White Chicken Spinach Lasagna
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Layers of lean ground chicken and mushrooms, spinach, a creamy white sauce, lasagna noodles, and cheese, make this White Chicken Spinach Lasagna a bit lighter than the traditional version while still being loaded with delicious, comforting flavor!
If you love this lasagna, be sure to also check out our Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells, Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs, and One Pot Lasagna Soup!
White Chicken Spinach Lasagna
Lasagna is quite possibly the ultimate comfort food with layer upon layer of savory meat, cheese, and pasta with those divine ruffled edges (my favorite part).
But I wanted something a little different from the norm the other day when I decided to make lasagna for my family, so I went with a cheesy, creamy chicken lasagna recipe with a white sauce instead of the traditional red, and it was sooooooo good that I just had to share!
This is the best chicken lasagna recipe I’ve tried. Instead of shredded chicken and sliced mushrooms, I decided to combine ground chicken and finely chopped mushrooms together for the more traditional lasagna texture of browned beef and pork, except with the lighter, healthier combination of lean chicken and extra veggies in the form of minced mushrooms!
I love chicken lasagna with white sauce because it’s such a delightful deviation from the standard tomato and meat-based sauce used in a classic lasagna bolognese. Which is delicious in its own right, but heavier than what I typically want for a weeknight meal.
This creamy chicken lasagna recipe is also something that could be made ahead and frozen for an easy freezer meal to take to a friend or to have on hand for those busy days when all you want to do is pop something in the oven. Throw together a quick salad and you’re good to go.
I have been blending finely chopped mushrooms into some of my favorite ground meat dishes lately for a few reasons – better flavor, better health and overall better for sustainability.
If you haven’t taken the monthly Blenditarian challenge yet, you should (you might even win $250)! When chopped to match the consistency of the meat they’re paired with, mushrooms can easily mimic meat. It’s awesome!
How to Make White Chicken Spinach Lasagna
- Prep the lasagna noodles by cooking them according to the package directions, then draining and laying in a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with a little cooking spray. I prefer the old-fashioned lasagna noodles that you boil in water first, rather than the no-boil ones.
- When you are done cooking the lasagna noodles, use the same large pot to wilt the spinach by cooking it in just a little bit of oil until wilted, then drain the water that comes out of the spinach.
- In a large pan, brown the ground chicken and chopped mushrooms together. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Set aside and wipe out the pan.
- In the same pan, prepare the white sauce by cooking the onions and garlic in the butter until softened, then sprinkle with flour and stir well, cooking for a minute or two before adding the chicken broth and milk and cooking until thickened. Finish the sauce with seasonings.
- Assemble the lasagna by layering sauce, then noodles, meat & mushroom mixture, spinach, ricotta, sauce, and cheese; repeat!
- Bake at 350 degrees F. until hot and bubbly, about 35-40 minutes!
Tips and tricks to make the best chicken spinach lasagna recipe
- Use real, freshly grated mozzarella cheese rather than the pre-shredded stuff that doesn’t melt well.
- Add roasted peppers or artichoke hearts along with the spinach for even MORE veggies!
- This lasagna freezes well. Just assemble it but do NOT bake. Instead, wrap the assembled lasagna tightly with plastic wrap, then wrap again with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 1 month.
What to serve with white chicken spinach lasagna:
- Homemade French Bread
- Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Classic Caesar Salad
- Oven Roasted Broccoli with Garlic, Parmesan and Lemon
- Raspberry Peach Italian Cream Sodas
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White Chicken Spinach Lasagna
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
Lasagna
- 9 whole lasagna noodles cooked according to package directions
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 16 ounces crimini mushrooms minced
- 4 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 16 ounces baby spinach
- 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
- Parsley chopped for sprinkling on top (optional)
Instructions
Sauce
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the softened onions, then stir to combine, cooking for another 1-2 minutes.
- Whisk the chicken broth and milk into the onion and flour mixture, then stir constantly until the sauce simmers and thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the basil, oregano, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and fennel seed, then remove from heat.
Lasagna
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain and lay out in a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray so they don’t stick.
- In the same pot, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and cook for 3-4 minutes until wilted. Drain in a colander, squeezing out as much excess water as possible.
- In a large pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat, then combine the ground chicken and mushrooms and brown together until the chicken is cooked through. Drain off any liquid.
