This White Chicken Lasagna recipe layers tender chicken, creamy ricotta and spinach, oven-ready noodles, and plenty of mozzarella with a rich Parmesan white sauce. It has all the comforting layers of traditional lasagna without a tomato-based sauce, making it a creamy, savory alternative when you want something different from classic lasagna.
The sauce provides enough moisture to cook the oven-ready noodles right in the casserole, while a short resting period after baking helps the layers settle for cleaner slices.
Why This White Chicken Lasagna Recipe Works
- The homemade white sauce combines half-and-half, chicken broth, and Parmesan for a creamy consistency without relying on jarred Alfredo sauce.
- Oven-ready lasagna noodles eliminate a separate boiling step. The additional water in the baking dish supplies the moisture they need to soften.
- Ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach, and egg create a filling that becomes creamy but structured as it bakes.
- Shredded cooked chicken makes this Chicken Lasagna Recipe practical for leftover or pre-cooked chicken.
- Resting the finished lasagna for 10–15 minutes gives the hot sauce time to settle and makes the layers easier to slice.
If you’re craving the tomato-and-meat version instead, this classic homemade lasagna offers a more traditional alternative.
Ingredients That Matter Most
For the Parmesan White Sauce
Butter and oil create the base for cooking the onion and garlic. Flour is then stirred into the fat to provide the thickening power for the sauce.
Half-and-half or cream supplies richness, while low-sodium chicken broth gives the sauce more savory chicken flavor. Using low-sodium broth is particularly useful because Parmesan contributes additional salt.
Once the liquid has thickened, Parmesan finishes the sauce with a salty, nutty flavor. Add it after the sauce has thickened and stir until incorporated.
For the Ricotta and Spinach Filling
Whole-milk or regular ricotta gives the filling its characteristic creamy texture. An egg helps bind the mixture during baking, while mozzarella and Parmesan add both melt and flavor.
The frozen spinach needs to be fully thawed and squeezed dry before mixing. Excess spinach liquid can make the finished White Lasagna Recipe watery.
Chicken and Lasagna Noodles
You need 3 cups of cooked, shredded chicken. Leftover roasted chicken or another simply seasoned cooked chicken works well.
The recipe is specifically designed for 12 oven-ready lasagna noodles. Because these noodles go into the dish dry, don’t omit the ½ cup water called for during assembly unless you’re adapting the recipe to a different noodle type.
If cooking chicken specifically for the recipe, follow the USDA guidance for a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F for poultry.
How to Make White Chicken Lasagna
1. Prepare the Pan
Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a deep 9×13-inch baking dish.
A deep dish is important here because this Creamy White Chicken Lasagna has multiple layers plus a substantial amount of sauce and cheese.
2. Make the White Lasagna Sauce
Melt ¼ cup butter with 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and cook until completely tender.
Stir in the garlic, dried parsley, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and stir thoroughly until you no longer see dry white streaks.
Gradually whisk in the half-and-half and chicken broth. Continue stirring over medium heat until the sauce has noticeably thickened. Stir in ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.
The sauce doesn’t need to be extremely thick; it still needs enough fluidity to surround and hydrate the oven-ready noodles.
3. Mix the Ricotta Filling
Combine the ricotta, thawed and well-drained spinach, ¼ cup cream, egg, ½ cup Parmesan, and 1 cup mozzarella.
Mix until evenly combined, then set aside while you assemble the lasagna.
How to Layer Chicken Lasagna
Proper layering distributes the chicken, cheese, and sauce evenly throughout the casserole.
Spread a thin layer of white sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish, then add ¼ cup water. Place 3 oven-ready noodles over the sauce.
For the first three pasta layers, add one-third of the ricotta mixture, one-third of the shredded chicken, and one-quarter of the white sauce over each layer of noodles.
Finish with the final 3 noodles and all the remaining white sauce. Pour the remaining ¼ cup water around the edges.
Cover the pan tightly with greased foil. Keeping it tightly covered traps steam inside the pan, which is essential for properly cooking the dry oven-ready noodles.
Baking Time and How to Know When It’s Done
Bake the covered lasagna at 350°F for 40–45 minutes. Depending on the brand and thickness of the oven-ready noodles, they can take as long as 60 minutes to become tender.
Before moving on, check that the pasta is tender rather than relying exclusively on the clock. A knife inserted through the center should pass easily through the pasta layers.
Remove the foil and scatter the remaining 2 cups mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmesan over the top. Bake uncovered for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is thoroughly melted.
