessary for that final step alone. But trust me when I tell you that this dish is WORTH IT. Totally, totally, totally worth the time and effort to prepare. To make this even more worth your while though, consider splitting this into two 8x8 or 9x9 dishes and freezing one after assembling it to bake up later. If your family can inhale a 9x13 pan of lasagna in one sitting, then definitely consider doubling, or even tripling this to have some spare pans in the freezer.

If I haven't made it obvious enough, I'm a big fan of making the most of what cooking time I have. That means if I'm going to spend the many minutes necessary to simmer a sauce and build a lasagna, then I want to eat it as often as possible! Investing an extra 10-15 minutes to build a second pan is worth the hours I'll save in the long run.

Still don't believe that this meal is worth the time? Let me just leave with an idea of the taste. This dish is delightly cheesy, thanks to the variety of cheeses used. The sauce has that tangy, tomato-y zing to it, but with the lightness that comes with using chicken instead of ground beef. And the kale adds this healthful aspect, but without any bitter taste, that made me want to stand up and do a happy dance. I loved this so much that on my next "Stock the Freezer with Lasagna" Day, I fully plan on doing a double batch of this, along with my usual beef lasagna, so I've got some happy, healthy options for those busy days to come!

Pasta with Bacon, Tomatoes, & Cheese

I heard a few months ago that thanks to the drought we experienced over the summer, that not only will the cost of produce be going up, but also bacon prices.  So the last few weeks I've been doing what any normal bacon-love would do: stocking up every time I get groceries.  I haven't seen the price change yet at my grocery store, but until I do I'm going to keep buying packs and storing them in my freezer.

As a result, I have a nice little Bacon Stash living in my deep freezer.  And since I still have some tomatoes slowly ripening on my china cabinet, I figured that was Fate's way of telling me to make this dish.

You're welcome. ;)

Pasta with Bacon, Tomatoes, & Cheese
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray
Prep time: 10 minutes   Cook time: 15 minutes

1 lb whole wheat penne
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil OR 1 tsp dried basil
1/2 grated Parmesan

1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.  Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water

2.  While the pasta cooks, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chopped bacon and cook, stirring every now and then, until crispy (5-7 minutes).  Because you never remove the bacon, and keep adding liquids that will soften it a little, you want it extra crispy.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

3.  Add the onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a little salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the onions start to brown.

By this point you may need a towel to wipe up the drool.

4.  Add the white wine and cook for 1 minutes.  Add the chicken stock, bring up to a bubble and let simmer for 2 minutes.

Ok so not much to look at now but AMAZING to smell!

5.  Add the grape tomatoes and cook for a few minutes, just to start them getting hot and ready to burst.  Add the cooked, drained pasta and toss to coat in the sauce.  If it looks too dry, add some of the reserved pasta water.

I also have these pear-shaped heirloom tomatoes that need eating.

6.  Turn off the heat and add the cheeses and basil.  Stir to combine.

Cheese! Glorious cheese!

This is a comforting, carb-alicious dish with BACON and CHEESE.  Anything else I need to say to convince you to try this? ;)  I do like to cut the richness of this by serving it with a tossed salad.

Pizza Pocket

I've made variations of this before.  Always, always, ALWAYS with messy results.  And can I just say that I really hate dealing with egg wash?  Does that make me a bad cook?  If so, so be it.  But the egg wash makes the edge slimy, so they're difficult to seal.  And then they never actually do seem to seal because my filling starts to leak out.  And then there's the vent holes, which never seem to do their job.  Oh they vent the steam alright, along with half the filling.

So yeah, I haven't made pizza pockets too much because they're just frustrating for me to deal with.

Until now.

Pizza Pockets
Recipe from Jeff Mauro

All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 pound pizza dough, divided into 4 balls [NOTE: Buy this in the store or make it yourself.  Whichever is easiest for you]
2 cups shredded  mozzarella
12 ounces pepperoni, thinly sliced
Grated Parmesan, to taste
Marinara or pizza sauce

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2.  Roll out the dough balls on a lightly floured surface into 4 equal rounds. On half of each round, layer some mozzarella, and then some pepperoni slices.

I like to add a little cheddar and pizza seasoning to mine too

3.  Fold in half, covering the filling, and then fold the outer edges up and crimp the edges with your fingers to seal.

No messy egg wash!!  Just fold the bottom up and over the edge, crimping as you go.

4.  Place the pockets on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Bake until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with your favorite marinara or pizza sauce on the side.

Yummy yummy!

