White and Green Lasagna

This is a yummy "white" lasagna (no tomato products). The green comes from the spinach. My children and husband DEVOURED this delectable creation. And you know what? I simply pulled it from the freezer the night before and popped it in the oven when hubby called to say he was headed home from work. Not bad, eh? This is one of the meals I baked in a big batch for my freezer, and it was worth every penny and bit of labor (this being one of the more costly and labor-intensive freezer meals). It will be great to pull out a big pan of it for our company later this month (and knowing that I didn't have to slave away in the kitchen while they were with us!).

Recipe from Meals for a Month

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
• 3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
• 1 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 (4-ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
• 9 lasagna noodles*
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

*the recipe only has you layer this lasagna twice, so I only ended up using 6 noodles....

1. In large skillet, heat olive oil and butter. Add onion; cook and stir until crisp-tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over onion; cook and stir until bubbly. Add broth and milk; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add Monterrey Jack cheese, Romano cheese, and cubed chicken. Mix well and set aside.
2. In large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, first quantity of Parmesan cheese, drained spinach, and mushrooms. Cook lasagna noodles until almost done, according to package directions. Drain well and rinse with cold water.
3. In 13 x 9-inch dish (or two 8 x 8-inch pans), place 1/2 cup (or 1/4 cup) chicken sauce. Top with three lasagna noodles, then with half of spinach mixture. Then top with more chicken sauce. Repeat layers, ending with chicken sauce. To eat right away, sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until cheese begins to brown and casserole is bubbly. To freeze, chill in ice-water bath or in refrigerator, wrap, label, and attach small bag with remaining Parmesan cheese; then freeze.
4. To thaw and reheat: Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle lasagna with reserved cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until casserole is hot in center, cheese is brown, and sauce bubbles.

Serves 6