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White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna

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Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

 
I’m a complete and utterly in love with all forms of lasagna. There’s just something about those layers of cheese, noodles and sauce that I can’t help but get weak in the knees over. So you probably can understand why I was instantly intrigued when I found Anna and Chelsea’s recipe for a White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

Chicken, cheese, spinach and as if there wasn’t already an abundance of cheese here, there’s also a white cheese sauce! I know! You might want to break open a bottle of wine, slip on some comfy pants because it’s about to get rich and cheesy up in here.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

To make this lasagna happen, all you need is chicken (I used rotisserie chicken and it was fabulously easy), lasagna noodles, frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed dry), butter, milk, chicken broth, onion, garlic, flour, salt and pepper, dried oregano and basil, fresh parsley, ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Season it generously with sea salt and drop in the entire package of noodles. Even though you only need 9 noodles, sometimes they crack or split while they’re boiling, so I just make them all to be on the safe side. Cook the noodles for 8-10 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

Next get some prep out of the way and chop up a medium onion, mince the garlic clove and give a small handful of parsley a good, rough chop.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken and the ricotta. This step wasn’t listed in the recipe directions, but I found it to be much easier to spread the mixture out over the noodles. Plus my husband isn’t a huge fan of big clumps of ricotta, and this solved that.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

In a good-sized sauce pot, melt a stick of butter.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

Add in the onions and garlic, cook until the onions are soft and translucent. This is my most favorite smell in the entire universe.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

Now you can stir in the flour and salt. Keep stirring until it’s nice and bubbly.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

Gradually whisk in the broth and the milk and stir constantly for one minute until smooth.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

Lastly, add in the 2 cups of mozzarella, 1/2 cup of Parmesan, 1 teaspoon of both dried basil and oregano, then season with 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Once stirred and the cheese has melted, immediately remove the sauce from the heat.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

Spread 1/3 of the cheesy sauce on the bottom of a lasagna pan or 13×9 baking dish.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

Layer 3 noodles over the sauce.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

Top with the chicken and ricotta mixture and spread evenly.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

Top with three more lasagna noodles.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

Drizzle with 1/4 of the remaining sauce and evenly sprinkle with all of the thawed spinach.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

Sprinkle with a 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella, add the last three lasagna noodles and pour all of the remaining sauce over top.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

Sprinkle with the tablespoon or so of chopped parsley and the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake this in a preheated 350ºF oven for 35-40 minutes.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

The lasagna is done when it’s all golden and bubbly. I flicked on the broiler to get some of that cheese crispy and golden, but that’s totally optional. Let the lasagna stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

This time of year, it’s cold and blustery in most parts, so serving lasagna on a winter night with a nice crisp Caesar salad and thick slices of garlic bread is total comfort food to the max. You guys are really going to dig this. And those crispy bits? Amazing!

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: White Cheese and Chicken Lasagna. Guest post by Laurie McNamara of Simply Scratch, recipe submitted by TK member Anna and Chelsea of Hidden Ponies.

Anna and Chelsea are two beautiful sisters that joined forces to create their cozy and eclectic blog Hidden Ponies. Stop by their site for anything your heart may desire—like a few (or 20) Homemade Almond Joys, or maybe Churros perhaps? You can also find a lot of their recipes right here in their TK recipe box.

Thanks for the great recipe, ladies!

 
 

Printable Recipe

White Cheese & Chicken Lasagna

See post on Anna (Hidden Ponies)’s site!
5.00 Mitt(s) 13 Rating(s)13 votes, average: 5.00 out of 513 votes, average: 5.00 out of 513 votes, average: 5.00 out of 513 votes, average: 5.00 out of 513 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5

Prep Time:

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Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6

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Description

Creamy, cheesy, belly-pleasy—comfort food at its finest.

Ingredients

  • 9 whole Lasagna Noodles (not Oven-ready)
  • ½ cups Butter
  • 1 whole Onion, Chopped
  • 1 clove Garlic, Minced
  • ½ cups All-purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 cups Chicken Broth
  • 1-½ cup Milk
  • 4 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, Divided
  • 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, Divided, Plus Additional 1/4 Cup For Topping (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon Each, Dried Basil And Oregano
  • ½ teaspoons Ground Pepper
  • 2 cups Ricotta Cheese
  • 2 cups Cooked, Cubed Chicken
  • 1 package (10 Oz. Size) Frozen Chopped Spinach, Thawed And Drained
  • 1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Parsley

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in flour and salt; simmer until bubbly.

