Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
White Chicken Lasagna recipe
Creamy white lasagna is a generous dinner to bring to a table of hungry people. Soft layers hold shredded chicken and a spinach-flecked cheese filling, with melted mozzarella across the top. Give it time to settle after baking, then cut yourself a warm, saucy square.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 85 min
- Original yield
- Serves 12
- Ingredients
- 20 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: over 60 minutes
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Soften the onion fully
Let the onion become completely tender before adding the garlic and seasoning, so it blends comfortably into the white sauce.
2. Stir away dry flour
Work the flour into the skillet until no white remains before whisking in the broth and half and half.
3. Grease the foil
Use greased foil to cover the assembled lasagna tightly before baking, then remove it for the mozzarella topping stage.
Get to know the ingredients
Dry the spinach
Thaw the frozen spinach and squeeze it dry before mixing it into the ricotta filling with the other cheeses.
Oven-ready noodles
The added water is for oven-ready noodles. If you use preboiled lasagna noodles, leave out that half-cup water.
Shredded chicken
Cook and shred the chicken before layering. Leftover roast chicken or cooked chicken breast are options, too.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 12. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 15 steps completeMake room for White Chicken Lasagna recipe
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Let the layers settle
Rest the baked lasagna for ten to fifteen minutes before slicing. The sauce around the edges settles during that pause.
A little more help as you go
Save the top cheese
Add the final two cups of mozzarella after removing the foil. Bake until melted, with the optional brief broil for browning.
Plan an advance assembly
For advance preparation, leave out the water, cover tightly and refrigerate up to three days or freeze up to three months.
A few questions you might have
How much sauce goes under the first noodles?
Spread just enough for a thin layer, then add the first quarter-cup of water when using oven-ready noodles.
Does the top layer get ricotta and chicken?
The final noodles get only the remaining white sauce. The ricotta and chicken are divided among the three layers below.
What if the noodles need longer than forty-five minutes?
Keep baking until tender. The directions allow up to sixty minutes depending on the brand, even if the lasagna still looks juicy.
How do I bake a prepared-ahead lasagna?
Thaw completely if frozen, add the water around the edges and cover tightly. Check noodle tenderness early because sitting softens them.
When does Parmesan go into the white sauce?
Stir it in after the broth and half-and-half mixture thickens. The ricotta filling is mixed separately before you begin layering.
Any more cooking tips?
Ingredients and Substitutions: Pre-boiled lasagna noodles : you can use this recipe for lasagna noodles that you have pre-cooked if you desire. Simply omit the ½ cup water and use the rest of the recipe as is. Chicken : this is a great recipe if you have leftover Roast Chicken, Baked Chicken Breasts or Crockpot Shredded Chicken, but you can also cook 3 chicken breasts in a little bit of broth in a covered skillet and shred before using. Ricotta : since we’re already using a bechamel sauce in this recipe, there is a great swap for Ricotta aside from cottage cheese. If you don’t like either, you can simply leave it out, although you may want to increase the amount of white sauce so it isn’t dry. Prep ahead : You can prep this recipe ahead and refrigerate or freeze until you’re ready to bake! Simply prepare up until the point of adding cheese (I like to add the cheese after removing the foil) — don’t add the water, cover tightly and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. I recommend thawing completely before baking for best results. To bake, pour the water around the edges of the pan, cover tightly and bake. Check the tenderness of the lasagna noodles early, because they will have softened with sitting.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: thereciperebel.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
