~ Party Recipes ~ Chicken and Beef Lasagna

As seen on Sarina's Sweet Second Birthday Party

Here is the recipe for my famously acclaimed Lasagna :)

Essentially to put the Lasagna together you need to have all of these ready:

1- Chicken:  Put 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a pot, add 4 Chicken breast skinless boneless and brown for 2 minutes {you can use bone-in chicken breast too, just be careful when shredding to remove all the bones}, add chopped vegetables {In the food processor blend 1 big onion, 3 garlic cloves, 2 tomatoes}, add salt and pepper {you can use as well poultry or roasted garlic and red pepper seasoning mix for extra flavour}, 1/2 chicken cube, and 1 cup of water. Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes in low heat or until cook, just not overcook since this will be in the oven again we don't want the chicken to turn into rubber. Shred chicken, with all and vegetables, in the same pot using two forks.

 2- Beef:  In a pan, Saute 1kilogram of extra lean ground beef, with  vegetable mix {In the food processor add 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 sweet cubanelle pepper, 1 carrot and 1/2 celery stalk}  Salt and Pepper or use Montreal Steak Seasoning. Brown for 2 minutes then add 1 cup of Red sauce {Recipe below} and let simmer 20 min approx. in low heat. 

3- Red Sauce:  In a large pot saute 1 chopped onion for about 2 minutes, add 2 Strained or Pureed Tomato Jars, Water {Fill with water 1 of the tomato jars and pour in the pot}, Fresh basil leaves,  season with roasted garlic and red pepper seasoning mix.

4- White Sauce:  In a pot add 2 tbsp of butter, 2 can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup, 2 cups of Milk, bring to boil and let it simmer for 5 minutes in low heat

5- Cooked Pasta: I prefer to boil fresh pasta rather than using oven ready {It seems I always choose the hard way in everything I do, but believe me the result is different}. Another reason while I choose to boil the pasta rather than using oven-ready is because this way you can freeze your prepared lasagna to bake another day, however with oven-ready pasta the lasagna should go in the oven right away.  Use a big pot follow pasta instructions and don't boil more than 9 at the time, being careful to not to overcook. Save your cooked pasta in a Pyrex filled with cold water until ready to put lasagna together. {You'll  need at least 15 cooked lasagna pasta for each of the big aluminum pans like the ones shown in the picture above}

6- Shredded Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese

7- Italian herbs seasoning.

Now that you have everything ready, you can put the lasagna together as follow: 

- Start with some of the white sauce in the pan

- then add the first layer of cooked pasta, just overlapping by 1cm. and cover the whole pan {5 cooked pasta should cover it}

- More white sauce

- Beef

- Red Sauce {be generous}

- Mozzarella cheese

- Second layer of Pasta {another 5 cooked pasta}

- White sauce

- Chicken

- Red Sauce

- Mozzarella Cheese

- Third layer of Pasta

- Pink Sauce: white and red sauce mixed :) 

- And top it all with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and little bit {1 teaspoon of Italian herbs seasoning}

Cover with aluminum foil, put into preheated 350 degrees oven for 30-45 minutes and VOILA!! it is ready. 

Now if you want to freeze to bake another day instead, you can do so, just defrost overnight in the fridge before going in the oven, it might take a little bit longer than 30 minutes.  If your ingredients were hot when you put together the lasagna, let it cool down before freezing.  Now if you want to bake it the next day, don't freeze, just leave it in the fridge.

HERE IS YOUR SHOPPING LIST: 

Chicken Breast Boneless Skinless

Extra Lean Ground Beef

2 Jars of Strained or pureed Tomatoes

2 Tomatoes

3 White Onions

1 Carrot

1 Sweet Cubanelle Pepper

Celery

Garlic

Extra virgin Olive Oil

Fresh Basil leaves

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

Milk

1 can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup

Pasta for Lasagna

Italian Herbs Seasoning

Montreal Steak and Roasted Red Pepper Seasoning mix {optional}

Big rectangular Aluminum pan {just toss it in the garbage after the party}

Believe me it's not as hard as it sounds.  I really recommend making the lasagna days ahead before the party, freeze, and bake the day of the party. I think it even taste better this way.  I hope you make it and enjoy! If you do, let me know how it goes.