When is chicken a noodle? When it's deli meat, thinly sliced and layered like pasta into this inspired take on low carb lasagna. The requisite flavors of sausage, onion, and marinara, stacked with the cheesy blend of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan, make dinner a literal melting pot of Italian inspiration.
May 22 2017 recipe by Maria Emmerich, photo by Emma Shevtzoff, nutritional review by Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE in Recipes, Dinner, Meal
When is chicken a noodle? When it's deli meat, thinly sliced and layered like pasta into this inspired take on low carb lasagna. The requisite flavors of sausage, onion, and marinara, stacked with the cheesy blend of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan, make dinner a literal melting pot of Italian inspiration.
USMetric
12 servingservings
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ (2 oz.) ½ (55 g) yellow onion, choppedyellow onions, chopped
- 2 2 garlic clove, mincedgarlic cloves, minced
- 12 oz. 350 g fresh Italian sausage
- 12 oz. 350 g ground beef or ground turkey
- 2 cups (1 lb) 475 ml (500 g) ricotta cheese
- 4¼ cups 1 liter unsweetened marinara sauce
- 1 1 eggeggs
- ½ tsp ½ tsp sea salt
- 8 oz. 230 g sliced deli chicken breast
- 12 oz. (3 cups) 350 g (750 ml) fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 1½ cups (4 oz.) 350 ml (120 g) shredded Parmesan cheese
This recipe has been added to the shopping list.
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Making low carb simple
Instructions
Instructions are for 12 servings. Please modify as needed.
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
Warm the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until slightly tender and fragrant.
Add the sausage and ground beef, and cook until the meat is browned. Stir in marinara sauce, and simmer over medium-low heat.
In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese with egg and salt.
To assemble, spread half of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 9 × 13" (20 x 30 cm) baking dish. Follow with layers of chicken breast slices, ricotta mixture, mozzarella-cheese slices, and parmesan.
Repeat the layers until you have used up all the ingredients, finishing with a final layer of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil. To prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Tip!
Make a double batch and pop one in the freezer. This recipe is part of a collaboration with Maria Emmerich, a best-selling American cookbook author. Check out her website for more keto inspiration and recipes.
Recommended special equipment
Baking dish 9 × 13" (20 x 30 cm)
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💬 Have you tried this recipe?
What did you think? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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76 comments
51
Maattie
May 19 2019
This is a great recipe! My family, including small children love it. I have made it 4 times now and it is becoming a regular. I have used homemade marinara and Rao's bottled sauce. I have also used sliced mozzarella and grated mozzarella and they both work fine. I usually use breakfast sausage ( ground pork with some seasonings). It is good with ground beef and ground bison. This is a flexible recipe!
It freezes well, too.- 1 comment removed
53
Roger
May 22 2019
Seems like a bit much on the amount of meat.
54
Martha
June 9 2019
Hi
Can you tell me either in cups or grams what a serving size is?
ThanksReply: #55
55
Reply to comment #54 by Martha
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
June 11 2019
Hi
Can you tell me either in cups or grams what a serving size is?
ThanksThat is going to vary from kitchen to kitchen as your oven may cook the ingredients down/reduce the volume or weight more than what may happen in other kitchens. All of our recipes list the number of servings, which you can adjust as well.
- 1 comment removed
57
Reply to comment #14 by Peter Biörck
Sue
July 18 2019
Yes although we can convert between US and Metric, this does not solve the problem of differences between countries and cultures. For example I am in U.K. and I had never heard of a Dutch Oven and always thought Italian sausage was salami. However looking on google, a Dutch Oven is simply a heavy lidded casserole dish suitable for using on the hob, and Italian sausage is a pork sausage with extra spices in it. I have not checked the rest of the comments if someone has asked the same questions! 😁
58
cheryl
July 19 2019
Can I swap out ricotta cheese for cottage cheese, I'm not big fan ricotta cheese.
Reply: #59
59
Reply to comment #58 by cheryl
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
July 19 2019
Can I swap out ricotta cheese for cottage cheese, I'm not big fan ricotta cheese.
We have not tested this recipe with cottage cheese, but it may work. Please pay attention to the nutrition label as it will change the carb count.
- 2 comments removed
62
Angela
September 22 2019
I recommend low sodium deli meats. I think it's just too salty and I used zero salt. My sauce didn't have any either.
63
Alice
January 1 2020
It would be very helpful to me if the carbs and fiber were posted in the ingredients listing. I do not use all the ingredients in most of the recipes. Also, I would like to see streamlined recipes where we could enter food items that are and are not to our liking.
64
Cindy
January 3 2020
An amazing dish! It has become one of our family’s favourite dishes for special celebrations. Can be a little salty, but adjust to your liking.
65
Lyndon
February 16 2020
I made this recipe yesterday and it's delicious 😋. Best low carb lasagna I've ever tried. It was fun to make too. Definitely recommend to everyone!!! Thanks for sharing the recipe!!!
66
Cyndy
May 3 2020
I have tried many different low carb lasagna recipes and this is absolutely the best!
I held off making this because I was nervous about using lunch meat in lasagna thinking you would really notice it, but I am glad to say that it is not noticeable at all!
I have since made this many times and even those who are not low carb love it!67
Jean
May 3 2020
I don't understand the "repeat layers" instruction in step 7. Does that mean right from the beginning including the chicken slices and ricotta, or just the ingredients in step 7? Can't wait to make this. Thanks!
- 1 comment removed
69
Lisa
September 15 2020
I am a beginner chef so I multiply Maria's prep times by 10. Her lasagna is fabulous and well worth my time and effort. Super Yummy!!
- 1 comment removed
71
Genny
May 13 2021
Love love loved this. And froze some for later, because my little tummy could only fit about 1/4 what I would normally have! The protein really fills you up.
(So much yum....so little room in my tum!!)Reply: #72
72
Reply to comment #71 by Genny
Charlotte Zwart Team Diet Doctor
May 14 2021
Love love loved this. And froze some for later, because my little tummy could only fit about 1/4 what I would normally have! The protein really fills you up.
(So much yum....so little room in my tum!!)Thank you for sharing your feedback!
73
Mel
July 3 2021
im so so grateful I found this recipe, I needed a noodle replacement and this works great!
Reply: #74
74
Reply to comment #73 by Mel
Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
July 3 2021
im so so grateful I found this recipe, I needed a noodle replacement and this works great!
This is one of my favorites, too! Glad you love it!
75
Maria
October 7 2021
I don’t understand if the layers of chicken are pre cooked or if they cook in the oven?
Reply: #76
76
Reply to comment #75 by Maria
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
October 7 2021
I don’t understand if the layers of chicken are pre cooked or if they cook in the oven?
The recipe calls for sliced deli chicken breast, which is already cooked.
77
Julie B
November 7 2021
I hate to be “that” tweaker but I improvised because of what i had on hand. I used a lb of ground beef & 8oz of Italian sausage and 3 cups of shredded mozz (didn’t have any parmesan) and that was plenty. It’s delicious!
Reply: #78
78
Reply to comment #77 by Julie B
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
November 8 2021
I hate to be “that” tweaker but I improvised because of what i had on hand. I used a lb of ground beef & 8oz of Italian sausage and 3 cups of shredded mozz (didn’t have any parmesan) and that was plenty. It’s delicious!
Glad the tweaks worked out well for you! Lasagna tends to be pretty forgiving like that.
79
Julie B
November 9 2021
i encourage keto fans to stock up on eggs & cheese whenever they are on sale.
80
Laura
December 4 2021
If cottage cheese is used instead of ricotta, members should realize the importance. One-half cup of whole fat Ricotta has 4 g Carbs and 192 mg Sodium while one-half cup of full fat Cottage Cheese has 220 calories and 819 mg Sodium. Since a casserole serving is one cup, people must consider they would eat 1,620 mg of Sodium from the Cottage Cheese version unless they buy an unsalted cottage cheese. While my store makes its own unsalted cottage cheese, good luck finding one made by national food manufacturers. I haven’t seen one yet.
When it charges users for membership, Team Diet Doctor recipe "experts" should consider the health impact of their recipes. Many times they don't, as evidenced by substituting a deli product for lasagna noodles. The Team Diet Doctor, Kristin Parker, didn't even point out that cottage cheese would increase the Sodium count so much that it would approach the daily 2,300 mg limit. She only mentioned the carb count would change. Sodium is much more critical for blood pressure and heart disease.
I am surprised that Diet Doctor didn't use sliced Zucchini or par-boiled/cold water bath Kale for the deli meat or pasta noodles. For that, I find Diet Doctor lax in putting people's health at the forefront of its website. Weight loss is imperative, but using foods in recipes that can increase blood pressure or exacerbate heart disease is reckless in my eyes. Diet Doctor should have doctors review the role their recipes play in a person’s health.
Reply: #81
81
Reply to comment #80 by Laura
Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
December 7 2021
If cottage cheese is used instead of ricotta, members should realize the importance. One-half cup of whole fat Ricotta has 4 g Carbs and 192 mg Sodium while one-half cup of full fat Cottage Cheese has 220 calories and 819 mg Sodium. Since a casserole serving is one cup, people must consider they would eat 1,620 mg of Sodium from the Cottage Cheese version unless they buy an unsalted cottage cheese. While my store makes its own unsalted cottage cheese, good luck finding one made by national food manufacturers. I haven’t seen one yet.
When it charges users for membership, Team Diet Doctor recipe "experts" should consider the health impact of their recipes. Many times they don't, as evidenced by substituting a deli product for lasagna noodles. The Team Diet Doctor, Kristin Parker, didn't even point out that cottage cheese would increase the Sodium count so much that it would approach the daily 2,300 mg limit. She only mentioned the carb count would change. Sodium is much more critical for blood pressure and heart disease.
I am surprised that Diet Doctor didn't use sliced Zucchini or par-boiled/cold water bath Kale for the deli meat or pasta noodles. For that, I find Diet Doctor lax in putting people's health at the forefront of its website. Weight loss is imperative, but using foods in recipes that can increase blood pressure or exacerbate heart disease is reckless in my eyes. Diet Doctor should have doctors review the role their recipes play in a person’s health.Hi, Laura! Most people actually don't get enough sodium! When following a keto or low-carb way of eating, most people feel best with 3-7 grams of sodium per day. (That's 3,000 to 7,000 mg!) Here's our guide to salt for more information. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/salt-guide
82
Kay
January 2 2022
Thank u for a unique way to use deli chicken. Zucchini in season is a great sub for noodles but out of season the chicken is great!
- 1 comment removed
84
stanhudy
January 9 2023
My wife was skeptical about the use of chicken breast as the "noodle" she was shocked at how it acted exactly like a noodle without the carbs. This is a keeper!
Reply: #85
85
Reply to comment #84 by stanhudy
Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
January 9 2023
My wife was skeptical about the use of chicken breast as the "noodle" she was shocked at how it acted exactly like a noodle without the carbs. This is a keeper!
So glad you both love it! This is a favorite in our house, too!
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