Spinach and artichokes. Aren’t they the perfect pairing? Umm, yeah! So when I saw a recipe for spinach and artichoke lasagna I knew it would be delicious. Of course, I couldn’t leave well enough alone so I changed it up quite a bit – trying to make it healthier but no less tasty. And Jordan insisted I add chicken, because according to him chicken makes everything better :). I served this up to Jordan (my husband) and Morgan (my brother), who are both a little skeptical of new recipes after a terrible flop with blue cheese and eggplant quesadillas (it was years ago but they still remind me lol). They took a bite and said, “it tastes suprisingly normal!”. Normal = awesome! 😉 With a few simple changes, I substantially cut the calories and fat so you can even feel good about eating this. The serving size is very generous too. I only ate half a serving and I was stuffed. Enjoy!
P.S. Â Does anyone like when I include nutritional info??
Spinach and Artichoke LasagnaÂ
6 whole wheat lasagna noodles (prepared as directed on box)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup skim milk
2 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 large chicken breast, cooked and cubed
10 oz frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried minced onion
7.5 oz low-fat ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook about 1 minute. Add in milk and whisk constantly until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
2. In large bowl, combine artichoke hearts, chicken, spinach, garlic powder, minced onion, ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, and egg. Add salt and pepper as needed.
3. In a small bowl, combine mozzarella cheese and the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.
4. To assemble, spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce over the bottom of an greased 8 inch square baking dish. Layer two of the noodles in the dish (you will have to cut then in half to fit the pan). Spread with one-third of the spinach-artichoke mixture and one-third of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with a third of the mozzarella mixture. Repeat layering noodles, spinach-artichoke mixture, sauce, and mozzarella mixture two more times, ending with cheese.
5. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes until edges are bubbly and top is lightly browned. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 servings
*very loosely adapted from Better Homes and Gardens
Nutritional Info (per serving): 323Â calories; 12.4 g fat; 27 g carbohydrate; 5.9 g fiber; 25.9 g protein
