BBQ Chicken Lasagna

PREP TIME: 10 minutes (not including time to cook chicken)

COOK TIME: 45 minutes

YIELD: 10 servings

INGREDIENTS:

SAUCE

• 4 cups tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• ¼ cup Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of liquid or powdered sweetener

NOODLES

• 16 thin slices deli roasted chicken breast

FILLING

• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken thighs (from about 2 pounds bone-in thighs)

OPTIONAL FILLINGS

• 1 pound button mushrooms, sliced and sautéed in butter
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped and sautéed in butter
• ½ cup diced onions, sautéed in butter

TO MAKE SLOW COOKER SHREDDED CHICKEN THIGHS 

• 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 2 cups chicken bone broth, homemade or store-bought
• ¼ cup diced onions
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
2. Prepare the sauce: Place the tomato sauce in a large bowl. Add the liquid smoke and sweetener and mix to combine. Set aside.
3. Assemble the lasagna: Pour 1 cup of the sauce into the greased baking dish. Layer with half of the deli chicken “noodles,” then half of the cheese, half of the shredded chicken, and half of any other fillings you like. (Optional: Add sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions.) Layer with the remaining sauce, then noodles, then chicken (with any additional toppings). Top with the remaining cheese.
4. Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is golden brown. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
5. Store any extras in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a baking dish in a preheated 350°F oven for 5 minutes or until warmed through.

FOR SHREDDED CHICKEN

1. Place all the ingredients in a 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is fork-tender, about 6 hours. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker, then remove the skin.
3. Pull the meat from the bones, discard the bones, and shred the meat using 2 forks. Makes 3 cups shredded chicken.
4. Store the chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

NOTE:

1. If you’re not using the chicken right away, store it with some of the juices from the slow cooker. It will help keep the meat moist until you use it.