White Chicken Lasagna with Spinach

A metal spatula lifting up a slice of white chicken lasagna from a lasagna pan.

White Chicken Lasagna with Spinach

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian / American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 40

Resting time: 5

Total Time: 1

Servings:

Calories: 588kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

White Chicken Lasagna with Spinach is always such a hit when served to family and friends. You can assemble the lasagna up to 24 hours in advance, keep covered and chilled in the fridge. You can also freeze the uncooked dish for up to 2 months. Rotisserie chicken and no boil noodles make assembly even easier.

Print Recipe

Equipment

1 lasagna dish, or 9"x13" dish

Ingredients

For the Béchamel Sauce with Spinach

4 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
4 tablespoon flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups chicken broth
4 cups spinach fresh
2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese grated

For the Ricotta Mixture

1 15 oz container ricotta cheese whole milk
1 large egg
¼ cup parsley fresh, chopped
¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated

For Assembling the Lasagna

4 cups chicken cooked, shredded
13 lasagna noodles cooked, or use no-boil (may need more than 13)
2 cups mozzarella whole milk, shredded, plus a little extra for additional topping
1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
1 tablespoon parsley fresh, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the Béchamel and Cook the Noodles

Get a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the onion, and sauté until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring often.
Stir in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, cream, and then chicken broth. Whisk to remove any clumps. Continue stirring with a wooden spoon until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper and then stir in the Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
During this process, add the noodles to the boiling water. Drain and spray with cool tap water.

Prepare the Ricotta Mixture

In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta, parsley, egg, and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Assemble the Lasagna

Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a lasagna pan, or a large (9x13" dish, or larger) dish, start with a thin layer of the spinach béchamel (¼ of the sauce). Next, add a layer of noodles. Then, ¼ of the ricotta mixture. Then ⅓ of the chicken, then ¼ of the mozzarella, and a liberal sprinkling of grated Parmesan.
Repeat this process two more times. Add one more layer of noodles and then the rest of the ricotta and then mozzarella. Finish off with one final liberal sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake the lasagna for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve at once.

Video

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you like the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel.

If you don't have access to rotisserie chicken, you can poach 2 to 3 chicken breast in simmering water, covered, for about 20 minutes. Cool and then shred. Or, roast in an oven for about 40 minutes (for skin-on, bone-in).

The lasagna can be assembled up to 1 or 2 days in advance. Cover and keep in the fridge until ready to bake. Add another 10 minutes to the baking time if chilled. The assembled lasagna can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Let thaw before baking.

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 to 6 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Reheat covered in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350°F.

Nutrition