Week 3: Gobble It Up Lasagna

I'm not quite sure exactly where I found this recipe -- it's been lying around since I printed it on Jan. 25, 2008! -- but think it comes from Ronzoni. Since this week is a bit crazy for us, and I had the day off, I decided to tackle week 3 a little early and try my first lasagna. I put it all together while Monkey 1 was watching a movie and Monkey 2 was napping, then put it in the fridge until about an hour before dinnertime. Prep time says 15 minutes, but it took me about 45 minutes to shred the chicken, boil and dry the noodles, and arrange it all. Although time-consuming, this recipe is easy -- and Monkey 1 declared it "Delicious!"

12 pieces lasagna

2 jars (about 16 oz. each) prepared Alfredo sauce (I mixed one garlic and one plain)
4 cups (1 lb.) chopped cooked turkey or chicken
5 cups (16 oz. package) frozen broccoli cuts
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
(Note: I garnished with a sprinkle of oregano)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees

2. Cook pasta according to package directions

3. In a 13x9x2-inch baking dish, spread 1/2 cup Alfredo sauce; place 4 pasta pieces lengthwise over sauce, overlapping edges.

4. Spread 1 cup sauce over pasta; place one-half turkey or chicken and one-half broccoli evenly over sauce. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup cheese.

5. Repeat layer, beginning with pasta.

6. Top with remaining 4 pasta pieces; spread remaining sauce on top.

7. Cover with foil; bake 40 minutes.

8. Remove foil; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

9. Bake 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

During dinner, I asked Bubba to rate this dish. He gave it a solid 4 out of 5 (only because he prefers a bit more spice and even added hot sauce to this one!).

Buon appetito!