Chicken and Asparagas Lasagna

My daughter helped me make this tasty lasagna. She is very picky but she thought it smelled delicious and looked pretty. Her words:)

Adding Chicken Broth

Nice sauce that's not too runny

All the ingredients ready to start layering

It takes about 1 1/2 hours to make this start to finish which isn't bad when you think that a frozen store bought lasagna that's this size take about 2 hours to bake. You can also make it in the morning and keep it in the fridge until dinner time. This recipe is yummy for left overs too!

Chicken and Asparagus lasagna 

For the sauce:
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup minced sweet onion
8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup white grape juice
1 (14 ounces) can chicken broth
1-1/2 cups whole milk
Freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
5 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme chopped.

For the lasagna:
8 ounces oven-ready lasagna noodles
2 cups cooked diced chicken
2 cups fresh asparagus, cut into 2-inch lengths
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper, I put it in the oven on broil for a few min on each side to soften
4 cups finely-shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese, divided use
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 5-quart glass baking dish or two loaf pans with vegetable spray.

For the white mushroom sauce:
In a large heavy pot, sprinkle onions and mushrooms with salt and saute in butter over medium heat until lightly browned. Add chopped garlic and saute 1 additional minute. Sprinkle with flour and continue cooking another 2 minutes. While stirring, carefully add the grape juice and cook until flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Continuing to stir, add chicken broth. Simmer until sauce begins to thicken, then add milk, pepper, and nutmeg. Simmer another 5 minutes, then stir in sage and thyme. Taste for salt and add more if needed. (Remember that the pasta will absorb the salt, so be generous.) Let sauce cool slightly before assembling lasagna.

For the lasagna:
Remove 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese and set aside for the topping. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish, then begin layering the lasagna in the following order: lasagna noodles, chicken, asparagus, red peppers, sauce, and mozzarella cheese. You should have at least 4 layers, ending with the reserved 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese on top. Finish by sprinkling the Parmesan on top of the mozzarella. (May be made in advance to this point, covered, and refrigerated up to 1 day. Add 15 minuted of covered baking time if going from refrigerator to oven.)

Cover and bake 30 minutes. Remove the lid or covering and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let rest at least 15 minutes before cutting to serve.