White Lasagna

This recipe may look long and complicated, but please trust me, if I can do it, anyone can!

Your shopping list for today:

2 small containers of ricotta (or 1 lg one, you'll need about 30 oz.)
1 & 1/2 sticks of butter
Mrs. Dash, Original Blend (or any Italian blend of seasonings)
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced (white buttons or small criminis, I like both for this)
3 cloves of minced garlic (or 3 spoonfuls, if using pre-minced)
3 cups of milk (I wouldn't suggest using skim, this is the base for the sauce)
1/2-1 cup of flour
Salt and Pepper
1 $ 1/2 cups of frozen, chopped broccoli
2 cups Parmesan cheese, shredded
4-5 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 box of oven-ready lasagna noodles
2 cups Mozzarella, shredded
Cooking spray


You can chop the chicken breasts up into cubes and fry them, but I find it easier to boil the chicken and then cut/shred it. Place the chicken in a large pot and add just enough water to mostly cover the chicken. Add a few shakes of Mrs. Dash to flavor the chicken, cover and boil on med-high just until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the water and set aside to cool. Shred or cube once it's cool to the touch.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often until mushrooms are soft and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and broccoli and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add flour, a 1/4 cup at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon, making a roux. You want it to be a creamy paste-like texture, not too dry or clumpy. Slowly add milk and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thickened. The sauce may be looking more green than white at this point, but don't worry, the cheese will balance it out.
Add salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash to taste. Continuing to stir, slowly add the Parmesan and half of the ricotta (either one whole small container, or half of a large container, about 15 oz.). Stir frequently, you do NOT want the cheese to settle and burn to the bottom of the pan, it will ruin the sauce. Once sauce is thickened and cheese is fully melted, remove from heat.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spray bottom and sides of a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray and spread about 1/2 cup of sauce over the bottom of the pan. Now layer the pasta, 3 sheets should fit evenly, it's okay if there's little gaps. Next spread out about a 1/3 of the chicken, follow this by enough sauce to fully cover the the layer. Spoon 2 spoonfuls of ricotta per each pasta sheet, 6 total. Cover with 1/4-1/3 cup of mozzarella. Repeat this process until you only have 3 pasta sheets left, you should have used up the ricotta and chicken by now. Lay the last 3 sheets, cover with the last of the mozzarella and the remainder of the sauce.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes covered. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes uncovered, until cheese is bubbly and the pasta is soft when tested with a fork.

Let the lasagna rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving. I suggest serving with french or garlic bread and maybe a small salad.