Chicken Lasagna

I still have the tattered page that I tore from a Woman's Day Magazine back in February of 1999. I was pregnant with my first child and didn't even know it. I made this dish and could not eat it b/c I was having morning sickness. I thought it was the flu. Needless to say, my husband ate the entire pan himself! He loved it. I don't make it as often as he likes, but it is a special treat.

I have had to adapt it to make it gluten free. SO...using gluten free noodles, I've changed the recipe. There will be leftover sauce, which I have frozen. I intend to take the leftover sauce and mix with chicken broth, tortilla strips and black beans and turn into a makeshift tortilla soup some night when I'm pressed for dinner.

This is my ADAPTED Recipe.

1 Box Tinkyada Pasta Joy Lasagna Noodles
1 lb. Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage, ground chicken OR ground Turkey
1 28 oz can ground, peeled, tomatoes
1 16 oz jar salsa (pick your own heat level, I use Medium)
3 cups frozen corn kernels
4 tsp chili powder (I used McCormicks' because they guarantee their gluten-free-ness)
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Soak lasagna noodles in boiling water. I laid mine flat on a cookie sheet and soaked for 10 minutes - softer, easier to cut into pieces to fit in pan. BUT NOT COOKED, they will cook in the final step.

In a large skillet, brown the sausage (casings removed) or ground meat you chose. Once browned add the tomatos, salsa, corn, chili powder and oregano. Heat until hot and flavors have blended. Remove from heat.

In a 2 qt, square baking dish, spoon 1/2 to 3/4 cups sauce mix into the bottom. Lay noodles over to fit. Cover with sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3rd the cheese. Layer again starting with noodles, then sauce, then cheese. Layer one more time, ending with the cheese. You will have approximately 3 cups of sauce left. Freeze it. You will possibly have noodles left too. I had two broken ones left. YOUR OTHER OPTION IS to buy two boxes of the noodles and use it all a 13 X 9" pan. You will need to double the cheese if you do this.

To bake right away - cover dish with foil (spray if it's going to touch the cheese). Bake 30 minutes at 375. Remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes longer until hot and bubbly.

You can also refridge up to 48 hours, or freeze up to 2 months. To prepare from refridged, bake about 50 minutes. From frozen about 1 to 1 1/2 depending on size of pan. If freezing, cover with plastic wrap AND foil. Just remember to remove the plastic wrap before baking! :D