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Chicken Lasagna

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With a creamy, cheesy white sauce, Chicken Lasagna is packed with spinach for an easy and comforting family dinner any night of the week. Great for freezing and meal planning!

Easy White Chicken Lasagna

When it comes to easy weeknight dinners that the entire family loves, this Chicken Lasagna is at the top of the list. With a creamy white sauce, shredded rotisserie chicken, and spinach, it’s a complete meal-in-one that takes under 30 minutes of prep. An hour in the oven and dinner is ready to go.

Not to mention, this chicken spinach lasagna feels like total comfort food. It’s hearty and filling, while still packing in all the nutritional value of spinach. And it freezes super well, so it’s great for meal prep. I like to make a double batch so there’s always dinner in the freezer for those busy weeks I can’t find the time to cook!

Key Ingredients

Here are some of the key ingredients in this easy lasagna recipe.

  • Spinach – Frozen spinach works perfectly for this chicken spinach lasagna.
  • Chicken – I love using rotisserie chicken to keep things super easy.
  • Seasonings – Basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper are added to the sauce for flavor.
  • Chicken broth – The base of the sauce.
  • Cheese – A combination of parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and ricotta cheese are added to the filling.
  • Lasagna noodles – Regular lasagna noodles are used, not the no boil noodles.
Chicken lasagna ingredients

Can I Use Fresh Spinach?

Frozen spinach is easiest to use but if you want to use fresh spinach, you can do that as well. Note that you’ll need quite a bit of spinach to get an equal amount, at least 2 packages, and you’ll need to saute it with some olive oil before adding it to the sauce.

How to Make Chicken Lasagna

Making this white chicken lasagna is similar to making and layering classic lasagna, with just a few added steps in making the spinach sauce.

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

  1. Dice or shred the cooked chicken
  2. Drain the excess water from the thawed spinach.
  3. Boil the lasagna noodles until soften, then drain and rinse with cold water.

Step 2: Make the Sauce

  1. Melt the butter in a pan while the noodles are cooking.
  2. Stir in the flour until dissolved, as the mixture thickens, add the chicken broth stirring to break up the flour mixture. Then add the spices.
  3. Bring to a boil, then add the parmesan cheese and stir until it’s melted.
  4. Once the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, add the chicken and spinach. Stir to combine and set aside.

Step 3: Assemble & Bake

1. Make the ricotta cheese mixture. Beat the egg and combine it with the ricotta cheese.

2. Layer the lasagna. Spread a very thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan then add a layer of noodles on top. Spread 1/2 of the sauce with the chicken on top, then half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of the parmesan cheese. Add a second layer of noodles then repeat the layers. Add the final noodles and finish it off with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan.

3. Bake. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and broil for a few minutes, until the top starts to brown.

4. Serve. Cool for 15 minutes then serve and enjoy.

Tips & Variations

Here are a few tips for making this chicken spinach lasagna even easier.

  • Use rotisserie chicken to save time. While you can cook and dice a chicken breast, I personally love shredding a rotisserie chicken for this easy lasagna recipe.
  • How to easily thaw the spinach. To quickly thaw the spinach, place in a colander and run under hot water, use your hands to break it up. Make sure that you really ring out any extra water from the spinach using your hands first and then a paper towel, and then refluff with a fork.
  • Don’t overcook the lasagna noodles. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions, until soft, but do not overcook. Otherwise they may become mushy when baking.
  • Make extra noodles. I always recommend making a few extra lasagna noodles in case a few of them break when you’re working with them.
  • Grate or shred your own cheese. For best melting and flavor, grate or shred your own parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
  • Can I use other meat? You could use leftover turkey or even some ground turkey or sausage in place of the chicken to switch this recipe up, if desired.

Vegetarian Option

If you want to make this without chicken, you can. I would recommend adding mushrooms or more vegetables like peppers or zucchini to keep it filling.

A spatula serving white chicken lasagna from the pan

What To Serve It With

Chicken spinach lasagna can easily make a meal on its own but you can’t go wrong with a side of garlic bread or crusty bread to wipe up all the cheesy, saucy goodness.

While there is loads of spinach in the dish already, I will sometimes also make a simple salad or some veggies, like green beans, as a side as well.

A serving of white chicken lasagna on a plate

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

  • How to store leftovers. Leftover chicken lasagna can be stored for up to 4 days in the fridge, as long as the chicken used was freshly cooked and not already leftovers. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or foil.
  • How to reheat leftovers. Individual leftover servings can be reheated in the microwave but if you are reheating the entire pan, it’s easier to do so in the oven. Cover the pan to prevent the cheese from burning. It’s also helpful to add a few drops of water to prevent the lasagna from drying out during reheating.
  • Can I freeze chicken lasagna? Yes, this white lasagna freezes well. Allow it to cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil. You can freeze either a full casserole dish or individual servings. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake until heated.
Angled view of a dish of white chicken lasagna with a serving missing
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layered chicken and spinach lasagna on two stacked white plates

Chicken Lasagna

  • Author: Julianne Dell
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 60 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8-10 servings

Description

With a creamy, cheesy white sauce, Chicken Lasagna is packed with spinach for an easy and comforting family dinner any night of the week. Great for freezing and meal planning!

Ingredients

For the Sauce

  • 12 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
  • 2 ½ cups diced cooked chicken (I love using rotisserie chicken)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

For the Filling

  • ½ lb lasagna noodles (about 1215 noodles)
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 15 ounces Ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • ¾ cups shredded parmesan cheese
  • 16 oz mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced or 4 cups shredded mozzarella

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare and dice chicken or shred a rotisserie chicken.
  2. Thaw the chopped spinach and drain the spinach of excess water and squeeze tightly with a paper towel to absorb extra moisture. Set aside on a paper towel.
  3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and olive oil. Stir until the lasagna noodles are covered in water then cover the pot and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the noodles are cooked through and soft. When cooked, drain into a strainer and rinse under cold water.
  4. While the noodles are cooking, prepare the sauce. In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter, then slowly stir in the flour until dissolved, the mixture will thicken. Slowly add the chicken broth, stirring to incorporate into the butter mixture, then stir in all the spices. Bring to a boil, and the parmesan cheese and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted. Once the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, add the diced chicken and the spinach and stir to combine. Set aside.
  5. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and then combine with the ricotta cheese. Stir the mixture until well combined.

To Assemble:

  1. Spray the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray, spread a very thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of the pan, just enough to cover the pan. Then place a layer of lasagna noodles on top (should be 3 noodles).
  2. Over the lasagna noodles, spread 1/2 of the sauce with the chicken. Then add half the ricotta mixture and spread evenly. Next, cover with about ⅓ of the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with 1/3 of the parmesan cheese.
  3. Add the next layer of noodles and repeat the above steps (1/2 chicken sauce, remaining ricotta, cover with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
  4. Add the final layer of noodles on top. Add remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
  5. Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, and set the oven to broil. Once heated, return the lasagna to the oven, uncovered and boil for a couple minutes until the top starts to brown. Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Storing leftovers: Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or foil and  store for up to 4 days in the fridge. 

Reheating: Individual leftover servings can be reheated in the microwave but if you are reheating the entire pan, it’s easier to do so in the oven. Cover the pan with foil and add a few drops of water to prevent the lasagna from drying out during reheating.  Reheat at 350 until it’s warmed through.

Freezing: Allow it to cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil. You can freeze either a full casserole dish or individual servings. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake until heated.

Nutrition Information:
1 slice
595
1.9 g
890.5 mg
25.9 g
34.3 g
4.7 g
54.6 g
160.3 mg
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

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