If you’ve never made White Chicken Lasagna before, then boy, are you in for a treat! This pasta dish is very similar to a traditional homemade lasagna, except it’s made with shredded rotisserie chicken and an insanely delicious white sauce. I’m a fan of any chicken pasta recipe, but this one is seriously next-level. You’ll definitely want to save this recipe the next time you’re craving something just a tad bit different for dinnertime! 😊
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After I made my spinach stuffed chicken breasts the other week, I realized just how much I love the combination of spinach and chicken when paired with a cheesy sauce. So, when my kids asked for homemade lasagna for dinner, I knew what I had to do! I switched the classic tomato sauce for an easy white sauce made from heavy cream, mozzarella, Parmesan, and baby spinach. And let me tell you, it didn’t disappoint. When it’s layered with lasagna noodles, shredded chicken, and a creamy ricotta filling, it becomes a heavenly combination of flavors and textures. I know you’ll be hooked after just one bite.
Tips & Suggestions
- Add a layer of sauce to the bottom of the baking dish before adding the lasagna noodles. This will stop them from sticking and make it easier to serve.
- I always like to cook 1 or 2 extra lasagna noodles just in case one of them breaks. That way, I have a backup noodle ready to go!
- Want to make this recipe go further? I slice my homemade white chicken lasagna into nine pieces, which makes a pretty big, hearty serving! You could also cut it into twelve pieces to feed more people or if you want extra leftovers.
- If you love this recipe, then I’m sure you’ll love my chicken spaghetti recipe too! It’s another baked chicken pasta dish made with tender chicken and a delicious, creamy sauce that does not disappoint! And since the ingredients list is fairly similar, you can easily make both recipes after one grocery trip.
White Chicken Lasagna Recipe
Servings 9 servingsIngredients
Ricotta Mixture
- 15 oz. whole milk ricotta ($2.94)
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese ($0.57)
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese ($0.40)
- 1 large egg ($0.37)
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.04)
Lasagna
- 1 rotisserie chicken (about 3 cups cooked chicken) ($5.97)
- ½ Tbsp salt, for the pasta water ($0.04)
- 9 lasagna noodles ($1.00)
- 4 Tbsp butter ($0.50)
- 1 yellow onion, diced ($0.48)
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced ($0.08)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour ($0.05)
- 2 cups chicken broth ($0.26)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning ($0.10)
- ½ tsp salt ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.04)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder ($0.03)
- 1 cup heavy cream ($1.18)
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese ($0.40)
- 3 cups baby spinach, chopped ($1.15)
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella ($1.72)
Instructions
- Start by preparing the ricotta cheese mixture. In a medium bowl combine the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan, egg, and black pepper. Mix together until well combined and set aside.
- Next, remove the skin from the cooked rotisserie chicken and pull the meat off of the bones. Shred the chicken using two forks.
- While you are preparing the chicken, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1/2 Tbsp of salt to the water then add the lasagna noodles and boil until the pasta is tender (or al dente). Drain the pasta in a colander.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Then in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic. Sauté for 4 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
- Stir in the flour and cook until the flour starts to turn light brown. Now slowly pour in the chicken broth and whisk the broth with the flour mixture until combined. Keep whisking or stirring until there are no lumps in the sauce.
- Add the Italian seasoning, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, garlic powder, heavy cream and ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese to the sauce. Stir to combine. Now add the chopped spinach to the sauce and stir to combine.
- Time to assemble the lasagna. Spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Lay three noodles on top of the sauce. Spread ⅓ of the ricotta cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Then top with ⅓ of the shredded chicken. Repeat the layers (sauce, noodles, ricotta, chicken) two more times. Finish with the remaining sauce, then top with 1 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella.
- Bake the lasagna in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until the cheese is fully melted on top. Switch the oven to broil for the last 3-4 minutes or just until the cheese gets a little brown on top. Watch it closely as it broils!
