Chicken and Butternut Squash Lasagna

A cozy lasagna for cool days with the perfect balance of sweet & savory flavor.

Chicken and Butternut Squash Lasagna

A cozy lasagna for cool days with the perfect balance of sweet & savory flavor.

Ingredients
FILLING:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 3
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. olive oil, plus more to grease baking dish
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2” -3/4” cubes
2 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. water
CREAM SAUCE:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 1/2 cup whole milk
pinch nutmeg
1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1 tsp. kosher salt
To taste ground black pepper
ASSEMBLY:
9 oz. no-boil lasagna noodles, or about 12 noodles
4 cups Borden Cheese Whole Milk Mozzarella Shreds, divided
1 cup Borden Cheese Sharp Cheddar Shreds, divided
Steps
1
PREHEAT the oven to 375, and lightly coat a ceramic or glass 9x13” baking pan with olive oil.
2
MIX together salt, poultry seasoning and pepper. Rub seasoning mix on both sides of each chicken breast to coat.
3
HEAT a large dutch oven or saute pan with tall sides, add the oil and chicken breasts and cook on medium to high heat turning once, for about 3-5 minutes per side. Add 1 tablespoon of water and cover. Cook 5-8 additional minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Timing will vary depending on the thickness of chicken breasts. Remove chicken to cutting board.
4
ADD 2 teaspoons olive oil, squash, garlic, onion, and sage to the same pan, cooking until they just begin to brown. Add 1/3 cup water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally for about 7-10 minutes, or until squash is just tender. Remove squash mixture from pan. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle shred the meat into bite size chunks.
5
ADD butter and melt into that same pan, add flour once butter has completely melted. Add the flour and cook until the flour is a lightly toasted color, or about 3-5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, adding the nutmeg, sage, thyme, minced garlic, and salt. Whisk constantly until mixture has thickened slightly, it will still be thin.
6
SET aside 1 cup whole milk mozzarella and 1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese for final topping.
7
POUR 3/4 cups of the cream sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer 3 of the lasagna noodles across the bottom of the baking dish. Spread 1/3 of the squash and chicken in an even layer across the noodles. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sharp cheese and 1 cup mozzarella evenly over chicken and squash and top with 1/2 cup cream sauce, as evenly as possible. Repeat 2 more times.
8
FINISH with the remains 3 noodles and remaining cream sauce. Reserve cheese for final topping. Gently press down on the top of lasagna with a spoon to ensure all noodles are submerged, or coated with sauce. Tightly cover baking dish with foil and bake for40 minutes.
9
REMOVE foil, top with remaining cheese and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese just starts to brown. Let stand for at least 15 minutes and top with fresh sage, thyme or fried sage leaves as desired.