This delicious creamy Chicken Lasagna Recipe uses a white sauce with onions, garlic, and spinach and two layers of ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella cheese mix. It bakes up perfectly every time, and the smell emanating from the oven will drive you crazy.
Are you looking for a delicious chicken lasagna recipe to impress your friends and family? Look no further! This step-by-step guide, with mouth-watering photos, will have you whipping up the best chicken lasagna in no time!
This is one of our favorite lasagna recipes. Enjoy this hearty friend and family favorite dish with spring mix salad, minestrone soup, cheese garlic bread, or cucumber tomato salad.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Butter: salted or unsalted
- Chicken broth: preferably low-sodium
- Heavy cream: or whipping cream
- Baby spinach: You can use fresh or frozen spinach. If using frozen spinach, squeeze as much moisture out as possible. This step is essential to keep the sauce from being watered down.
- Lasagna noodles: Use traditional lasagna noodles. No-bake lasagna noodles require extra liquid, and you want to ensure that the sauce stays the correct consistency.
- Ricotta cheese: full fat is best for this recipe
- Parmesan cheese: freshly grated is best
- Cooked chicken: Rotisserie chicken is a great choice for this recipe. It is available at most grocery stores, is delicious, and is relatively inexpensive.
How to make Creamy White Chicken Lasagna
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Make the cream sauce. Let’s start by making the cream sauce. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Then add the onion, cooking until it is soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cooking for a minute while stirring continuously. Then whisk in the flour, cooking the mixture for a couple of minutes. Now whisk in the chicken broth and the cream, alternating between the two. Cook until smooth and thickened. Then, add the spinach and cook for several minutes or until it wilts. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Cook the Noodles and make the cheese mixture. While making the sauce, bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package instructions. Then drain them well. In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan Cheese, mozzarella, and Italian seasoning.
Assemble the lasagna. Spoon a little sauce into the bottom of the casserole. Layer 4 noodles, overlapping them slightly. Spoon a little sauce over the noodles. Top with half the cut cooked chicken and half the cheese mixture. Now repeat, adding four more noodles, 1/3 of the sauce mixture, the remaining chicken, and the remaining cheese mixture. Top with the remaining noodles, remaining sauce mixture, and about a cup of shredded mozzarella.
Bake the lasagna. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. If desired, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.
Recipe Tips
- This recipe can be prepped up to 24 hours in advance. Cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. 30-40 minutes before cooking, remove from the refrigerator to warm. Remove the plastic wrap and cover with aluminum foil before baking.
- Shred or grate your cheese. Prepackaged shredded and grated cheeses contain anticaking agents preventing cheese from melting easily.
- A lasagna must rest for 15-20 minutes so that the layers can be easily cut and served without separating.
Storage and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or in the oven covered with aluminum foil at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until warmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Three layers should be the minimum. If the pan is deep or the number of people you are feeding is large, then five layers might be needed.
I prefer to freeze it after it has been assembled and before baking. This way, the lasagna noodles maintain their texture and don’t become too dry from the double baking. So prepare the dish up to the point of baking. Then, cover the casserole dish tightly with several layers of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to bake, defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator 30-40 minutes prior to baking to bring it to room temperature. Then, remove the plastic wrap and cover it with aluminum foil. Proceed with the baking directions as written.
To freeze after baking, cool the lasagna completely. Then, cover the casserole dish tightly with several layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Cut two large slits in the plastic wrap and heat in the microwave at 50-60% power until heated through.
More Pasta Recipes
Creamy Chicken Lasagna
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 12 lasagna noodles uncooked
- 15 ounces ricotta
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese reserve 1 cup
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 ½ cups cooked diced chicken
- chopped fresh parsley garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it is soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring continuously. Whisk in the flour, cooking the mixture for 2 minutes. Whisk in the chicken broth and the cream alternating between the two. Simmer until smooth and thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, 2-3 minutes. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Remove the sauce from the heat.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Drain them well.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta, egg, Parmesan Cheese, 2 cups mozzarella, and Italian seasoning.
- Spoon several tablespoons of white sauce into the bottom 9×13-inch baking dish. Then layer 4 noodles overlapping them slightly. Spoon 1/3 of the remaining sauce over the noodles. Top with 1/2 the cut cooked chicken and 1/2 the cheese mixture. Now repeat, adding 4 more noodles, 1/3 of the sauce mixture, the remaining chicken, and the remaining cheese mixture. Top with the remaining noodles, remaining sauce mixture, and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella.
- Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. If desired, sprinkle with fresh parsley.
Notes
- This recipe can be prepped up to 24 hours in advance. Cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. 30-40 minutes before cooking, remove from the refrigerator to warm. Remove the plastic wrap and cover with aluminum foil before baking.
- Shred or grate your cheese. Prepackaged shredded and grated cheeses contain anticaking agents preventing cheese from melting easily.
- A lasagna must rest for 15-20 minutes so that the layers can be easily cut and served without separating.
Nutrition
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Heidy
This Chicken Lasagna with white sauce was amazingly delicious! It was so easy to make with the instructions, and we all enjoyed every bite!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Heidy! So glad that you liked them!
Tammy Sparco
I don’t like cooked spinch so I used broccoli came out wonderful I love getting your recipes always delicious
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Tammy! So glad that you liked it!
Stacey
My oven thermostat is wacky so the only way I can determine if something is cooked thru is by checking the internal temperature. Could you please indicate what the internal temp should be for this lasagna prior to removing it from the oven to set up? Thanks!
Beth Pierce
165 degrees
Wanda
Can whole wheat lasagna noodles be used in place of regular noodles?
Beth Pierce
Yes. Enjoy!
Ellen
I made this yesterday. It was okay. Kind of “one note”. If I try it again, I might add some roasted red peppers.
Gisele Sutton
Can you use the oven ready lasagna noodles?
Beth Pierce
I would not with this one. You have to add water to those lasagnas and that would ruin the cream sauce.
Connie Pritchett
I love your recipes I’ve tried several this one looks like one I’d love. I’m wondering if I could replace the Parmesan cheese with another cheese or just add more mozzarella? My husband will not eat anything will Parmesan in it.
Beth Pierce
Thanks! So glad that you like my recipes. I think I would just add more mozzarella.
Krystle
The best lasagna I’ve ever had. Even better than the traditional with red sauce.
Sandra
This is so perfect!! A new addition to our favorite meals!
Sandra
I love how creamy this is!! Everyone at my house loved it!
Beti | easyweeknightrecipes
I am in love with the lasagna. It is incredibly delicious!! YUM!
katerina
My family loved this SO much!! I will definitely be making this Chicken Lasagna again and again!!
Allyson Zea
These flavors all go together so well! Thank you for the easy recipe!!
Erin
This Chicken Lasagna looks perfect! I need to add this to our menu soon!
Erik
So many yummy flavors here. Really enjoyed the spinach!
Crystal Carder
This sounds like a great recipe. I love how it changes up my usual red sauce/meat lasagna!