This creamy white Chicken Lasagna Alfredo is an easy dinner recipe that appeals to even your pickiest little eaters! Assemble the casserole in advance and pop it in the oven for a hearty, delicious and cozy meal any night of the week.
This white lasagna is such a tasty twist on the classic Italian dish! Layers of tender chicken, sautéed mushrooms, onion and garlic are all tossed in a creamy Alfredo sauce and paired with oven-ready noodles and three different types of cheese. What's not to 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 (source). Therefore, lasagna falls under the larger umbrella of casseroles. Lasagna is an Italian casserole!
What kinds of lasagna are there?
A traditional lasagna includes layers of lasagna noodles, red sauce, cheese, and sometimes meat. There are so 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 make Chicken Lasagna Step by Step:
Lasagna can be a tedious casserole to prepare, so I'm a big fan of shortcuts along the way. This recipe is no exception, and comes together in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients for Creamy Chicken Lasagna:
- Olive oil
- Mushrooms
- Onion
- Garlic
- All-purpose flour
- Cooked, diced chicken
- Alfredo sauce
- Parsley and basil
- Egg
- Cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese
- Oven-ready no-boil lasagna noodles
First, prepare the Alfredo filling for the lasagna by sautéing mushrooms, onion, and garlic in a skillet. Stir in the flour, chicken and Alfredo sauce and it's ready to go!
I use two 15-ounce jars of prepared Alfredo sauce (any brand or variety will work), but you can certainly use your own homemade Alfredo if you have a recipe that you prefer.
In a separate bowl, combine the egg, cottage cheese, herbs, mozzarella and Parmesan.
Now you're ready to assemble the casserole! Spread about ¼ of the Alfredo mixture in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Top with 4 lasagna noodles (no need to boil them first when you use the oven-ready version), ⅓ of the cottage cheese mixture, and another ¼ of the Alfredo mixture.
Repeat the layers two more times, and finish the top of the casserole with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
Cover and bake in a 450 degree F oven for 40 minutes, and then remove the cover and bake for an additional 10 minutes (to allow the cheese to get nice and browned on top).
It's best if you allow the lasagna to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving, because it gives the casserole a chance to set so that the slices stay together when cut.
What do you serve with Chicken Lasagna?
A hearty, rich lasagna pairs perfectly with a light green vegetable. Here are a few easy options:
- Green salad dressed in Italian Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Cucumber Salad
- 2-Ingredient Italian Sugar Snap Peas
- Garlic Roasted Broccoli
- Green Bean Salad
And don't forget the garlic bread, baguette, or 3-Ingredient Homemade Breadsticks!
Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:
- How many layers should a lasagna have? A lasagna should have at least three layers, but you can certainly add more than that if you prefer a thicker casserole. Just make sure that you prepare extra filling and that you use a deep enough dish.
- Can you freeze Chicken Lasagna? Yes! You can freeze lasagna either before or after baking. I prefer to freeze the dish when it's assembled but before it has been baked. Then it tastes fresh when you're ready to cook it and enjoy it later! Just thaw the frozen lasagna in the refrigerator the night before and bake as instructed. If you want to bake the lasagna while it's still frozen, you will need to allow for extra baking time.
- Make this chicken lasagna with spinach! To do so, use two or three 10-ounce boxes of frozen chopped spinach. Thaw the spinach, squeeze it really dry, and add a layer of spinach over each layer of cottage cheese mixture.
- Make a white lasagna with sausage by substituting 1 ½ - 2 lbs. of cooked, drained Italian sausage in place of the chicken.
- For a ground chicken lasagna, use 1 ½ - 2 lbs. of cooked, drained ground chicken in place of the chopped chicken.
- For a shortcut, I usually purchase a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or use store-bought cooked chicken such as Perdue Shortcuts or Tyson Grilled n' Ready chicken. You can also roast or boil your own chicken at home to use in this recipe.
- I used cottage cheese in this recipe for a lighter choice, but you can also substitute with an equal amount of ricotta cheese if you prefer.
- How to reheat leftover lasagna: if you have extra lasagna that you’d like to reheat for another meal, just place the lasagna in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees until heated through (about 20-30 minutes).
More lasagna recipes that you might enjoy:
- Chi-Chi's Christmas Eve Lasagna {a classic recipe!}
- Quick and Easy Vegetable Lasagna {a healthy recipe!}
- Turkey and Pesto Slow Cooker Lasagna {yep, you can make lasagna in the Crock Pot!}
- Dump-and-Bake Mexican Lasagna {no prep!}
Chicken Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms
- ½ cup diced onion
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 4 cups cooked, diced chicken (or sub with 1 ½ - 2 lbs. ground chicken, cooked and drained)
- 2 (15 ounce) jars Alfredo sauce (about 3 cups)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or 2 teaspoons dried basil)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 16 ounces (2 cups) cottage cheese (or sub with ricotta cheese)
- 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 12 oven-ready no-boil lasagna noodles (an 8 ounce box)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add mushrooms and onion; cook until tender (about 6-7 minutes). Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add flour to the skillet and stir until blended. Stir in chicken and Alfredo sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes (to allow the sauce to thicken slightly).
- In a separate bowl, stir together egg, parsley, basil, cottage cheese, 1 ¼ cups mozzarella, and ¼ cup Parmesan.
- Spread ¼ of the Alfredo mixture in a thin layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with 4 no-boil lasagna noodles, ⅓ of the cottage cheese mixture, and another ¼ of the Alfredo mixture.
- Repeat layers two more times. Finish with remaining 1 ¼ cups of mozzarella and ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese on top. Cover with foil sprayed with cooking spray.
- Bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil, and bake for another 10 minutes (or until heated through and cheese on top is browned). Let stand for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- How many layers should a lasagna have? A lasagna should have at least three layers, but you can certainly add more than that if you prefer a thicker casserole. Just make sure that you prepare extra filling and that you use a deep enough dish.
- Can you freeze Chicken Lasagna? Yes! You can freeze lasagna either before or after baking. I prefer to freeze the dish when it's assembled but before it has been baked. Then it tastes fresh when you're ready to cook it and enjoy it later! Just thaw the frozen lasagna in the refrigerator the night before and bake as instructed. If you want to bake the lasagna while it's still frozen, you will need to allow for extra baking time.
- Make this chicken lasagna with spinach! To do so, use two or three 10-ounce boxes of frozen chopped spinach. Thaw the spinach, squeeze it really dry, and add a layer of spinach over each layer of cottage cheese mixture.
- Make a white lasagna with sausage by substituting 1 ½ - 2 lbs. of cooked, drained Italian sausage in place of the chicken.
- For a ground chicken lasagna, use 1 ½ - 2 lbs. of cooked, drained ground chicken in place of the chopped chicken.
- For a shortcut, I usually purchase a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or use store-bought cooked chicken such as Perdue Shortcuts or Tyson Grilled n' Ready chicken. You can also roast or boil your own chicken at home to use in this recipe.
- I used cottage cheese in this recipe for a lighter choice, but you can also substitute with an equal amount of ricotta cheese if you prefer.
- How to reheat leftover lasagna: if you have extra lasagna that you’d like to reheat for another meal, just place the lasagna in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees until heated through (about 20-30 minutes).
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