Cheddar Chicken Broccoli Lasagna Recipe

Looking for an alternative to traditional lasagna? This broccoli, cheddar, and chicken lasagna is a fun twist on the traditional dish. Layers of chicken and ricotta are combined with broccoli between sheets of lasagna, smothered in a ranch-seasoned Alfredo sauce, and finished with plenty of tangy cheddar cheese!

If you love classic comfort food like a chicken, broccoli, and rice casserole, then you’ll love this American version of traditional lasagna. It’s bursting with flavor, thanks to a creamy, garlicky Alfredo sauce that’s seasoned with Ranch herbs like parsley, chives, and dill. The chicken and broccoli filling comes together with tender noodles and three different types of cheese, making this a decadent and delicious dinner that the whole family will love!

What’s the difference between a casserole and lasagna?

A casserole is a one-dish meal that’s baked in the oven and served directly from the dish that it’s cooked in. Therefore, lasagna falls under the larger umbrella of casseroles. Lasagna is an Italian casserole!

Different Kinds of Lasagna

A traditional lasagna includes layers of lasagna noodles, red sauce, cheese, and sometimes meat. However, there are many different ways to prepare this dish, depending on the ingredients that you choose. Options include ground beef, ground Italian sausage, and chicken; vegetables such as mushrooms, onions, and spinach; and sauces such as marinara or Alfredo. The options are truly endless!

How to Cook Chicken for Lasagna

While it’s possible to cook a casserole with raw chicken, you’ll need cooked chicken for this recipe, and a variety of options will work. Pick the most convenient method for you:

• Boiled and Pulled Chicken: Boil about 2 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs until cooked through (about 15 minutes). When cool enough to handle, chop or pull the tender chicken. Alternatively, cook the chicken in a Crock Pot for 1-2 hours on HIGH or 3-4 hours on LOW, then shred.
• Rotisserie Chicken: This is a great shortcut! Purchase a rotisserie chicken (or two) from the grocery store, shred the meat, and use in the recipe as instructed. One very large rotisserie chicken should yield about 4-5 cups of meat.
• Leftover Chicken: If you have leftover grilled or baked chicken from a previous meal, put those extras to good use in this casserole.
• Canned Chicken: Yep, even canned chicken from the pantry will work in this recipe.

Do you have to cook broccoli before putting it in lasagna?

This recipe calls for thawed frozen baby broccoli florets, which have a slightly soft texture and therefore do not need to be cooked before adding them to the dish. You can also use frozen and thawed broccoli cuts if you like. 

If you prefer to start with fresh broccoli florets, I recommend steaming, parboiling, or precooking the broccoli in some way so that it softens a bit before you add it to the rest of the casserole. Otherwise the fresh broccoli may not have time to cook through and fully soften in the oven.

Serving Suggestions

Pair the rich, cheesy chicken and broccoli lasagne with these easy sides for a cozy, comfort food dinner at any time of the year:

• Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread, Honey Butter Cornbread, Fluffy Bakery-Style Corn Muffins, Southern Cornbread, Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn, Sweet Cornbread, Pumpkin Cornbread, Cake Mix Cornbread, Broccoli Cornbread, Corn Sticks (shown here), or Honey Cornbread
• 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Cheddar Biscuits with Chives and Bacon, or Drop Biscuits
• Cranberry Muffins or Apple Muffins
• No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread, Garlic Bread, Focaccia, No-Knead Cast Iron Focaccia, Crusty French Baguette, Soft Dinner Rolls, Beer Bread, Cheddar Chive Beer Bread, or Homemade Crescent Rolls
• Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, Caesar Salad, or our favorite House Salad with Candied Pecans
• Fried Corn
• Southern Fried Apples, Baked Apple Slices, or Applesauce
• Tomato Salad with Basil and Balsamic or Cucumber, Tomato, and Onion Salad
• Cucumber Radish Salad
• Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter, Southern-Style Green Beans, or Three Bean Salad
• Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon or Roasted Root Vegetables
• Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
• Cranberry Sauce

Frequently Asked Questions about Chicken Broccoli Lasagna

• Which is better for lasagna — cottage cheese or ricotta? I prefer ricotta cheese because it has a thicker, smoother, creamier texture. For a lighter choice, you can substitute with small curd or whipped cottage cheese. If the cottage cheese looks like it has a lot of liquid, strain it before combining it with the rest of the ingredients.
• Do you have to put egg in lasagna? The egg is an important component of the ricotta mixture because it helps the cheese layer “set” so that it doesn’t ooze out when you slice into the casserole. That said, if you have an egg allergy, you can omit this ingredient — the finished texture just won’t be quite the same.
• How many layers should lasagna be? There’s no correct or “absolute” number of layers that a lasagna must have; however, most lasagnas include between three and four layers.

