Tag Archives: basil

Roll with it lasagna

Chicken Lasagna Rollups with Creamy Marinara

One of my dearest friends frequently asks for recipe advice and I gladly pass along recipes I have collected over the years. She has been my friend since high school and I still remember the day we met. We sat outside school waiting for our rides when we discovered that our mothers were from the same small town and that we shared the same love of casseroles made famous by that little town and its great cooks.

When you think about it good recipes and good friends are a lot a like, no matter how much time passes you can always rely on both!

Recipe:

8 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions

1 bag spinach

1 rotisserie chicken

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 tsp olive oil, divided

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, whole

1/4 cup chicken broth, low-sodium

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/8 tsp oregano, dried

1/8 tsp basil, dried

salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese, low-fat

1 egg

1 tbsp basil pesto

1/4 parmesan cheese, shredded

1/4 cup half and half

Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and saute spinach until wilted. Season spinach with salt and pepper while cooking. Place cooked spinach in a bowl and set aside.

In the same saute pan, heat another teaspoon of olive oil, add onions and whole garlic cloves cooking until tender. Break up garlic cloves as they cook.

Cook 8 lasagna noodles according to package directions. Let sit in water until you are ready to use. 

Once onions and garlic have become tender, add chicken broth, deglaze the pan stirring up the bits from the bottom. Let liquid reduce for about 2 minutes then add crushed tomatoes, sugar and spices. Turn heat to medium-low and let simmer while you are preparing the rollups.

Take the white meat off of the rotisserie chicken, shred and set aside.

In a large bowl combine ricotta cheese, egg, basil pesto and cheese. Then add spinach, season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Pull two noodles from the water and place on paper towels to absorb excess water. Then put a spoonful of ricotta on noodle and spread the length of the noodle. Top with the shredded chicken and loosely rollup.

Spray a baking dish lightly with oil spray and spread a few spoonfuls of the marinara sauce in the bottom of the dish. Place rollups in baking dish.

Season the marinara with salt and pepper if needed. Then add 1/4 cup of half and half , stirring together well. Top rollups with marinara and place in a 350 degree oven baking for 30-40 minutes.

Notes:

I love using rotisserie chicken in all types of recipes such chicken salad, quesadillas, casseroles and soups. It saves a ton of time and they taste really good.

This dish may seem like a lot of steps but it really on take about 20 minutes to prepare and then 30 minutes or so to bake. I think it’s easier than assembling a lasagna.