- Top with chopped parsley if desired, and slice into nine (or twelve) pieces. Serve and enjoy!
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Equipment
- 9×13-inch Casserole Dish
Notes
- I can’t imagine making this recipe without both the Parmesan and mozarella. The Parmesan mixes into the sauce to make it extra cheesy, while the mozzarella gets all melty on top. It’s the BEST!
- I use a rotisserie chicken for this recipe to save time, but you can certainly cook 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs if you want and shred the meat.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make White Chicken Lasagna — step by step photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Add 15 oz. whole milk ricotta, ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 large egg, and ¼ tsp black pepper to a medium-sized bowl. Mix until well combined and set aside.
Remove the skin from your cooked rotisserie chicken and pull the meat off the bones. Once you’ve done that, shred the chicken using two forks. You need about 3 cups of shredded chicken for this recipe.
While you’re preparing the chicken, fill a large pot with water and boil over high heat. Season the water with 1/2 Tbsp salt and add 9 lasagna noodles. Boil the pasta sheets until they’re tender (or al dente) and drain them in a colander.
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Melt 4 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 diced onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Sauté them in the butter for 4 minutes or until the onion turns translucent.
Add ¼ cup all-purpose flour to the skillet. Stir to combine and cook until the flour starts to turn light brown.
Slowly pour in 2 cups chicken broth and whisk thoroughly with the flour mixture until combined. If there are still some lumps, keep whisking or stirring until they disappear.
Add 1 tsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp garlic powder, 1 cup heavy cream, and ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese to the sauce. Stir to combine.
Now add 3 cups of chopped spinach to the sauce and mix it in.
Now it’s time to assemble the lasagna! I start by spreading about 1 cup of the creamy spinach sauce over the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Then, layer three noodles over the top of the sauce.
Next, evenly spread ⅓ of the previously prepared ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles.
Add a ⅓ of the shredded chicken. Repeat the layers (sauce, noodles, ricotta, chicken) two more times. Be sure to evenly distribute each layer so every bite has some chicken, sauce, and ricotta cheese!
Finish it off with the remaining creamy spinach sauce.
Then, top it with 1 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella.
Place the lasagna into the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes until the cheese is fully melted on top. I like to switch the oven to broil for the last 3-4 minutes or just until the cheese gets a little brown on top. Be sure to watch it closely while under the broiler!
Sprinkle chopped parsley over the top (if desired), and slice it into nine (or twelve, if you want to stretch it further!) pieces. Serve and enjoy all that yummy, cheesy goodness!
What to Serve with White Chicken Lasagna
This starchy, cheesy dish is calling for a fresh, light salad, and I think our Greek salad is the perfect match! The crunchy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and tangy feta cheese provide a nice contrast to the rich chicken lasagna. But whenever I’m in the mood for something heartier, I serve it with some crusty garlic bread and balsamic roasted vegetables.
Make it Ahead!
You can prepare this easy white chicken lasagna recipe a day in advance, cover it, and store it overnight in the fridge. Because the chicken is already cooked, it’s just a case of heating it through and melting the cheese! I’d add an extra 10-15 minutes to the cooking time, though, as it’ll be cold from the fridge. If the cheese starts to brown too quickly in the oven before the lasagna is heated, I’d cover it with foil and continue baking.
Storage & Reheating
Any leftovers should be cooled before storing in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat it in the microwave or a 350°F oven (covered with foil) until heated through. You can also try freezing individual portions as a quick and easy meal for another day. Just keep in mind that cream-based sauces can separate slightly when thawed. Freeze your white sauce chicken lasagna for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Total yum! I added some chopped mushrooms to saute with the onion, about 1 c raw, but only because I had some criminis in my fridge that needed to be used, along with a bag of spinach. This makes a lot of food, so I divided the cooked recipe in 3 portions, so now 2 generous additional meals are packed up in my freezer, along with leftovers for lunch this week. Great recipe for a company meal or to carry to a potluck.