This oven-baked 1-hour homemade white chicken lasagna recipe is pure comfort food for the soul that is packed with flavors and will become a family favorite after the first bite! The layers of creamy spinach sauce and chicken ricotta mixture in between pasta sheets is simply irresistible and perfect for feeding a large crowd.
3cupsCooked shredded chicken breastrotisserie chicken works great
4cupsMozzarella cheeseshredded, divided
½cupParmesan cheeseshredded
Fresh Italian parsley or basil for garnish
Instructions
Preparations
Finely dice or mince the garlic.
Combine the ricotta cheese, sour cream, egg, shredded chicken, half of the dried herbs, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Combine well before stirring in ½ cup of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) and grease a casserole dish.
Cooking instructions
Making the lasagna
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of salt to a large pot of boiling water and add the noodles. Boil noodles for around 8-10 minutes until al dente (check package instructions for timing instructions).
Rinse the cooked lasagna noodles under cold water until cooled, then place them on greaseproof paper to prevent them from sticking together.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat with the remaining olive oil and minced garlic, cooking for a minute or two until fragrant. Add the flour and whisk to incorporate before slowly pouring in the half and half.
Continue to whisk vigorously while the white sauce cooks, and once the sauce is smooth, pour in the chicken broth bit by bit.
Season with the remaining dried herbs and ½ teaspoon salt. Continue to cook the white sauce on low heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce is thickened, then remove the skillet from the heat and mix the fresh spinach into the sauce.
Assembling the lasagna
Spread ½ cup of the spinach white lasagna sauce onto the bottom of your baking dish. Place 3 sheets of lasagna over the sauce, followed by half of the chicken mixture.
Place another 3 sheets of lasagna on top, then spread ⅓ of the remaining spinach sauce over, and sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce.
Add another 3 lasagna sheets on top of the cheese, followed by the remaining chicken and ricotta mixture.
Place 3 more lasagna sheets over the chicken mixture and spoon ⅓ of the sauce on top, followed by 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.
For the final layer, place the last 3 remaining noodles on top, followed by the remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Baking the lasagna
Grease a sheet of aluminum foil and place the greased side over the casserole dish, crimping the sides. Bake the assembled white chicken lasagna in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
Remove the foil after 40 minutes and continue to bake for a further 15 minutes until bubbling. Set the oven to broil for the last few minutes to give the melted cheese a lovely golden color.
Remove the baked white chicken lasagna from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or basil before serving.
Recipe Notes
Even browningTo ensure your white cheese chicken lasagna is evenly browned on top, rotate the dish in the oven during the last 15 minutes of cooking and broiling.Cooling periodIt's important to allow the cooked lasagna to cool slightly before slicing. This will ensure that each slice will stay together when serving.Thick spinach cream sauceIf your sauce is too thick after it has cooled, add a little bit of milk or broth to make it thinner.