Chicken lasagne

Chicken lasagne is a wonderful dish for all the family. I’ve cheated with the white sauce and made a quick creamy sauce instead. There are fewer layers than in a traditional lasagne but it’s still creamy and delicious. Soaking the lasagne sheets in water first ensures they will cook quickly.

For this recipe you will need a shallow 1.8 litre/3¼ pint ovenproof dish.

Ingredients

For the chicken mixture

• 2 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
• 500g/1lb 2oz boneless and skinless chicken thighs, chopped
• ½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 200g/7oz button mushrooms, sliced
• 200g/7oz baby spinach
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 200g/7oz crème fraîche
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped flatleaf parsley

For the sauce

• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
• 1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

To assemble

• 6 sheets fresh lasagne
• 150g/5½oz cheddar, grated

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

2. To make the chicken mixture, put the oil in frying pan over a high heat. Add the chicken pieces and fry quickly until golden but not cooked. Add the chilli, garlic and mushrooms and fry for a few moments. Add the spinach and stir until wilted.

3. Measure the cornflour into a small bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons of water until smooth.

4. Add the crème fraîche and parsley to the pan with the chicken and stir. Pour in the cornflour mixture and stir until thickened. Set aside.

5. To make the sauce, combine the tomatoes, sun-dried tomato paste and thyme in a bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper and mix well.

6. Soak the lasagne sheets in a shallow dish filled with boiling water for a few minutes until soft.

7. Spoon a third of the chicken mixture into the oven dish. Spoon a third of the tomato sauce over the chicken. Arrange 3 lasagne sheets on top. Repeat the layers again. Finish with a final layer of chicken mixture and sauce (making three layers of chicken mixture and sauce, and two layers of lasagne sheets). Sprinkle the top with grated cheddar and bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden-brown and cooked through. Serve with salad or green vegetables.

Chicken lasagne