This is certainly not traditional Italian Lasagna, but here's a little story! Growing up in a German - Scottish family in a very small Southern Illinois town, it is probably no surprise that when I was first married, I had never tasted lasagna. Neither had my husband, but he knew what it was and suggested I add it to my list of new recipes! He loved to eat, and he loved to watch me learning to cook for him!
I shopped at a small neighborhood grocery store that I had grown up shopping at with my mother. Joe loved their fresh meat counter, their hand mixed pork sausage and the fact that we could have steaks and roasts cut exactly like we wanted them. It was at Buck's Grocery Store that I found a package of square German-style noodles ... that had a recipe for lasagna on the back! This lasagna recipe had a homemade meat sauce recipe included and it called for cottage cheese.
I should note that my German Grandmother made a noodle dish that included cottage cheese, so this was nothing unusual for me. Back then, in my little town, you couldn't find a pint of ricotta cheese (even though Grandma made something similar). Click right here if you want to see my post for Grandma's Cottage Noodles.
Ok ... back to today's recipe. It is made with left-overs! I had 2 little chicken tenders left from another dish. I almost always have a bag of fresh spinach getting old in the fridge! I had artichoke hearts left from making Phoebe's favorite dip! Cottage cheese is a staple at my house and I always have a container of nice, thick German-style noodles. I use them for lots of things!
Chicken & Artichoke Lasagna
Mix together:
1 cup of chopped cooked chicken
2 cups of fresh baby spinach leaves
1 cup of cottage cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts in oil
1 egg, whisked
Begin layering using 2 cups of cooked noodles ... adding the chicken mixture, a layer of mozzarella cheese, more noodles, more chicken mixture. Top with a little more parmesan and a few pieces of mozzarella cheese.
Pour 1 cup of half and half over the top of these layers.
Cover with foil
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. I used my NuWave, so 30 minutes finished mine!
END OF STORY: Later in our marriage, Joe and I bought an Italian Steakhouse! I made my lasagna by the "tons" ... sure seemed like that much, anyway!
