6 Great Lasagne Recipes

Cheesy Chicken and Mushroom Lasagne. Photo by Romulo YanesBy Joanne Camas, Epicurious.com

We're on the cusp of chilly weather here in the Northeast, and for me, that means comfort food. There's nothing like the warmth of the oven and delicious smells of dinner wafting through the house to make you feel cozy and at home.

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Here, six perfect lasagne recipes, some with meat, some without. I'm opening auditions for my favorite, so post your tips and tweaks below.



Cheesy Chicken and Mushroom Lasagne
This recipe's a real time-saver. It calls for half a roast chicken (left over from last night, or bought cooked) and no-boil noodles.

yield: Makes 4 servings
active time: 35 min
total time: 1 1/2 hr

Ingredients
• 1 (10-ounce) package cremini or white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 roast chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded (about 2 1/4 cups), and carcass reserved for stock
• 3 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons thyme leaves
• 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 12 Barilla no-boil egg lasagne noodles (less than a 9-ounce package)
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Gruyère (3 ounces)

• Equipment: an 8-inch square baking pan

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425° with rack in middle.

Cook mushrooms, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a 4-quart 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.)

Bring milk to a bare simmer in a medium saucepan. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and cook roux, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. Add hot milk in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Add thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon 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.

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

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, about 15 minutes more. Let lasagne stand 10 minutes before serving.

Try more tasty lasagne recipe from Epicurious:

Turkey Sausage-Spinach Lasagna with Spicy Tomato Sauce
The noodles in this easy recipe don't need to be preboiled. The dish has a lot of sauce and is covered while it bakes, so the pasta gets cooked perfectly.

Swiss Chard Lasagna with Ricotta and Mushroom
"Absolutely sublime! I will make again and again," raves Epi member Charlotteskitchen. "The nutmeg perfectly complemented all of the flavors, the fontina was rich and nutty, the ricotta added little touches of creaminess throughout the dish."

Wild Mushroom Lasagne
This lasagne is very rich, so serve a light green salad on the side. It's also more time-intensive than other recipes -- save it for a weekend when you can relax while you prep (glass of wine, perhaps?). The last word from reviewers: "Sublime."

Greek-Style Lamb and Eggplant Lasagne
Cinnamon, allspice, and feta add interesting Mediterranean flavor to this meaty dish.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Rosemary, and Garlic Lasagne
Seasonal squash is so tasty and filling that you won't miss the meat in this lasagne. If you're trying to cut calories, use less of the cream topping.

Want even more lasagne recipes? You'll find lots here, plus some handy prep how-tos.


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