The Painted Apron

Take-out Tuesday, Slow Cooker Marco Polo Lasagna with Spinach and Artichokes

Posted by the Painted Apron on January 28, 2014 · 7 Comments 

I admit, I have been skeptical about making lasagna in a slow cooker

As I was making this I kept adding more ingredients, sort of like insurance, to make this extra tasty in case it turned into a masterpiece mess

But it didn’t! It actually worked! It looked like lasagna!

And it smelled amazing while it was cooking~

This is actually a combo of 3 of my very favorite things, Chicken Marco Polo [chicken stuffed with ham and cheese], Spinach and Artichoke Dip, and Slow Cooker recipes.  It is also very similar to a pasta dish I made recently, Chicken Alfredo Pasta.  You can see my recipe for Chicken Marco Polo here and another recipe for White Chicken Lasagna here

Go ahead and cook, thaw, and drain the spinach and artichokes

I did some extra steps that you can certainly eliminate to make it extra quick

I sauteed chicken, but you could use leftover or rotisserie chicken

I also sauteed some artichoke hearts to get a little color and extra flavor in them, but leave them out if you’re not a fan

And then I decided a little ham might be extra delicious, but you can add it without the saute, or skip altogether and use a little more chicken

With no boil lasagna noodles it’s almost ready to build

Mix part skim ricotta, light sour cream and chopped spinach and then dump a ton  add a little Italian mix shredded cheese*

*I usually don’t use pre-shredded cheese, but I found the Italian blends are very good, plus handy.  You can use Mozzarella if you prefer but this has so much more flavor, you can use a lot less and save calories.

Season with salt and pepper, garlic powder and some freshly grated nutmeg

Okay, now here’s where I decided it might just need some extra “sauciness,” especially in the bottom of the slow cooker

So out came my trusty friend, Light Alfredo sauce.  You could substitute any cream soup here,  Cream of Mushroom, Chicken or Celery, but a little of this light Alfredo goes a long way and it tastes soooo good.  I only put enough to cover the bottom of a cooking spray coated slow cooker, 2-3 T, to keep the noodles hydrated and not stuck to the bottom

And the fun begins!  Top the sauce with noodles, breaking to fit

top with 1/3 of chicken, ham and artichokes

Top meat with 1/3 spinach ricotta mixture and some fresh Parmesan shavings.  Top with another layer of noodles and spread 1-2 T of Light Alfredo Sauce over noodles.  This will keep the noodles hydrated so they will soften.

You can use any kind of cheese you like, but I prefer freshly shaved Parmesan.  You get a lot of flavor with small amounts, it has much less fat and calories than other cheeses, but you won’t get the gooiness of Mozzarella so use whatever suits you.

repeat layers 2 more times, ending with noodles, covering with a little more sauce and Parmesan.  Cover and cook on high for 1 hour and then turn to low for 2-3 more hours or cook on low for 4 hours.

To serve, insert a knife straight down to the bottom and cut across the diameter of the pot, then cut into a portion.  Use a large spoon and a spatula and carefully lift the serving out onto a plate

Dinner is ready!

HH loved this! Mr. “I don’t like lasagna!”  And it really is light.  You don’t feel overfull like you can after some pasta dishes.

Here’s the recipe:

SLOW COOKER MARCO POLO LASAGNA with SPINACH AND ARTICHOKESS

A wonderful white lasagna that you can make in your slow cooker

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Course Main Course, slow cooker

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• 4 1/8 ″ slices deli ham not too thin or shaved
• 1 box frozen artichoke hearts
• 1 box forzen chopped spinach
• 8-10 no boil lasagna sheets
• 1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
• 1 cup light sour cream
• 1/2 cup light Alfredo sauce [I used 1/2 of a 10oz. tube of Buitoni]
• 2-3 oz. shredded Italian blend cheese
• 2 oz. freshly grated Parmesan
• S&P
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp grated fresh nutmeg
• 1 T unsalted butter [for sauteeing chicken]
• 1 T olive oil [for sauteeing chicken]

Instructions

 

• Cook or defrost vegetables and drain well. Cut chicken into 6-8 pieces for faster cooking and saute in a skillet with butter and olive oil or medium high heat. When chicken is just about done add artichokes and stir for a minute to color. Remove chicken and artichokes and add ham and stir fry fo 1-2 minutes.
• Mix ricotta and sour cream and add drained and squeezed dried spinach. Add seasonings to taste and Italian blend shredded cheese. Stir to combine
• In the bottom of a cooking oil sprayed slow cooker [ I use a round 3 Quart] spread a thin layer of Alfredo sauce, 1-2 T. Top with 2 or2 1/2 lasagna noodles, breaking to fit. Top with 1/3 of chicken, ham and artichokes. Top with 1/3 spinach mixture and a sprinkling of shaved Parmesan. Repeat 2 more times then top with remaining noodles, sauce and Parmesan. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or High for the first hour and then low for 2-3 more. Makes 4 large servings

Keyword chicken lasagna with spinach and artichokes, Cordon Bleu lasagna, lasagna, slow cooker lasagna, white lasagna

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