Deluxe White Chicken Lasagna
This is a totally deluxe recipe for Chicken Lasagna, also called a White Lasagna. It has layers of tender lasagna noodles, chicken, mozzarella cheese, pesto ricotta, and a garlic béchamel sauce with artichokes and spinach. Layering video included for easy assembly!
Servings 8
Calories 876kcal
Equipment
- Deep dish 9x13 baking pan
Ingredients
Assembly
- 9-10 lasagna noodles cooked until al dente
- 4 cups cooked chicken shredded
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
Spinach Artichoke Bechemel Sauce
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 1 onion finely diced
- ⅓ cup flour
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- 10 oz frozen chopped spinach thawed and all liquid squeezed out of it
- 14 oz artichoke hearts in water drained, chopped
Ricotta Mixture
- 15 oz whole milk ricotta
- ¼ cup pesto
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 1 large egg
- ¾ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat the oven to 375℉, and grab a deep dish 9x13 baking pan.
- Thaw the frozen chopped spinach in the microwave and then press/squeeze out all the liquid. Set aside.To remove the liquid you can - twist in a clean kitchen towel or place the thawed spinach in a fine mesh colander and press firmly until it is dry.
Lasagna Noodles
- Boil lasagna noodles to al dente in salted water according to the package instructions (about 8 minutes).9-10 lasagna noodles
- Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Drain the noodles and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet to cool.
Ricotta Mixture
- While the noodles boil you can make the ricotta mixture.
- Combine all of the ricotta ingredients in a medium sized bowl and stir to combine. Set aside15 oz whole milk ricotta, ¼ cup pesto, ½ cup parmesan cheese, 1 large garlic clove, 1 large egg, ¾ tsp. kosher salt, ¼ tsp. pepper
Béchamel Sauce
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and sauté the onion until softened.1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 onion
- Add the butter, once it is melted sprinkle the flour over and whisk/stir until combined + 2 minutes.4 Tbsp. butter, ⅓ cup flour
- Whisk in the whole milk to the flour mixture and whisk vigorously to prevent lumps from forming.2 ½ cups whole milk
- Add in the 1 cup heavy cream and continue to whisk and cook until the mixture thickens – another 2-3 minutes.1 cup heavy cream
- Stir in the minced garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper, spinach and the chopped artichoke hearts. Remove from the heat.3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp. onion powder, 2 tsp. kosher salt, ½ tsp. pepper, 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, 14 oz artichoke hearts in water
Assembly - Layering
- To assemble the lasagna, add approximately 1 ½ cups bechamel sauce to the bottom of a deep dish 9x13 casserole dish.
- Layer 3 noodles, ½ the ricotta mixture, 2 cups chicken, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, then ⅓ of the bechamel sauce.
- Repeat the process 3 noodles, ½ ricotta mixture, 2 cups chicken, 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
- Finally, top with 3 more noodles, remaining bechamel sauce and remaining cheese.
Baking
- Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake on the center rack for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes.Tip: spray the under side of the foil with non-stick spray to prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil.
- Finally, to brown the top, broil for 3-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15-20 minutes uncovered before serving.
Serving
- Cut the lasagna into 8-12 squares and serve with a salad dressed with vinaigrette and garlic bread.
Video
Notes
COOKED CHICKEN - This is a great recipe to use rotisserie chicken! But if you have chicken you want to use I recommend poaching the chicken or baking it at 350°F for about 25 minutes until they reach 165°F internal temp.
MAKE AHEAD - To make this Chicken Lasagna a day ahead and cook the next day, assemble completely, cover with foil and pop in the fridge overnight. The next day remove from the fridge and bake at 375°F for 1 hour, then remove the foil and bake another 10-15 minutes. Finally broil for 3-5 minutes to brown the top. I wouldn't recommend freezing this lasagna because of the cream and milk content. If you are looking for a freezer meal prep lasagna, pop over to this Classic Lasagna Recipe.
RECIPE TIPS TO REMEMBER:
MAKE AHEAD - To make this Chicken Lasagna a day ahead and cook the next day, assemble completely, cover with foil and pop in the fridge overnight. The next day remove from the fridge and bake at 375°F for 1 hour, then remove the foil and bake another 10-15 minutes. Finally broil for 3-5 minutes to brown the top. I wouldn't recommend freezing this lasagna because of the cream and milk content. If you are looking for a freezer meal prep lasagna, pop over to this Classic Lasagna Recipe.
RECIPE TIPS TO REMEMBER:
- Make sure to squeeze all the water from the spinach. I like to use a fine mesh colander and press it firmly.
- Spray non stick spray on a rimmed baking sheet and lay the cooked lasagna noodles out to cool. This prevents the noodle from sticking together while you assemble the other ingredients.
- Use a deep dish 9x13 casserole pan so the lasagna will fit!
- Place the lasagna pan on a rimmed baking sheet so if the lasagna boils over you avoid a mess in the oven.
- Spray the underside of the foil before placing it on the lasagna, it will help prevent the cheese from baking to the foil.
- Let the lasagna cool for 15-20 minutes so it sets up before you cut it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 876kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 60g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 261mg | Sodium: 1831mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2081IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 553mg | Iron: 2mg