Chicken Lasagna Recipe Variations

• If you prefer to use fresh broccoli florets (rather than frozen and thawed baby broccoli florets), you’ll need to parboil the broccoli until crisp-tender before adding it to the lasagna.
• Sharp cheddar is a classic companion for chicken and broccoli, but you can sub with mozzarella, gouda, gruyere, Swiss, Colby, Colby Jack, or Monterey Jack (or use a combination of these).
• Add cooked, crumbled bacon to the lasagna at the same time that you add the chicken. It will give the dish a smoky, salty, rich flavor that pairs nicely with the ranch Alfredo and cheddar cheese.
• If you’re feeling adventurous, try making your lasagna from scratch with a homemade Alfredo sauce and homemade lasagna noodles.
• Swap out the chicken and use turkey or cooked Italian sausage.
• Add fresh herbs instead of the dried herbs if you have them. You can also include dried basil in the sauce if you like. Fresh minced garlic is a nice addition to the sauce instead of garlic powder, too. This recipe has so much flavor!

Tips for the Best Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna Recipe

• Assemble the casserole in a deep 9 x 13-inch dish to prevent it from bubbling over. I also like to place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet while it’s in the oven, just in case any of the sauce drips over the edge.
• Use whole milk ricotta cheese for the richest, creamiest, smoothest texture.
• Cooking for a smaller family? Divide the full recipe between two smaller 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dishes. That way you get two meals with the same amount of effort, and you can freeze one for a later date. Alternatively, you can cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare one lasagna in a 2-quart dish. The baking instructions remain the same.
• Let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. This will help the cheese set so that it slices cleanly and doesn’t ooze out.
• Garnish with plenty of fresh parsley or basil for a bright and flavorful finishing touch.

More Lasagna Recipes to Try

Vegetable Lasagna (Quick and Easy!)

1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Homemade Lasagna

2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups

1 hour hr 13 minutes mins

Cheddar Chicken Broccoli Lasagna

5 from 1 vote

Prep: 30 minutes minutes

Cook: 1 hour hour

Resting Time 15 minutes minutes

Total: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings 12 people

Calories 641 kcal

Comfort food at its finest! Layers of chicken, broccoli, cheese, and noodles come together in one cozy casserole.

Rate RecipePin RecipePrint Recipe

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles
• 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 3 (15 ounce) jars Alfredo sauce (or about 5 cups homemade Alfredo sauce)
• 1 teaspoon each dried parsley, dried chives, and dried dill
• ¼ teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder
• 4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 1 (12.6 ounce) bag frozen baby broccoli florets, thawed and excess liquid drained (about 4 cups)
• 4 cups (16 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Boil the noodles in a large pot of salted water according to package directions; drain. Arrange the noodles on baking sheets that have been lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to prevent the noodles from sticking.
  
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a deep 9 x 13-inch baking dish; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, Parmesan, egg, and pepper. Set aside.
  
• In a large bowl, whisk together Alfredo sauce and parsley, chives, dill, garlic powder, and onion powder. Spread 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of the prepared dish. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles (3-4 noodles, depending on the size and shape of your dish).
  
• Top the noodles with ⅓ of the ricotta mixture, about ⅓ of the chicken, and about ⅓ of the broccoli. Add an additional 1 cup of sauce, and sprinkle 1 cup of cheddar over top.
  
• Repeat the layers two more times in the following order: noodles, ricotta, chicken, broccoli, sauce, and cheddar.
• Top with a final layer of lasagna noodles, remaining 1 cup of sauce, and remaining 1 cup of cheddar.
  
• Cover with greased foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch drips if it bubbles over); bake for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake for 20-30 more minutes, or until browned on top and bubbly. If you’d like it even darker and crispier on top, place the dish under the broiler for a few minutes at the end. Let stand at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
  

Notes

• Assemble the casserole in a deep 9 x 13-inch dish to prevent it from bubbling over. I also like to place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet while it’s in the oven, just in case any of the sauce drips over the edge.
• Use whole milk ricotta cheese for the richest, creamiest, smoothest texture.
• Cooking for a smaller family? Divide the full recipe between two smaller 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dishes. That way you get two meals with the same amount of effort, and you can freeze one for a later date. Alternatively, you can cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare one lasagna in a 2-quart dish. The baking instructions remain the same.
• Let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. This will help the cheese set so that it slices cleanly and doesn’t ooze out.
• Garnish with plenty of fresh parsley or basil for a bright and flavorful finishing touch.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/12 of the recipeCalories: 641kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 39gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.002gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 1204mgPotassium: 362mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 832IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 460mgIron: 1mg

Keyword: chicken and broccoli lasagna, chicken and broccoli lasagne, chicken broccoli alfredo lasagna, chicken broccoli lasagna, easy chicken broccoli lasagna

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian

Author: Blair Lonergan

Don’t Forget to Share a Pic of What You Made!

Tag me on Instagram at @theseasonedmom