Greek Chicken Lasagna Recipes

GREEK PASTITSIO RECIPE (GREEK LASAGNA WITH BéCHAMEL)

Steps:

• To prepare this traditional pastitsio recipe (pastichio), start with the meat sauce. Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil, the chopped onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste and the beef. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and brown for 4-5 minutes. Pour in the red wine and wait to evaporate. Add the canned tomatoes, the sugar, cinnamon, clove, the bay leaf and season. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes, until most of the juices have evaporated. (After the meat is cooked, discard the bay leaf, the clove and the cinnamon)
• Prepare the bechamel sauce for the pastitsio. Melt the butter in a large pan over low-medium heat. Add the flour whisking continuously to make a paste. Add warmed milk in small batches, whisking continuously in order to prevent your sauce from getting lumpy. If the sauce still needs to thicken, boil over low heat whilst continuing to stir. Remove the pan from the stove and add the egg yolks, salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and the grated cheese (50g/ 1.7oz.). Whisk quickly, in order to prevent the eggs from turning an omelette! Season with salt to taste.
• Cook the pasta for the pastitsio 2-3 minutes less than the package instructions, so that they don't get mushy after turning out of the oven later. Drain the pasta and stir in the egg whites and the feta cheese (smashed with a fork) and mix gently with a spatula.
• For this pastitsio recipe you will need a large baking dish, approx. 25*35 cm / 10*14 inch. Butter the bottom and sides of a pan and assemble the pastitsio. Layer the pasta, top with the meat sauce and even out. Top the pastitsio with the bechamel sauce and smooth out with a spatula.
• Sprinkle the pastichio with grated cheese and bake in preheated oven at 180C (350F) Fan for about 40 minutes, until crust turns a light golden brown. Let the pastitsio cool down for a while before serving.

PASTITSIO (GREEK LASAGNA)

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the flour and then gradually whisk in the hot milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Stir in the salt, remove from heat and let cool. When the sauce is lukewarm, whisk in the eggs. Set aside.
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add the onions and saute until softened and golden. Crumble the beef into the skillet and cook with the onions until the beef is browned. Stir in the cinnamon, salt and pepper. Stir in the water and tomato paste, and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Cook ziti according to directions on the package. Drain and rinse with cool water. When pasta has cooled down, stir in the beaten eggs and 1½ teaspoons salt.
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a deep 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray. You really need a deep casserole dish for this recipe (deeper than the usual 9x13-inch pyrex).
• Scoop half of the pasta into the bottom of your prepared dish. Sprinkle generously with cheese. Spoon on the meat mixture to create an even layer; sprinkle with another layer of cheese. Scoop the remaining pasta on top of the meat and sprinkle with more cheese! Top with the cream sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
• Bake 45 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and golden on top. Let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before serving (but it is suggested that you refrigerate to let the layers set... and then warm up later to serve).

GREEK LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook lasagne according to package directions; drain.
• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Warm oil in a large saucepan over low heat.
• Add onion, garlic and eggplant. Cover and let vegetables cook until very soft, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together the Ricotta, Feta and yogurt.
• When vegetables are done, stir in tomato sauce. Remove from heat and set aside 1 cup of eggplant mixture.
• In a 9 × 13 × 2-inch baking dish, spread a little of the eggplant mixture over the bottom and cover with 3 pieces of lasagne. Spoon some of the Ricotta over the lasagne. Continue to layer with eggplant mixture, lasagne, and Ricotta. Place a layer of lasagne on top. Spread the reserved eggplant over lasagne and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, until cheese is brown.

GREEK CHICKEN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly grease a deep dish 13 by 9" casserole dish. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and saute' the garlic just until fragrant. Stir in the flour until it foams. Whisk in the milk and stir until mixture thickens into a white sauce. Mix in the chicken, oregano and pepper flakes and salt.
• Spoon 1 to cups of white sauce into the casserole. Layer 4 noodles on top. Spread 1/2 of each cheese over the noodles. Spread all of the greens on top. Add another 1-2 cups sauce , 1/3 of noodles and the remaining cheese. Sprinkle the black olives evenly over the cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until golden brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Garnish with tomatoes just before serving.