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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Susan
I would like to serve this Christmas Day…but am also doing a full hristmas Eve dinner so won t have time.
Could I fully prepare it ahead of time and freeze uncooked? How long would I bake it for on Christmas day and at what temperature?
Beth Pierce
Sorry about the delay. Absolutely it can be frozen I prefer to freeze it after it has been assembled and prior to 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 come to room temperature. Then remove the plastic wrap and cover it with aluminum foil. Proceed with the baking directions as written.
Sherry
To all …must try this recipe, it’s a hit in my household.
I have a pan in the oven now. This time, I added some peas and carrots this time.
I was getting tired of the original lasagna with the tomato and meat sauce.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Sherry! I am so happy that you like it. Peas and carrots sound delicious!
Jane E Weisling
How many mushrooms would you suggest?
Beth Pierce
4-8 ounces. They should be sauteed first to remove most of the moisture.
Jane E Weisling
Thanks so much, Beth, for your quicl reply! Thking regular mushroom, vs, bellas?
Beth Pierce
I think you could do either.
Patty
This was absolutely delicious! I added the mushrooms (cooking them with the Spinach separately then adding to the Sauce). We loved it and I’ll definitely be making it again!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Patty! Good to hear that you liked the lasagna.
Terrie
I like the idea of adding mushrooms, broccoli and carrots. Do I add them to the spinach sauce or just layer them with the chicken? And I know that mushroom can add moisture, what do I need to do to accommodate the extra moisture?
Beth Pierce
Precook the veggies so the moisture is cooked out of them before adding them to the lasagna. Chop them fairly fine so they do not cause trouble in layering your lasagna and add them to the spinach sauce. I would not add too many of them.
Kristie Hawkes
I just made this absolutely delicious an filling I’m wondering how to freeze it plz
Beth Pierce
So sorry that I missed this comment. I am sure that you already froze it but here are the directions for the future! 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. The reduced power gives it time to heat all the way through to the center before the outsides are overheated. It can be anywhere from 5-10 minutes depending on the microwave’s strength.
Jupiter Hadley
Our eldest wants to try a “new lasagna” so we are going to be eating this this weekend. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure Jupiter! Enjoy!!
Yeah Lifestyle
I am always looking at ways to get my children to eat spinach and this is such a good recipe. They loved this lasagna! Thanks for the great recipe.
Risa Lopez
Thank you for sharing the recipe, I love lasagna.
Tammy
Mmm I could go for a slice of this right now! What a delicious and heavenly meal…once it’s cooler here I have to make this for the family 😀
Mosaic Art
This looks so so good!!! I loooove chicken lasagna, can’t wait to try your recipe, can’t wait. I will let you know how it goes.
Melanie Edjourian
Chicken and spinach work well together but I’ve never tried them in a lasagne. That does sound like a great idea and a really tasty one too!!!
Cheryl Shaw
Sounds yummy. 😋
Can one use no cook lazanga noodles for this?
Beth Pierce
I have not tried this recipe with no-cook lasagna noodles. Please keep in mind that those noodles need added moisture to cook properly. You may have to play with the recipe to be successful.
Cristina Petrini
Thanks for the great recipe. What a nice change from traditional red lasagna.
Talya Stone
This was so yummy and a perfect lighter version for the summer. My family really enjoyed this and I will make it again!
Myyellowapron
That looks super delish, Love a good lasagna
April
This looks super yummy! Definitely going to try this!