Lasagna Cordon Bleu

My husband loves lasagna.  It is one of his all-time favorite foods.  I, on the other hand, am not really a fan of lasagna.  I mean, it's ok...I will eat it.  But it's not something I ever crave or really feel like making.  My husband will randomly buy ridiculous amounts of lasagna noodles just so I feel like I have to make lasagna for him.  This lasagna variation, however, is one that he will not have to trick me in to making.  Despite the cream sauce, it is not a heavy lasagna--the chicken broth in the sauce plus the broccoli layered in make it really light and flavorful.  The no-boil lasagna noodles are a nice little time-saver, but if you want to use regular lasagna noodles, just thicken the sauce more (since the noodles won't be soaking up as much sauce).

Lasagna Cordon Bleu

Number of Servings:  8-10
Time to Prepare: 1 hour 15 minutes

• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup finely minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 2/3 cup milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 3 cups broccoli florets, chopped
• 2 cups cooked, diced chicken
• 1-2 cups diced ham
• 4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 4 oz Swiss cheese, shredded
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened, 4-5 minutes.  Stir in the flour, continuing to stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Very slowly, pour in the chicken broth while whisking constantly and quickly, letting each addition incorporate and thicken slightly before adding more.  When all the broth has been added, gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly.  Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens slightly, 5-10 minutes.  Stir in the salt and pepper and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese.  Remove from the heat.

To assemble, spread a little bit of the sauce (about 1/3 cup) on the bottom of the prepared pan. Add a layer of noodles. Top with half of the broccoli, chicken, and cheeses. Drizzle a cup or so of the sauce over the cheese, followed by half of the ham.  Add another layer of noodles over the ham and sprinkle the remaining broccoli, chicken, and cheeses over the top.  Add sauce (leaving about 1/2 cup or so for the top) followed by the remaining ham.  Add the final layer of noodles and spread the remaining sauce on top.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over the sauce.

Cover the dish with lightly greased aluminum foil and bake for 30-35 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes longer, until bubbling and the noodles are tender.  Remove the lasagna from the oven, tent with foil, and let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Produce Used: Onion, garlic, broccoli