Cajun Chicken Lasagna

I've had this recipe ear-marked in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook for a long time. I can't believe I waited so long to make this! This lasagna was absolutely delicious -- so creamy and flavorful, and on top of that so easy to throw together!

My parents lost power for about a week due to a major windstorm that wreaked havoc on our entire state, so they had some meat that defrosted and had to be used up quickly. I used their thawed-out rotisserie chicken for this recipe, and it worked perfectly. When I make this again (and I definitely will!) I'll add some hot sauce in with the vegetables while they're sauteeing to provide a little more of a kick. If there's anything that can make an already delicious dish even better, it's Red Hot!


Cajun Chicken Lasagna
Source: Our Best Recipes (page 100), also found on the Better Homes and Gardens website

16 dried lasagna noodles
1 pound andouille sausage or smoked pork sausage, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 to 3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 10-ounce containers refrigerated light Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Nonstick cooking spray
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain; rinse.

2. Combine sausage, chicken, Cajun seasoning, and sage. In a large skillet cook meat mixture 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from skillet using a slotted spoon, reserving drippings in skillet. Set meat mixture aside; keep warm. In same skillet cook onion, celery, sweet pepper, and garlic in drippings until vegetables are tender. Stir in meat mixture, one container of the Alfredo sauce, and Parmesan cheese.

3. Lightly coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick spray. Arrange 4 noodles in bottom of dish. Spread with 2 cups of the meat-vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Carefully spread remaining Alfredo sauce over the top (if sauce is too thick, heat slightly). Cover; bake 1 hour or until heated through. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before carefully cutting.