Creamy White Chicken Lasagna (Printable)
Creamy chicken and spinach layered between pasta sheets with a rich white cheese sauce and melted mozzarella.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 3 cups fresh spinach (or 1 cup frozen, thawed and drained)
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
→ Dairy
05 - 2 cups ricotta cheese
06 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
07 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
09 - 2 1/2 cups whole milk
10 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
→ Pasta
11 - 9 lasagna noodles (regular or no-boil)
→ Staples & Seasonings
12 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
13 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (basil, oregano, thyme)
14 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
15 - Salt and pepper to taste
16 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and lay flat on a clean surface to prevent sticking. Skip this step if using no-boil noodles.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the finely chopped onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
04 - Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and combine with the shredded chicken. Season with salt, pepper, and half of the dried Italian herbs. Set aside.
05 - In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes to form a smooth roux. Slowly pour in the whole milk and heavy cream, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the ground nutmeg, remaining Italian herbs, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and fold in the ricotta and half of the Parmesan cheese until smooth and well combined.
06 - Spread a thin layer of the white sauce across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer 3 noodles over the sauce, followed by half of the chicken-spinach mixture, one-third of the mozzarella, and one-third of the remaining sauce. Repeat the layers once more, finishing with a top layer of noodles, the remaining sauce, and all leftover mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
07 - Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbling. Let the lasagna rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The white sauce is richer and more forgiving than traditional tomato based lasagna, and it reheats beautifully the next day.
- It uses shredded chicken which means you can repurpose leftovers from a Sunday roast and feel incredibly resourceful.
- Nutmeg in the sauce is that quiet flavor people cannot identify but always ask about.
02 -
- Let the lasagna rest the full 15 minutes before cutting, because slicing too early turns beautiful layers into a soupy mess on the plate.
- Add the milk slowly to the roux while whisking, because dumping it in all at once creates lumps that are nearly impossible to smooth out.
03 -
- Taste the white sauce before assembling, because once it is baked the flavors mellow and you cannot adjust the seasoning.
- Shred your own mozzarella from a block, since pre shredded cheese contains cellulose that prevents it from melting into those gorgeous stretchy pools.