Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Chicken Skillet Lasagna


I have tried writing this post 3 times now & every time I was too distracted by other things to write it. But they say third times a charm, so here goes!



This recipe is AMAZING. (I know, that word is overused with food, but if the recipe is amazing, I see no point in finding a different word to use just to show off my wide vocabulary.) Anywho, I came across this recipe on YouTube actually. I was searching different ideas for budget dinners one day & stumbled upon a channel with some really great recipes that use everyday ingredients & won't blow my budget. The guy who runs the channel is actually a big, burly, redneck-motorcycle looking dude & not at all someone you'd expect to be a good cook. But I'm telling you, he makes some good meals! So I was browsing his different recipes videos and found one for Chicken Skillet Lasagna. Now, I was drawn to this recipe for a few reasons: 1) It's a one-dish meal . . . well, mostly anyway 2) It's cooked in a cast iron skillet - has anything ever been cooked in a cast iron skillet that didn't turn out good? :) and 3) It had the word lasagna in it. That sealed the deal. Oh yes, and 4) The YouTuber I was watching originally got this recipe from The Pioneer Woman. And everything she makes is good, so obviously, this recipe's a winner!

But, I'm rambling, aren't I? Let's just get to the recipe. ;)

*Side note: I don't really use a recipe here, I just eyeball it, so take good notes. :) *

To get started, take 2 chicken breasts, butterfly them all the way, & then slice them into strips. (Or, just buy chicken breast tenderloins. I already had chicken breasts though, so it just made sense to use them.) Then sprinkle them with an Italian seasoning of your choice & toss the chicken to evenly season all the pieces. (I used the Penzey's Spices Italian Seasoning because, well, Penzey's is awesome. ;) )



Next up, boil some water to start cooking the noodles. The original recipe calls for Farfalle (bowtie) pasta, but I didn't have that on hand, so I just used egg noodles. At this point, you can drizzle some oil in the skillet & add the chicken to start cooking that. Cook it just until the chicken is a little browned on both sides. 



Once the chicken has cooked, remove it from the skillet & immediately put about a 1/2 cup of chopped onion in there along with a cup of chicken broth. (I used some of my homemade chicken broth for this. :) )


You'll cook the onions until most of the broth has evaporated.



Now, basically just toss everything else into the skillet! You'll be adding Mozzarella cheese (or a blend of lasagna cheeses) , Ricotta cheese, & your favorite pasta sauce.



Once you've stirred all of that together to combine the ingredients, add your noodles & stir to incorporate. Chop your chicken into bite size pieces and add that too! 



Finally, generously (very generously) sprinkle Mozzarella cheese on top along with a little more Italian seasoning. Place the skillet in the oven  under the broiler for about 5 minutes or however long it takes the cheese to melt and get bubbly.



This is one of those great low maintenance recipes that gives you time in between adding ingredients to get your kitchen cleaned up, so by the time dinner is ready, the only dishes you have left are the skillet, serving spatula, & your plates/glasses/utensils! Score!



When it's all finished, the end result will be beautiful & smellicious. ;)



Enjoy and go ahead and throw some toast on the side too. :)