- To assemble, spread 1/4 of the sauce on the bottom of a large 9×13-inch baking dish. Lay 3 of the cooked lasagna noodles on top. Layer on 1/2 of the chicken & mushroom mixture, then spread 1/2 of the wilted spinach on top. Dollop with half of the ricotta cheese, then spread with another 1/4 of the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
- Repeat layers by first arranging 3 more of the lasagna noodles over the first layer, then topping with the remaining chicken & mushroom mixture, spinach, ricotta cheese, and another 1/4 of the sauce and 1/3 of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
- Finish the lasagna by arranging the last three noodles on top, then spread with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the last of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35 to 40 minutes until hot and bubbly, finishing under the broiler just to add a little color to the top, but being careful not to burn the cheese. Let the lasagna stand for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
This looks and sounds great! Only substituting shredded cooked chicken (we don’t like ground chicken). Can’t wait to try it.
You can never go wrong with lasagna of any flavour. This is the perfect way to feed a crowd. I just know I would have no leftovers…so I would have to make a double batch to enjoy again in the week.
I love this lighter version of lasagna and the addition of mushrooms is a wonderful one! Definitely adding umami and lots of depth of flavor. Cannot wait to make it! Pinned and on my menu for next week.
What a great change up. I love this idea, especially the creamy sauce part. It looks easy enough for a beginner cook, bonus. What I enjoy most about recipes like this is the hands on nature, it’s meditative.
I’ve never tried a white lasagna, but I love this idea! Mushrooms and spinach sound delicious. And how clever to freeze it ahead of time- I need to meal prep more often.
I love mixing together mushroom and beef in an effort to blend and extend! I’d love a lasagna with a delicious white sauce so I’ll need to give this a go. We had a red sauced lasagna recently so this would be a nice change.
Oh damn. This looks and sounds incredible. I hate to admit it, but I’ve yet to make a white lasagna AND THEY LOOK SO GOOD. I don’t know what the heck I’m waiting for. We have out of town family visiting twice this month, so I’m definitely going to use this for inspiration for dinner some night.
This recipe is definitely a keeper. You can’t go wrong with lasagna — everyone adores lasagna — but this recipe with chicken sounds and looks amazing. I am pinning to make later and I don’t want to lose the recipe.
I LOVE this twist on the original, simply delicious! We love chopping mushrooms up and using them in dishes where we would usually eat more meat. It started off trying to hide them from the kids, but now they request them 🙂
Why is it called white chicken (esp. if ur using ground chicken)? Makes no sense…
Lol, sorry! It’s meant to distinguish the lasagna, not the chicken. Since most lasagna’s are red from the red sauce, this is a white lasagna made with a white sauce. But I see where the confusion lies!
I love the sound of this lasagna without red sauce! Sometimes, I really just want something creamy and comforting and this lasagna absolutely fits the bill! I love that you have cremini mushrooms in the filling. They have such a wonderful, earthy flavor and it must pair so well with the chicken, spinach, and cheeses. Total comfort food!
Oh boy..this sounds devine , except I’m going to use shredded chicken breast… Can’t wait to try this!
This recipe sounds wonderful and I would LOVE to make it for my family soon, however, one important missing element to the recipe that prevents me from trying it is the oven temp. After looking over the recipe a couple of different times I didn’t see an oven temp anywhere.
Monica, I am so glad you pointed that out! I don’t know how I missed that crucial info! Oven temp is a little less strict with something like a lasagna since it’s mostly about heating it through and melting cheese, unlike baking with there are more scientific reasons for a specific temperature, but I find that 350 is great for this lasagna because it gets the lasagna how all the way through to the middle and melts all the cheese without burning it on top. Thanks for letting me know about that omission!
Good catch, Liszzie!
Thanks for bringing that to her attention.
Looks great but wow the sodium-56%! What is making is so high??
I’m not sure but I would guess it’s from the cheese and the salt?
Hi, thank you for the recipe! I didn’t have ricotta cheese so I substituted sour cream and I used a Perdue shredded chicken with olive oil and rosemary 9oz bag bcuz it was on sale lol.. I didnt have mozzarella so I used a little swiss and topped with a bit of mild cheddar cheese bcuz I love different cheeses in some of my dishes. I halfed the recipe and am excited to taste it! God bless you and I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
I’m glad you liked it!
I chopped up asparagus and sauteed with the mushrooms 🙂
That sounds like a delicious alteration!
Fantastic recipe! I agree that the red sauce recipies are a little heavy so this is a nice variation. I didn’t have cremini mushrooms so I used baby bellas and it worked fine. I guessed on the mozzarella instead of measuring and wished I had paid more attention. Could have used more so I am sure the recipe is right. Next time I am going to add the suggested roasted peppers but this recipe is excellent as it is. Thank you.
