Description
Hearty crack chicken lasagna recipe delivers comfort in layers of creamy, cheesy goodness. Pasta lovers will savor this irresistible dish that combines classic Italian technique with bold American flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups (600 g / 21 oz) cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken works great)
- 2 cups (500 ml / 16.9 fl oz) Alfredo sauce
- 2 cups (500 ml / 16.9 fl oz) heavy cream or milk
- 2 cups (200 g / 7 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup (100 g / 3.5 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
- 12 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package instructions
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 (1 oz / 28 g) packet ranch seasoning mix
- fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Ignite the oven to 375F (190C) and liberally anoint a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray, creating a culinary stage.
- Chicken Composition: Merge shredded chicken, ranch seasoning, Alfredo sauce, and half the bacon pieces into a cohesive mixture, blending flavors with purposeful strokes.
- Cream Sauce Creation: Gently warm Alfredo sauce with heavy cream, whisking until a luxurious, velvety texture emerges, promising rich undertones.
- Foundational Layering: Initiate the architectural process by painting the dish’s base with a delicate cream sauce layer, then strategically position lasagna noodles as the initial structural element.
- Strategic Assembly: Alternate layers of chicken mixture, mozzarella, and cream sauce, building a gastronomic edifice with precision. Ensure each stratum receives equal attention, culminating in a final noodle layer lavished with cream sauce.
- Crowning Glory: Scatter cheddar cheese and remaining bacon fragments across the summit, creating a tantalizing textural landscape.
- Thermal Transformation: Drape the creation in aluminum foil, bake for 25 minutes, then unveil and continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes until the cheese melts into a golden, bubbling terrain.
- Flavor Harmonization: Rest the lasagna for 10 minutes, allowing ingredients to meld and intensify their collective essence.
- Presentation: Optional garnish of freshly chopped parsley adds a vibrant flourish. Slice and serve while the warmth still whispers of culinary passion.
Notes
- Optimize Chicken Texture: Shred chicken while warm for easier and more uniform mixing, preventing clumping and ensuring even flavor distribution.
- Moisture Management: Cover lasagna with foil during initial baking to prevent excessive drying, maintaining a creamy, rich consistency throughout layers.
- Customize Dietary Needs: Substitute regular noodles with gluten-free alternatives and use low-fat cream and cheese for a lighter, diet-friendly version without compromising taste.
- Advance Preparation: Assemble lasagna a day ahead and refrigerate, allowing flavors to develop more intensely; simply bake when ready to serve for enhanced depth of flavor.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 227.5
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 560 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 14.5 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg