Creamy White Chicken and Artichoke Lasagna

When my friend, Kychelle, first made this dish for us I thought it sounded so weird.  But when I tasted it, I thought it was great!  I loved all the flavor combos and it was so light and fresh tasting.  It's completely cheesy and creamy, what's better than that?  As much as I looove lasagna, this is a nice option if you want to try something else.  I finally gave it a go a couple of weeks ago, and I loved it all over again.  The leftovers even taste great, you can even make it ahead of time and cook it when you're ready and it will still taste great.  It really gives the flavors have time to "marry."

Mix together chicken, artichokes, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan and tomatoes (I didn't have any, so I did w/o).  Beat cream cheese, milk and garlic powder then stir in basil. Mix half with the chicken mixture. 

SPREAD half the cream cheese mixture onto bottom of baking dish; cover with 3 noodles and 1/3 of the chicken mixture. Repeat layers of noodles and chicken mixture twice. Top with remaining noodles, cream cheese mixture and mozzarella; cover and bake.  (FYI, I used the noodles that don't have to be cooked ahead of time, for some reason they didn't work very well w/ this lasagna, maybe not enough moisture?  I don't know, but I'd recommend using regular lasagna noodles, that's what I'll be doing for now on.)

Creamy White Chicken and Artichoke Lasagna

Ingredients
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts 
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped 
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided 
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese 
1/2 cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (optional) 
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened 
1 cup milk 
1/2 tsp. garlic powder 
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh basil, chopped, divided 
12 lasagna noodles, cooked

Directions
HEAT oven to 350°F.
COMBINE chicken, artichokes, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan and tomatoes. Beat cream cheese, milk and garlic powder with mixer until well blended; stir in 2 Tbsp. basil. Mix half with the chicken mixture. 
SPREAD half the remaining cream cheese mixture onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with 3 noodles and 1/3 of the chicken mixture. Repeat layers of noodles and chicken mixture twice. Top with remaining noodles, cream cheese mixture and mozzarella; cover. 
BAKE 25 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining basil. Let stand 5 min. before cutting to serve.  Enjoy!!!