This was fantastic! I layered in sauteed zucchini as well. Thanks!
Every Saturday I make a family style dinner and invite friends over. Recently we found out one of our friends had acid reflux, so I looked for lasagna and came up with your recipe.
It www a huge hit, I did omit the mushrooms as one friend is allergic to them.
It was definitely worth the time though, thanks for the great recipe!
I love to give most recipes my own twist. I have butternut squash from the garden, and think it would be a tasty addition. Either sliced or cubed, and then roasted or sauteed, and layered with the other ingredients. A few sliced and sauteed apples sound pretty good too. I make my butternut soup with apples and chicken broth; similar ingredients! Can’t wait to experiment.
I LOVE those ideas! They sound so good! I may have to try it myself next time I make this!
Made this last weekend and it was even better than I expected (and I had high expectations). I followed this recipe almost exactly as posted, just added a bit more garlic to the sauce and added some to the chicken/mushroom mixture. Like all lasagnas, it takes a long time from start to finish but the effort is definitely worthwhile.
I will definitely make it again and thanks so much for posting this recipe. Only change I would make would be to increase the amount of chicken/mushrooms mixture as I found it a bit lacking in proportion to the other ingredients (just a personal opinion).
Turned out delicious. My teenage boys loved it! I ended up using ground turkey and shredded mozzarella because that’s what was available at my local grocery store.
Where are direction for the “Ricotta mixture?”
Sorry – that was a typo. I just dollop the ricotta on straight from the container.
chicken spinach lasagna Curious why cook lasagna noodles after boiling for how long and temperature
Unnless you use the no-cook noodles, you have to cook the noodles first to soften them, then cook the entire lasagna to heat it through and allow all of the flavors to combine.
hello just a bout to make this. Can I use the no cook lasagna noodles?
I’ve never tried using no cook lasagna noodles, but I don’t see why not.
Hi. Has anyone used a flour other than all purpose flour? If not, which flour do you think would be a good substitute in this recipe? My boyfriend prefers to stay away from the all purpose flour.
My workmates love it. I definitely cook this recipe again. It is not sweet, so light and so healthy. Thank you for this!Â
I made it and it turned out great but I used a creamy alredo suace instead of using the flour. Also used roasted bellpeppers n onions it. Had a great flavor
I followed the recipe instructions and this lasagna turned out very delicious. Â The only thing is red pepper flakes and fennel seeds are included in the ingredients, but not in the recipe instructions. Â Not sure where they were supposed to go (in the sauce or cooked with the chicken and mushrooms)? Â It may have been even better if those were included.
I must have missed that! They go in the sauce and I’ve updated the instructions to reflect that.
I made this recipe but added sauteed peppers and squash. It was delicious!
I would say that the only changes I would make would be to add another half teaspoon of salt to the sauce as well as another garlic clove, plus I would layer in fresh basil while making the lasagna. Also, I don’t know that the crushed red pepper was necessary; it gave it a little spice that didn’t seem to feel at home in this dish. I’d either omit it next time or reduce to 1/4 teaspoon. But make no mistake, this is a delicious recipe.
I’m so excited to try this for Christmas Eve dinner! I love the idea of a good make ahead recipe so that I don’t miss a minute of our family activites! We’re not big on the consistency of ricotta cheese so I was wondering if cottage cheese can be substituted without changing the overall taste?
Have you ever tried a combination of cottage cheese and sour cream? It’s what I use in our baked spaghetti casserole and my husband (who hates both ricotta and cottage cheese) loves it.
Do not forget the chicken broth! My fiancé forgot it and it was still good but lacking in flavor! Lol. Still really good though! Can’t wait to make it again!
LOVE this recipe!! I use gluten free lasagne sheets which can’t be pre cooked, so I just cover the lasagne in alfoil for 45mins and then 15mins uncovered to brown the cheese!! Yummmm
Just curious, do you add any salt to the chicken and mushrooms when cooking? Or to the veggies (if I decide to add more veggies like red peppers or squash). Is the white sauce and cheese enough to season it?
Thanks 🙂
I felt like this recipe was plenty salty without any additional salt, although if I added some anywhere it would be with the chicken and mushrooms to season them.
This was absolutely delicious! My husband even liked it and he doesn’t like lasagna.
This recipe is fabulous!  One of my favorite meals ever!  I’m making it again this week but I am going to add artichoke hearts. Â