Thank you to the Mushroom Council for sponsoring this post. Make the pledge to be a blenditarian and share what drives you to do better! 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!
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.
- Take the blenditarian pledge and share what drives YOU to do better!
What to serve with white chicken spinach lasagna:
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!
- 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
- 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)
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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.
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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, and pepper, then remove from heat.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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To assemble, spread 1/4 of the sauce on the bottom of a large 9x13-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 mixture., then spread with another 1/4 of the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
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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.
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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.
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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.
You could use 1 package of frozen spinach in place of the fresh spinach. Just defrost and squeeze out as much water as you can.
Lasagna can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated. Just add 15 minutes to the baking time and cover with aluminum foil for the first 20 minutes of baking time. You can also freeze the lasagna and bake for 2 hours until hot through, keeping the lasagna covered with aluminum foil for the first 1 hour and 15 minutes.
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I'm Amy: former lawyer, now SAHM in the CA Bay Area. I love food, photography, books, travel, exercise, adoption and pie. Definitely pie. 
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!
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!