Greek Chicken Lasagna Food

GREEK PASTITSIO RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cook the pasta to al dante according to package instructions. Be sure to add salt and olive oil to the boiling water. Drain and transfer pasta to 9 1/2" x 13" baking pan like this one. While still hot, drizzle pasta with a little more extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle grated Parmesan. Toss to combine. Set aside for now.
• Make the meat sauce. In a large pan or skillet like this one, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Saute onions until just golden, then add lean beef and garlic. Season with salt. Cook until meat is fully browned, tossing regularly and breaking up the meat with your wooden spoon (about 8 to 10 minutes). Carefully drain any excess liquid and return pan to heat. Add wine, crushed tomato, bay leaves, spices and pinch of sugar. Mix to combine. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then lower heat and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or so. Taste and adjust salt to your liking.
• While the meat sauce is cooking, prepare the bechamel. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook until golden (if needed, added a little more olive oil). Gradually add the warmed milk, whisking continuously. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and thick. Add nutmeg.
• In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of the hot bechamel mixture with the 2 eggs in a small bowl. Then return all to the pan with the remaining bechamel mixture. Continue to stir or whisk the mixture bringing to a gentle boil for just 2 more minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool and thicken a little more (you should have a creamy, thick and smooth bechamel sauce).
• Assemble the pastitsio. Top the cooked pasta with the meat sauce; smooth with a wooden spoon to fully cover the pasta. Now top the meat sauce with the bechamel topping. Again, smooth with your wooden spoon to cover the meat sauce evenly.
• Bake the pastitsio in 350 degrees F heated-oven for 1 hour until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into square pieces and serve.

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.

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.

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.

CHICKEN LASAGNE

Steps:

• Cook the lasagne in boiling salted water until tender. (A little oil added to the water will prevent the sheets of pasta from sticking together.)
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion until softened.
• Add the mushrooms and fry for a further 3 minutes.
• Stir in the spices, bay leaves, salt and pepper, then mix in the chicken (shredded or chopped).
• Dissolve the cornflour in the milk and add to the pan. Cook, stirring, until thickened.
• Drain the lasagne and spread out on paper towels
• Make alternate layers of lasagne and the chicken mixture in a baking dish.
• Combine the yogurt and cheese and spread over the top.
• Bake in a preheated moderately hot oven 200C (400F) Gas mark 6 for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.