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Chicken and Butternut Squash Lasagna


How many of you head to the computer when you're looking for a meal idea or for a particular recipe?
I love paging through magazines and cookbooks but find myself turning more and more often to the internet - to Pinterest or various recipe sites for ideas.
Lately, I've been intrigued by several chicken lasagna recipes I've seen on the internet 
and decided to experiment with the fall flavours of butternut squash and sage.
Here's what we had for dinner tonight.  I must say it was delicious.




  • 1 small head garlic
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (2nd amount)
  • 1 Butternut squash, peeled and seeded (I use a potato peeler)
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh sage chopped fine (1st amount)
  • 2 cups cooked chicken, sliced
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 leek, washed, halved and sliced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1  1 /2 cups Ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 3 cups white sauce



  • 1/2 cup butter 


  • 1/2 cup flour


  • 3 cups milk 


  • 3/4 tsp fresh sage, chopped fine (2nd amount)


  • salt and pepper to taste


  • 12 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
  • sliced Mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped fine (3rd amount)

    1. Heat oven to 400º F.
    2. Remove outer paper skin from garlic head, slice the tips off of the whole head and place on a square piece of foil.
    3. Drizzle the garlic with 1 teaspoon olive oil, gather the four corners of the foil and twist.
    4. Place garlic in oven and roast for 20 minutes or until tender.
    5. Cut squash into 1/4" slices and then cut again to make 1 inch pieces.
    6. Toss in a bowl with olive oil and salt and pepper and 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage.
    7. Lay squash pieces on parchment paper lined baking sheet and place in oven alongside the garlic.
    8. Roast squash for 12 minutes or just until tender.
    9. Saute' leeks in butter until tender.
    10. Mix Ricotta cheese with egg and Parmesan cheese.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.
    11. Make white sauce by blending melted butter and flour, adding milk and seasoning. Stir and cook until thickened. ( I do this in the microwave)
    12. When garlic is done, squeeze the cloves out of the paper skin, into the white sauce and whisk until blended.
    13. In a 9"x 13" pan or two smaller pans, assemble lasagna in layers as follows:
    1st layer: Spread 1/4 cup white sauce  in the bottom of the pan and cover with lasagna noodles, 
    2nd layer: 1/2 of the chicken slices, spinach,  1/2 of the leeks, 1/2 of the butternut squash, 1 cup or so of white sauce
    3rd layer: lasagna noodles, 1/2 of Ricotta cheese mixture, remaining chicken, squash and leeks, cover with white sauce
    4th layer: lasagna noodles,, remaining ricotta cheese, white sauce 
    5th layer: sliced Mozzarella cheese, 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage.

      14. Cover with foil and bake in preheated 350º F oven for 40 minutes.
      15. Remove foil and continue to bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese begins to brown and the casserole bubbles.
      16. Let sit 10 minutes before cutting and serving. 


    7 comments:

    1. This sounds great, except for the sage. That is one herb/flavor that is universally disliked in my family. Can you suggest an alternative herb or spice that might go well with this? Basil perhaps?

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      Replies
      1. I also like to use rosemary. I've really been enjoying the flavour of sage lately so that's what I used this time.

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      2. I love tarragon with chicken... and I'm with you about the sage (yuk!)

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    2. This looks really good, but spinach is listed as an ingredient, the directions don't say what to do and the picture shows it sitting alongside, consistent, but puzzling. I like the idea of it inside, how about a pkg of frozen, chopped? Thaw, sqeeze and mix with the ricotta.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. I'm sorry you can't see the spinach in the picture but it is in the 2nd layer. You can put it in every layer if you like. I prefer the fresh spinach to the frozen but mixing the thawed and drained spinach in with the ricotta is a great way to include it.

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      2. Oh - that looks and sounds really delicious Bev. I like to use slices of egg plant instead of the noodles sometimes. I'll just bet you are really enjoying your new kitchen! Have a great week.

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    3. Thanks, I missed that! I will be sure to try this with the fresh spinach!

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