Oh my goodness gracious are these good!!  And SOOOO EASY TO MAKE!!!  It seriously just takes a few minutes to put them together, and then they can just hang out on the pan until you're ready to bake them.  My next step with this is to see how they freeze.  Looooove a Get Ahead opportunity!!

p.s. Remember when I made that jam?  Put a tablespoon or two of that with mozzarella cheese in these; dip into a roasted tomato dipping sauce.  Feel free to call me when your taste buds have recovered to tell me how awesome that flavor combo is. ;)

Chicken Parm Casserole

I started this blog because people seemed really curious about my cooking.  Either they were curious about what I was putting together that night (and usually wanting the recipe), OR they were asking how I managed to make home-cooked meals almost every night of the week.  I don't know about you but I'm having a good time with this!

Keeping up with the blog though has kind of had an unexpected effect on me.  I'm getting more and more urges to make things without a plan, without a recipe. It's seriously becoming almost like a game!  I deliberately leave a night's dinner unplanned and wander the grocery store to see what's on sale, what catches my eye. 

This dish came about because, while picking up some goat cheese, I glanced up to see fresh mozzarella on sale.  Mmmmm....fresh mozzarella....  The first thing that jumped in my mind was Chicken Parmesan.  But I didn't really want to make the pasta and sauce, bread and bake the chicken, .... it just felt like too many separate components and more than I felt like tackling.  If only I could have that same flavor but all mixed up as one dish.  Like a casserole or something.

Wait a minute....

Chicken Parm Casserole

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
1 jar spaghetti or marinara sauce
1 lb whole wheat thin spaghetti
1 cup reserved pasta water
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, cubed
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
2 tbsp grated Asiago (optional)
Extra-virgin olive oil


1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Bring a large pot of salted water to boil an cook spaghetti according to package directions, under cooking it by about a minute (don't worry, the pasta will finish cooking as the casserole bakes).

The bones and skin keep the meat moist and flavorful. 
You can use boneless, skinless though; just cook for 10-15 minutes instead.

2.  In a large skillet, heat the marinara sauce over medium heat.  Add the chicken breasts and spoon a little sauce over the top.  Cover and let simmer about 20 minutes, or until cooked through.  Turn off the heat, remove the chicken breasts from the sauce and LET REST for 10 minutes before shredding the meat.

Partially freezing mozzarella makes it easier to cut or shred.

3.  Return the shredded meat to the marinara sauce, along with the with the mozzarella and cooked spaghetti.  Toss to combine.  If the sauce gets too thick, use some of the reserved pasta water to thin it out.  (Remember, this is going into the oven and the moisture will be absorbed as it bakes.  You want a thinner sauce at this point.)  Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.

Or get ahead by putting into 2 8x8 pans and freezing one for later.
Wait on the topping until the night you bake it.

4.  For the topping, toss together the Panko, oregano, Parmesan, and Asiago (if using).  Sprinkle over the top of the casserole and drizzle with a little EVOO.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake another 10-15 minutes, until top is golden and sauce/cheese is bubbly yumminess.

Creamy. Crunchy. Comforting.

This dish had all of the flavors and much of the texture of a traditional Chicken Parmesan dish.  I just wanted to give it a little bit of spin.  Actually, this would be a FANTASTIC way to use up leftovers!  Some extra pasta in the fridge, some rotisserie chicken,...you see where this is going?  With leftovers, this could seriously become a 30 minute, post-long-work-day meal.  Add a tossed salad and some garlic bread and you are set!


PSST!!  Not into eating meat?  Use grilled eggplant or zucchini instead of chicken. ;)

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

Have you ever had a hankering for just a little taste of something?  Not a whole huge helping or anything, but just a bite or two would totally satisfy.

I love all the flavors in my pizza seasoning

If that little something tends to be pizza, then these are totally up your alley.

Truth: I just eyeball the amount of cheese.

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray
 
3/4 cup flour 
3/4 tsp baking powder 
3/4 tsp pizza seasoning (or Italian seasoning, or dried oregano with a little crushed red pepper mixed in)
3/4 cup milk 
1 egg, lightly beaten 
2 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup) 
2 oz cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup) 
4 ounces turkey pepperoni, chopped (about 1 cup) 

1.  Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, seasoning, and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the cheeses and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.

Make life easier: use a melon baller or cookie scoop for this

2.  Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Aren't they cute??

These adorable little puffs are good enough to nibble on as-is.  But if you feel like taking this up a notch, heat up some marinara sauce for dipping. Soooo good!