Chicken Cordon Bleu Lasagna
Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package lasagna noodles
½ cup butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 ½ cups shredded Swiss cheese
1 ¾ cups warm milk
2 ½ cups cooked chicken, chopped
8 ounces deli ham, chopped
½ cup shredded Swiss cheese
½ cup bread crumbs
1 pinch Italian seasoning, or to taste
Instructions:
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
-Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.
-Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; stir cream cheese into hot butter until it begins to melt, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, onion powder, and black pepper. Whisk warm milk gradually into cream cheese until smooth; stir in 1 1/2 cup Swiss cheese. Bring sauce to a simmer, stirring constantly, until cheese has melted and sauce has thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
-Spread 3/4 cup of cheese sauce into bottom of a 9×9-inch baking dish. Arrange 1/3 of the lasagna noodles over the sauce and spread half the cooked chicken and half the ham over the noodles. Pour 1 cup sauce over chicken and ham. Repeat layers starting with half the remaining lasagna noodles, remaining chicken, remaining ham, and 1 more cup of cheese sauce. Finish by layering remaining lasagna noodles, remaining sauce, 1/2 cup Swiss cheese, and bread crumbs; sprinkle top with Italian seasoning. Cover dish with aluminum foil.
-Bake in the preheated oven until casserole is bubbling, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until crumbs are browned, about 10 more minutes. Let casserole stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
