Easy Lasagna

One thing I've learned in my few short years of cooking is that it is very hard to screw up a lasagna. You may run out of an ingredient while assembling your lasagna, but who cares? Or you may not have an ingredient, no big deal. The only way I've seen a messed up lasagna is when the noodles dry out, and that can usually be avoided by keeping the dish covered tightly with aluminum foil.

Another thing I love about this meal is that you can make it ahead of time and then stick it in the fridge to be cooked when you are ready. It's a perfect meal to make if you're having guests and you don't want to spend the entire time in the kitchen. Pair it with a salad and garlic bread and you'll have a meal that is always a winner.

To make, you'll need:

One box of lasagna noodles (I prefer the plain noodles, not the no-bake ones, but you can use those if you must)

2 pounds of meat (this is fun because you can use hamburger, sausage, chicken, or even no meat and substitute with broccoli) - in this meal I used boneless chicken breasts

2 small containers of Ricotta cheese (I like part-skim, low fat)

1 large bag of mixed cheeses (I like Parmesan blend)

1 large package of mushrooms (any kind)

White Sauce (makes about 4 cups)
1/2 cup minced onions
6 Tb butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
Salt and Pepper to taste

Boiling the Lasagna
Drop lasagna noodles into boiling water. Add salt, EVOO.
Boil slowly, uncovered for 13-15 minutes until "al dente"
Drain immediately.
Rinse rapidly in cold water.
Hang piece by piece over edge of colander to dry. (keeps them from sticking to each other)

White Sauce
Blend onions with butter over moderate heat.
When butter is bubbling, add chicken stock and blend in flour, stirring with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes, without browning the sauce.
Remove from heat and whisk.
Sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon fairly heavily.
Boil for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper to taste.
(if not using immediately, keep at a simmer, stirring to keep from burning)

I boiled the chicken. It's the easiest way, in my opinion, and you don't have to keep an eye on it.


In a large cooking pan I spooned out enough white sauce to lightly cover the bottom of the dish. Next, I laid out 4 lasagna noodles to cover the bottom of the pan. Then I sprinkled chicken, more white sauce, ricotta, and cheese blend. Lastly, I put freshly ground pepper and salt on top. repeated this 3 more times until the noodles and mixture were at the top of the dish.


Since we weren't ready to eat yet, I covered it in Saran Wrap and put it in the freezer. Steven made some delicious ciabatta bread to go with this. Viola! It's an easy, inexpensive meal that is always a hit. And you'll definitely have leftovers in there's just two of you!

Assembled and ready for the oven (or the fridge)

Assembling the lasagna

White Sauce

Hanging the noodles


Here's what you'll need