Spicy Chicken and Spinach Lasagna

Your next go-to dinner for feeding the family, Spicy Chicken and Spinach Lasagna. Chicken sausage cooked in a tomato based sauce with a mix of red peppers, onions, spinach and cajun spice. All layered with herbed ricotta, provolone cheese, lasagna noodles and topped with Ciliegine Mozzarella and sun dried tomatoes right before baking.

Serve the lasagna topped with a generous amount of grated parmesan for a comforting meal that everyone will love. This is a great make ahead dinner and the meat filling can easily be use for another meal or can even be frozen to use at a later time!

The Ingredients:

Chicken Sausage: I used Spicy and Mild Italian Chicken Sausage for this recipe but you can definitely use pork sausage if you’d like OR you can stick to the classic ground beef. For me, I prefer making something not as heavy without sacrificing flavor so thats why I went with chicken sausage.

Fire Roasted Tomato: I LOVE Fire roasted tomatoes so I always have a can in my pantry— very much a staple in my cooking. The tomatoes are charred over a flame before canned. Charring the tomatoes brings out their’ sweetness and, most notably, imparts a distinct smokiness. Get yourself a can and always have it on hand—I usually get diced and that what I used for this recipe, but you can get crushed too.

Spices: I used a combo of cajun spice and Italian seasoning.

Onions, Bell Peppers: I added these veggies for extra texture and I love the flavor of onions and peppers

Spinach: Does adding spinach ever really hurt? nope… For this recipe, you can use frozen or fresh, if you use frozen PLEASE squeeze out the water before adding it to the meat mixture.

Tomato Paste: Tomato paste is another pantry staple: Its concentrated, almost meaty taste adds nuance and body to the mixture.

Cheese: Provolone, grated Mozzarella, Ciliegine and Parmesan. If you can’t find the Ciliegine, you can use fresh mozzarella balls too. Or just omit it and add more grated mozzarella!

Ricotta Cheese: I used Ricotta cheese to add creaminess to the filling. I missed it with some herbs and parmesan cheese.

Lasagna Noodles: I used regular lasagna noodles, the one time I did I try the no-boil it was tragic and I will not do it ever again. Ill boil my noodles before placing them in the oven.

Sun Dried Tomatoes: Sun-dried tomatoes have an intense sweet-tart flavor that's much more potent than fresh tomatoes, so a little goes a long way. I used these at the top of the lasagna only at the end.

Basil: ALWAYS BASIL.. ALWAYS!

Step By Step Details:

Start off with making the filling—Add some olive oil to a cast iron pan or whatever pan you usually use to cook in. Add the chicken sausage in, break it apart as much as possible, then add chopped garlic and some pepper. Next, mix in the tomato paste and once it’s mixed in well, add the diced tomatoes, the onions and bell pepper. Season with Italian seasoning and cajun spice. season it to your liking. Let the mixture cook down as much as possible then at the end right before taking it off the heat. add the spinach. let the mixture cool while preparing the noodles.

Boil the Noodles until al dente. Do not overcook the noodles because they will break apart when they're cooled.

Make the ricotta mixture by mixing ricotta, parmesan, chopped fresh thyme, salt and pepper. mix it together but make sure to not over-mix it either.

After the noodles are cooled and your lasagna is ready to be assembled. take out the dish that you’ll be assembling the lasagna in.

The Layers:

Base layer: filling- I always add the filling at the bottom.

Layer 2: Noodles

Layer 3: Ricotta

Layer 4: Filling

Layer 5: Cheese ( Provolone and Mozzarella)

Repeat the layer starting with Layer 2

At the end of the last layer, Add the Ciliegine, Mozzarella, Parmesan , sun dried tomatoes and season with pepper.

After you’ve finished all the layers, place the Lasagna in the Oven for about 35-40 minutes at 375 (uncovered at first then uncovered halfway through). until the cheese is bubbly and browned. Let it cool off before slicing.

Simple and delicious!

If you make this recipe , be sure to leave a comment! I love to hear from you guys and of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram

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Spicy Chicken and Spinach Lasagna

Yield: 6-8

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 1 H & 10 M

Ingredients

• 1 lb Spicy Chicken Sausage
• 1 lb Mild Chicken Sausage
• 1 28oz can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
• 4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 3-4 teaspoons cajun spice
• 1 Onions, sliced
• 1 Bell Peppers, diced
• 4 Garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 packages (10 ounce) frozen spinach, thawed and drained or 4 cups fresh spinach
• 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 1 package sliced Provolone Cheese
• 3 cups shredded Mozarella
• 2 cups grated Parmesan
• 8 oz Ciliegine Mozarella
• 2 cups Ricotta Cheese:
• 1 package Lasagna Noodles:
• 6 oz Sun Dried Tomatoes:
• Basil, handful

Instructions

1. In a large pan, olive oil on medium. Add the chicken sausage, break it apart as much as possible, then add chopped garlic and some pepper. Next, mix in the tomato paste and once it’s mixed in well, add the diced tomatoes, the onions and bell pepper. Season with Italian seasoning and cajun spice. season it to your liking. Let the mixture cook down as much as possible then at the end right before taking it off the heat. add the spinach. let the mixture cool while preparing the noodles.
2. Preheat the Oven to 375. Boil the Noodles until al dente. Do not overcook the noodles because they will break apart when they're cooled.
3. In a small bowl, mix the ricotta mixture, parmesan, chopped fresh thyme, salt and pepper. mix it together but make sure to not over-mix it either.
4. After the noodles are cooled and your lasagna is ready to be assembled. take out the dish that you’ll be assembling the lasagna in.
5. The Layers: : filling- I always add the filling at the bottom. Layer 2: Noodles Layer 3: Ricotta Layer 4: Filling Layer 5: Cheese (Provolone and Mozzarella) then Repeat the layers starting with Layer 2. At the end of the last layer, Add the Ciliegine, Mozzarella, Parmesan , sun dried tomatoes and season with pepper.
6. Bake covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes or until the top has bubbled up and browned a bit. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy

Nutrition Facts

Calories

898.54

Fat (grams)

59.3

Sat. Fat (grams)

27.19

Carbs (grams)

27.06

Fiber (grams)

5.74

Net carbs

21.32

Sugar (grams)

9.34

Protein (grams)

68.62

Sodium (milligrams)

3193.77

Cholesterol (grams)

223.06

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