Chicken tortilla lasagna: A family-friendly meal

A sort of Christmas miracle took place in our house this year: the husband, who by his own admission is a better taste tester than chef, decided he might like to try cooking with me (thank you, Santa!). So naturally I jumped at the chance to share the (my) kitchen, and Chatelaine’s chicken tortilla lasagna was chosen as our maiden voyage recipe.

Winter calls for recipes like this one: With a ground chicken tomato sauce layered over flour tortilla shells, topped with baby spinach and plenty of melted cheese, it was the perfect dish for a cold, blustery night. And it was fast and easy. Which is mandatory when cooking with a chef in training and a mini sous chef (my kitchen just got a whole lot busier).

The sauce is made with ground chicken (or turkey), tomato sauce, onion, a hint of brown sugar, garlic, herbs and mushrooms, and is reduced to make a thick meat sauce. The recipe calls for dried basil and oregano, but I used fresh basil, since it was already in my fridge, and I couldn’t track down the oregano in my disorganized pantry, so we left that out.

Once the sauce is ready you spray a 9-inch pie plate with no-stick cooking spray, lay a tortilla shell in the base, top it with the sauce, a handful of baby spinach and cheese, and then repeat two times. It was in the oven, even with my helpers, in about 15 minutes. And it was the ideal family meal. My mini sous chef loves lasagna and this tortilla-shell version proved just as pleasing to her wee taste buds. And best of all, there were leftovers (this dish is deep and a small piece goes a long way), so no one needed to cook the next night.

I loved this recipe. Not only because it was delicious, but because it was made and enjoyed as a family – and I know it’s going in the husband’s repertoire for his solo cooking nights. Win, win.

Try this recipe: Chicken Tortilla Lasagna