Different AND Delicious Cajun Chicken Lasagna

Anyone who knows me is well aware of the fact that my husband is weird. A good weird, but weird, nonetheless. One of the more odd things about him, other than breaking into spontaneous dance in the aisles at WalMart, is that he HATES anything with red sauce. He would even opt to get pizza with no sauce at all rather than tomato sauce if he could convince anyone else in the house to let him!

I am ALWAYS on the look-out for recipes that allow me to satisfy my family's love of certain foods, all while keeping the icky-tomato-monsters away so I can satisfy my husband, too. I have successfully found an alternative to spaghetti,(Cincinnati Chili) and have found a few actual chili recipes, like white chicken chili, that have gotten his seal of approval.

Lasagna, on the other hand, has always been a challenge. I know of many lasagna recipes that don't call for tomatoes, like Florentine Lasagna, but he doesn't like spinach, so that was definitely a no-go. He also doesn't care for veggie lasagna. Tonight I FINALLY succeeded in making a lasagna that he RAVED about: Cajun Chicken Lasagna!  I found the recipe while looking for something different to make with chicken, and he had suggested something Cajun. I had never heard of this dish before, but I was willing to give it a shot. It was definitely labor intensive, but the time and effort it took to make it was definitely well-spent.

I opted to make my own alfredo sauce rather than use the 2 jars of prepared alfredo, as called for in the recipe.Alfredo sauce is very, very simple to make, and I much prefer it over store-bought sauce. However, I am leaving the recipe as is, for convenience sake. If you decide to try this dish, just know that you CAN substitute the jarred sauce with home made. If you're not sure how to make alfredo sauce, please feel free to leave a comment and ask, and I will post my recipe, which just happens to be fabulous!

Anyway, we LOVED this dish. It was creamy and decadent, with just the right amount of heat from the sausage and Cajun seasonings. I think next time I may kick it up a notch with a teaspoon of cayenne or ancho chile, as we like it spicy here!

Doesn't this look yummy? Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles
• 1 pound andouille sausage, quartered lengthwise and sliced
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks
• 3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (I used onion powder, since I HATE the texture of onions!)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 2 (10 ounce) containers Alfredo Sauce, divided
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese or more, if you're a cheese freak like me!
  
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Small container of ricotta 
• 1 cup golden corn
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine sausage, chicken, Cajun seasoning and sage. Cook until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear, about 8 minutes. Remove meat from skillet with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Saute onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic until tender. Remove from heat, and stir in cooked meat, ricotta, and  one container Alfredo sauce.
3. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover bottom with 4 lasagna noodles. Spread with 1/2 of the meat mixture. Repeat layers, and cover with a layer of noodles. Spread remaining Alfredo sauce over top. Top with mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

This was definitely a very unique spin on a much loved dish, and I will be making it again! If you decide to try it, please let me know what you think! I'd love your feedback!