Beef Arayes

Prep Time: 45 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins
Rest Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 2 hrs 40 mins

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients 

Chicken Marinade
4 chicken thighs (see notes) 
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp chicken bouillon powder, optional
3 tbsp olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon

Sauce
14 slices bacon
2 tbsp oil
½ stick butter
1 yellow onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups bone broth
3 cups heavy cream
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp onion powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 cups grated Parmesan, about ¼ lb
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp black pepper
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt, to taste

Layering
8–10 lasagna sheets
1 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ lb Parmesan cheese, grated
Parsley, for topping

Directions: 

1. Place the chicken thighs in a bowl with all of the marinade ingredients. Mix until fully coated, then cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the bacon on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, or until crispy. Let cool, then chop into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
3. In a pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the chicken thighs and sear until fully cooked through. Remove from the pan and let rest, then cut into bite-sized pieces. For this recipe, I only used about half of the cooked chicken.
4. In the same pan, lower the heat to medium. Add the butter and onions, then cook for 2–3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.
5. Pour in the bone broth and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer for 3–4 minutes, or until slightly reduced.
6. Add the heavy cream, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Simmer for 1–2 minutes, until everything is combined.
7. Lower the heat to the lowest setting, then add the Parmesan, black pepper, and nutmeg. Mix until smooth and combined. Add the lemon juice, then season with salt to taste.
8. Reserve about 1 cup of the plain Alfredo sauce on the side. To the remaining sauce, add about half of the chopped chicken and most of the bacon, reserving about 2 tablespoons of bacon for topping.
9. Cook the lasagna sheets according to the package instructions.
10. In a 9x9 baking dish, spread a layer of plain Alfredo sauce on the bottom. Add a layer of lasagna sheets, then a layer of the chicken bacon Alfredo sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Repeat with another layer of lasagna sheets, meat sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
11. For the final layer, add lasagna sheets, the reserved plain Alfredo sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
12. Bake uncovered at 375°F for 40–50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbling. For extra color, broil at the end until the top is lightly charred.
13. Let it cool for about 40 minutes before slicing. Top with the reserved bacon and parsley, then serve.

Notes: 

1. This recipe is written for 4 chicken thighs, but I only ended up using about half of the cooked chicken, maybe even slightly less. Add the chicken into the sauce a little at a time so it stays creamy and saucy, not overloaded with chicken. About 1/2 the chicken.