My daughter says we “speed date” food because I love playing with ingredients and am constantly creating new recipes. My family becomes attached to certain recipes and wants me to make the same things over and over and over again. My daughter says that asking for spaghetti twice in one month is not asking for the same thing over and over again. 🙂 It feels like it to me though, especially since it isn’t just spaghetti they want at least twice a month, they also want tacos a couple of times a month, Teriyaki Chicken, and Pasta Alfredo, and …
I have come up with a way to compromise on my family’s desire for their favorite recipes and my need to create new ones: I use the ingredients from their favorite recipes in new ways. So instead of making Pasta Alfredo with Vegetables, I used the ingredients to make Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Lasagna. It was an all-around success; it had all the flavors they love and I got to feel like I was creating something new.
Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Lasagna
Adapted from Pasta and Vegetables with Alfredo Sauce
Yield – 8 servings
Preparation Time – 15 minutes
Cooking Time – 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 9 – 12 lasagna noodles (use gluten-free noodles to make this recipe gluten-free)
- 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite size pieces
- 5 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 3 – 4 cups Alfredo sauce (reserve 1/4 – 1/2 cup for the top)
Alfredo Sauce Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (or 4 tablespoons flour or GF flour)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese (or 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1/2 cup parmesan)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley ( or 1 tablespoon dried)
- dash of pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a casserole dish with oil.
- Cook noodles according to package directions and drain.
- Make the Alfredo sauce while the noodles are cooking.
- Melt butter in a medium sauce pot. Once the butter is melted add cornstarch. Stir until smooth. Cook over a medium-high flame until the mixture is smooth and bubbly, stirring constantly.
- Add milk slowly, stirring until well blended.
- Add broth, 2 cups of cheese, garlic powder, parsley and pepper. Stir over a medium flame, until cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Spoon a small amount of sauce on the bottom of a greased 9×12 pan. Place 3 – 4 lasagna noodles on the bottom. Place 1 cup of cut chicken and 2 cups of broccoli on top of the noodles. Spoon 1 – 1 1/2 cups Alfredo sauce over the chicken and broccoli.
- Place 3 – 4 lasagna noodles on top of the Alfredo sauce. Place 1 cup of cut chicken and 2 cups of broccoli on top of the noodles. Spoon 1 – 1 1/2 cups Alfredo sauce over the chicken and broccoli.
- Place 3 – 4 lasagna noodles on top of the Alfredo sauce. Spread the remaining Alfredo sauce on top of the noodles. Place the remaining chicken and broccoli over the Alfredo sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the broccoli and chicken.
- Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5 – 10 minutes until the cheese just starts to brown.
- Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Does your family want the same recipes over and over again or do they like lots of variety?
lol! I love your kids’ comments! “Speed dating food” is too funny. 🙂
my daughter’s 4 favorite things combined! pasta, cheese, broccoli and chicken! Looks so yummy
My husband would eat beef and potatoes for every meal, if I would let him. He does not like veggies very well. Any ideas?
This looks yummy!!!
One thought would be to allow a favorite meal a second time in a month IF the child is willing to cook it (with supervision dependent on age), of course. Great way to teach them to cook and fend for themselves!
Tried this recipe and it was delicious. It was more moist than I expected. Will definitely make again. Thanks for the recipe.
Do you cook the broccoli first?
No, I do not cook the broccoli first.
Sound amazing. Do you cook the chicken first as well before placing onto the dish?
Yes, the chicken is cooked in advance. I usually make this recipe when I have leftover chicken.
Would this be freezable? And would you freeze it before or after cooking it? Thank you for any suggestions! This recipe is exactly what I was looking for! -Chris
Absolutely you can freeze it! With lasagna you can freeze before or after cooking, but most prefer baking it first, letting it cool completely, and then freezing. Lasagna noodles are hardy noodles so they won’t get weird after being frozen and thawed. Hope that helps!