For deeper browning, broil for about 2 minutes at the end, watching closely because mozzarella can brown quickly.
Why the Lasagna May Look Saucy at First
Don’t immediately conclude that the lasagna is undercooked if liquid is visible around the edges when the pan first comes out of the oven.
The white sauce needs to contain enough moisture to cook the oven-ready noodles, and the filling is extremely hot immediately after baking. Rest the lasagna for 10–15 minutes before cutting it. During that time, the layers settle and some of the remaining moisture is absorbed.
If the noodles are already tender, baking significantly longer simply to eliminate visible sauce can lead to overcooked pasta or dry chicken.
Success Tips
Use spinach that has been squeezed thoroughly dry. One of the easiest ways to introduce unwanted water into this lasagna is through wet thawed spinach.
Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture gradually while whisking to keep the white sauce smooth. Once thickened, keep in mind that it should remain spreadable rather than becoming paste-like.
Cover the dish tightly for the initial bake. Steam and added water make this an Easy Chicken Lasagna because the noodles can cook without being boiled separately.
Finally, don’t skip the resting period. Ten to 15 minutes makes a noticeable difference in how well the layers hold together when sliced.
Variations and Substitutions
You can use half-and-half for a creamy but somewhat lighter sauce or cream for a richer result. Since the recipe already contains plenty of cheese, half-and-half is sufficient for a substantial white sauce.
For a more pronounced Chicken Alfredo Lasagna character, cream gives the Parmesan sauce additional richness, though this remains a roux-thickened white sauce rather than a conventional Alfredo sauce.
Frozen spinach works particularly well because its moisture can be squeezed out efficiently. If you omit the spinach altogether, the ricotta filling will still function structurally.
Avoid making significant changes to the broth, cream, or added water when using oven-ready noodles. Those liquids are part of the pasta-cooking process, not simply ingredients for the sauce.
How to Serve White Chicken Lasagna
This White Chicken Lasagna is rich enough to be the centerpiece of the meal. Serve it with a crisp green salad, roasted vegetables, broccoli, asparagus, or garlic bread to balance the creamy cheese sauce.
For dessert after a hearty pasta meal, a chilled orange Dreamsicle lasagna provides a citrusy no-bake option.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
For make-ahead preparation, assemble the lasagna, cover it tightly, and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake it. Because a refrigerator-cold casserole may take longer to heat and soften the noodles, judge doneness by both a hot center and tender pasta rather than the original baking time alone.
Refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly in a covered container. USDA guidance recommends using most cooked leftovers within 3–4 days.
Individual pieces can be reheated in the microwave until hot throughout. For larger portions, cover them and reheat in the oven so they don’t dry out. Cooked lasagna can also be frozen in well-wrapped individual portions; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating for the most even results.
White Chicken Lasagna Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
Description
Creamy chicken lasagna layered with Parmesan white sauce, spinach ricotta filling, shredded chicken, oven-ready noodles, and melted mozzarella.
Ingredients
White Lasagna Sauce:
¼ cup butter
1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, finely diced
3–4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
⅓ cup flour
2 cups half-and-half or cream
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Ricotta Mixture:
2 cups (450 g) ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup (100 g) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
¼ cup cream
1 egg
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Lasagna:
½ cup water, divided
12 oven-ready lasagna noodles
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a deep 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Melt butter with oil over medium heat. Cook onion until tender; add garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper and cook 1 minute.
3. Stir in flour. Gradually whisk in half-and-half and broth; cook until thickened. Stir in ¼ cup Parmesan.
4. Combine ricotta, spinach, cream, egg, ½ cup Parmesan, and 1 cup mozzarella.
5. Spread a thin layer of white sauce in the pan and add ¼ cup water.
6. Layer 3 noodles with one-third each of ricotta mixture and chicken and one-quarter of sauce. Repeat twice.
7. Top with final 3 noodles and remaining sauce. Pour remaining ¼ cup water around edges.
8. Cover tightly with greased foil. Bake 40–45 minutes, or up to 60 minutes, until noodles are tender.
9. Uncover; top with 2 cups mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake 10 minutes. Broil 2 minutes if desired.
10. Rest 10–15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Use the added water only as directed for oven-ready lasagna noodles.
Squeeze thawed spinach thoroughly dry.
Baking time varies by noodle brand; bake until the pasta is tender.
The lasagna will continue to set during the 10–15 minute rest.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American