Puerto Rican-Style Chicken Lasagna

This is a twist on a classic dish, with some typical Puerto Rican flavors and a fabulously delicious homemade tomato-based sauce. The time it takes to prepare is well worth the effort!

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 50 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 35 mins
• Calories: 592 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 pinch white sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• ½ green bell pepper, chopped
• 12 lasagna noodles
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese, or to taste
• 1 cup chicken broth, or as needed
• 1 medium onion, chopped, or more to taste
• 2 scallions, chopped, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (Optional)
• 2 shallots, chopped, or more to taste
• 3 mini sweet peppers, chopped, or more to taste
• 2 heads garlic, finely chopped
• 8 green olives, chopped, or more to taste
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.

Step 3

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute onion, bell peppers, shallots, sweet peppers, and scallions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer until flavors combine, about 1 hour. Add tomato paste to thicken the sauce, if necessary.

Step 4

Meanwhile, place chicken in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until an instant-read thermometer inserted near the thigh bone reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drain and let cool until easily handled.

Step 5

Fill a blender halfway with sauce. Cover and hold lid down with a potholder; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Pour into a pot. Repeat with remaining sauce. Cover to keep warm.

Step 6

Pull chicken meat off the bones. Heat olive oil in a saucepan and saute garlic until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the boiled chicken and shred it with 2 forks. Moisten the mixture with chicken broth. Add sazon seasoning and olives; mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Step 7

Cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish with a layer of lasagna noodles. Cover with some sauce, followed by some chicken, then a layer of mozzarella cheese. Repeat with remaining noodles, sauce, chicken, and cheese. Cover the final layer of mozzarella with Cheddar cheese for extra color. Cover with aluminum foil.

Step 8

Bake lasagna in the preheated oven until heated through and cheese is melted, about 25 minutes.