Chicken Lasagna Recipe

Someone asked for my chicken lasagna recipe. I usually cook a whole chicken but if you don't want to use a whole chicken choose chicken breast with bone in. A lot of good flavor comes from the bone and the skin.
I have made this recipe without the mushrooms with spinach and without the spinach with the mushrooms. Both were delicious.

Chicken Lasagna

Chicken

1 whole chicken

2 stalks Celery chopped

1/2 small Onion chopped

Salt and Pepper to coat

Wash the chicken rub in salt and pepper and put in large pot cover with water add celery, and onion. When leg falls away from breast remove from water and let cool. When cool enough to touch, remove skin and bones and chop 2 cups of chicken.

Mushrooms and Spinach

1 pound of baby Portobello mushrooms chopped

½ of small onion

2 cloves garlic minced

1 stick of butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups warm chicken broth

3 1/2 cups ½ and ½

1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Pinch of nutmeg

1 lb. chopped spinach

Sautee mushrooms in large pan, over medium heat, in 1 stick of butter with onions and garlic, until onions are translucent. Stir in 3 tablespoons flour to make a light roux. Add 2 cups chicken broth from cooked chicken. Stir and cook until smooth. Add the ½ and ½ and cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg. Allow to simmer over medium low heat for about 2 to 3 min. until it begins to thicken.  Remove from heat and stir in chopped spinach.

Noodles

9 to 10 lasagna noodles cooked by package directions.

Drain, rinse and cool enough to touch.

Cook these while the mushroom sauce is being made drain, rinse and allow to cool to touch.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Assemble the lasagna in a 9 x 13 oven proof pan. Oil bottom and sides of pan.

Lightly cover the bottom of the pan with the mushroom mixture. Lay 3 noodles on top, and cover with a little more sauce, layer of chicken, layer of sauce. Continue to layer ending with sauce on top.

Bake for about 30 to 35 min. until bubbly in the middle and edges are lightly brown.  Remove from oven and let stand for 5 min. before serving. Great served with a tossed salad with sliced avocado and Italian dressing.

Digging the Sand!

I have spent almost all of my daylight hours the past few days in the sand.....digging up sandspurs, wild lantana in bad locations and those awful thorny bamboo shoots. They all love this sandy mountain. The thorny bamboos are the worst of course, because they bite really hard with huge razor blade sharp thorns.
I have missed alot the past two days while I have been playing weed exterminator in the sand...and not turning on my computer or answering my phone continuously...I had rosy cheeks last night from the sun.:) I love the Sun too bad I don't have ninja skin....I can hear Granny's "Woooo Katie, you better cover your head, that old sun will ruin your skin." It's a fact red heads can't tan....

M.J. during the Alabama
Auburn game

Last night my daughter Lee Ann had to take her totally loved pet to the emergency Vet in Auburn. They kept M.J., said she was comfortable, and sent Lee Ann home and said to come back to see vet at 10:30. We almost lost M.J. last summer when she ate a toothpick. She had surgery and slowly recovered. I hope she's o.k. we all totally adore her. They were playing in the park and she started crying and just kept getting worse.  She is the smartest sweetest dog any of us have ever known. Lee Ann is totally devoted to her and she to Lee Ann.
Last week my cousin Cicely's daughter broke her arm and she commented on how hard it is to see your child suffer. It is the worst torment there is for a mother. Wish I could be there with them....