Vegetable and Chicken Lasagna

Just make it- then you'll understand

5 cups All Purpose Red Sauce (written in recipe above this post), or your favorite tomato sauce
1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced in 1/4 inch disks
4 small organic Zucchini (best quality you can get-worth the $), sliced into 1/4 inch disks
1 13.5 ounce package whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked for 10 minutes and drained
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 1/4 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
1 batch of "Lasagna Bechamel Filling" (below)

Lasagna Bechamel Filling:
12 ounces crimini mushrooms, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half and half (you can use whole milk or fat free half and half if you want to cut a couple calories)
8 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 pinch of nutmeg
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 small box frozen spinach, defrosted and water squeeezed out

Cook mushrooms in butter and olive oil for 2 minutes. Add flour and cook for one minute. Add half and half slowly. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add cream cheese, mozzarella and parmesan, melt. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, chicken and spinach.

Building the lasagna:

I'm just going to write this in how I build the layers, from the bottom to the top.

13x9 pan
1 cup red sauce
4 lasagna noodles
2 cups bechamel filling
1/2 of the sliced zucchini
1 cup red sauce
4 lasagna noodles
2 cups bechamel filling
Eggplant slices
1 cup red sauce
4 lasagna noodles
2 cups bechamel filling
1/2 of the zucchini
1 cup red sauce
4 lasagna noodles
1 cup red sauce
1 1/4 cup mozzarella
1/4 cup parmesan

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes if baking just after assembling. 40-50 if from the fridge. The lasagna will be almost bursting out of the pan, so it's safer to bake it on a baking sheet or place a baking sheet on the rack below to prevent oven messes. Mine usually bubbles over a teeny tiny bit in one corner.

For best slicing and removing results, allow lasagna to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

I always make a big lasagna because it can be frozen. Individual portions can be placed in ziplocks and frozen for a quick lunch or dinner down the road when you don't feel like cooking :)