LALAsagna

Even though it's March, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere you go...at least in our neighborhood! In Los Angeles today it was 78 degrees and in our neck of the cold, freezing woods it was barely 8! On the east coast we've entered March like a lion with close to a foot of snow over night, I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the warm, soothing Southern California light. As we sat by our fire last night fantasizing about walking on the sand in LaLa land, we decided a little comfort food was just the cure to lift our mood. This Good German wanted an Italian Job tonight so we cooked up something quick and popped in our favorite flick. So don't dismay, just flip through the pages of this months Gourmet!

Take a trip to LA LA land: (to print recipe click on blog title above to print only this blog)

Just when I thought I was going to start balling because the snow hasn't stopped falling, Joe whipped up this simple, easy recipe for Cheesy Chicken Lasagne from this months Gourmet Magazine. While the list of ingredients looks daunting after less than an hour we were eating dinner while watching The Haunting.

1 (10 oz package) white mushrooms thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp olive oil

5 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 roasted chicken, skinless, meat shredded (approx 2 1/4 cups)

3 1/2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp thyme leaves

3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

12 Barilla no-boil egg lasagne noodles (less than a 9 oz package)

1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Gruyere (3 oz)

8 inch square baking pan

1.)Preheat oven to 425 with rack in middle.

2.)Cook mushrooms, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper in oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a 4-qt heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are softened, about 3 minutes. Add wine and simmer briskly 2 minutes. Transfer mushroom mixture to a large bowl and stir in chicken (set aside saucepan)

3.)Bring milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Melt remaining 4 Tbsp butter in 4-qt saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. Add hot milk in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Add thyme, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper and simmer, whisking occasionally until thickened, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve 1 cup sauce. Stir parmesan into sauce remaining in pan, then stir into mushroom filling.

4.)Pour half of reserved plain sauce into baking pan, spreading evenly to coat bottom. Add 3 lasagne sheets, overlapping slightly, and one third mushroom filling, spreading evenly, then sprinkle one fourth gruyere over top. Repeat 2 times. Top with remaining 3 lasagne sheets and remaining plain sauce, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with remaining Gruyere.

5.)Cover with foil, tenting slightly to prevent foil from touching top of lasagne but sealing all around edge, and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese is golden brown, approx 15 minutes. Let stand ten minutes.

TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: 35 prep time, 1.5 hours from start to finish

COST: Under $15.00

STRESS LEVEL: Cooling ourselves down with a warm, delicious meal: LOW