Mix in the broth and milk, and boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups of mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Season with basil, oregano and ground black pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Spread 1/3 of the sauce mixture on the bottom of the 9×13 inch baking dish. Layer with 1/3 of the noodles, and all of the ricotta and the chicken. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over the chicken and layer with 1/4 of the sauce mixture, the spinach, and the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Arrange remaining noodles over cheese and spread remaining sauce evenly over noodles. Sprinkle with parsley and additional 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional).

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Enjoy!

 
 
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Laurie is the force behind Simply Scratch, a blog that documents her efforts to find and create recipes that are made simply from scratch. (We think it’s sweet that her mother-in-law helped her set up her blog and get started.) We love her recipes; they’re not just tried and true, but they look gorgeous as well. Check out her blog and you’ll become a fan too.

 

27 Comments

Comments are closed for this recipe.

Tab on 5.17.2013

Holy heavenly lasagna, Batman!

sarma on 5.10.2013

Wow, this looks more like dissertation, than recipe. Amazing how much work you’ve put into this single recipe.

c on 5.7.2013

Why do people have to be negative. Its kvyou make of it. If don’t like to bad. It looks great

Nor on 4.29.2013

hi. was wondering what I could substitute for ricotta and parmesan? should I do cream cheese or cottage cheese for ricotta? and is cheddar ok instead of parmesan?

Carmen on 4.26.2013

Can you substitute EVOO for the butter?

Erin O on 4.22.2013

Can this made ahead, refrigerated, and baked later?

Karen on 4.21.2013

This is such a great and versatile recipe, the sauce is the secret. Just amazing texture and rich flavor. I added a small amount of chopped fresh red pepper….yum! Thank you for a delicious lasagna.

Kaythomp on 4.21.2013

Made this yesterday and I misread the directions and only used 2 cups of mozzarella and I can’t imagine this thing loaded with 2 more cups of cheese! It’s about as healthy as a heart attack and is plenty cheesy and saucy without adding a layer of cheese. We added bacon and used tons of fresh spinach. I’d up the spinach and the spice but other than that it’s a perfect meal! Everyone had seconds and my boys aren’t super heavy eaters. It also its pretty labor intensive–if you are roasting your own chicken too, you want a slow roast so it took me the better part of a day to make but had some down time enough to make some cookies for dessert. Highly highly recommended.

Laynie on 4.11.2013

Mine is in the oven right now and the whole house smells amazing! I added some bacon and mushroom in with the onion and garlic, yum! Have an olive and garlic ciabatta loaf ready to bake – can’t wait! My man is looking forward to dinner :-) On a side note I am going to put my comfy pants on….

Jeanette on 4.7.2013

This looks so delicious! Can this be assembled the night before, refrigerated and then baked for the next night’s dinner?

Aleksandra on 3.30.2013

Oh my, that lasagna looks soooo delicious. Although I don’t prepare them with noodles, I will definitelly try this recipe.

In my country, we call them lazanje, well same thing. We made 2 versions of them, you might want to check it, also G translate is available on the right top corner on sidebar. Images are not remotely close to yours, but they are delicious.

Vanessa on 3.18.2013

Thanks for this recipe! Made it this weekend and came out great!
Fool proof :)

Ginger on 2.1.2013

This is an amazing recipe! I added a small, diced yellow squash and a 1/2 diced good sized yellow bell pepper to the onion, garlic mixture. If I’d had zuccinni on hand, I would have added that as well. Turned out perfect!

And the whole stick of butter helps make the roux with the flour, so I didn’t think it was too much. I let it brown slightly as well before adding my veggies!

Tiffany on 1.27.2013

This was amazing! I used low fat ricotta and skim milk and it turned out great. I also tripled the garlic for an extra bite. Yum!

Donna on 1.25.2013

So…this is on-board for this weekend!!….I’m going to use galettes de sarrasin (buckwheat savory crêpes…thicker and heartier than average crêpe) cut into squares to sub for the lasagna wheat noodle…gluten problems!!…Would/could this work?…I wouldn’t change a single thing about the rest of the recipe…I’m all about chicken…spinach….cheesy-ness…This is really spectacular cozy fare for these frigid months…The family will really enjoy this if its possible with my “sarrasin sub”!!

Tiffany on 1.24.2013

I love this recipe! I even made the sauce and served it in a bowtie pasta with shrimp and broccoli dish.. Everyone loved it & I’m a beginner cook, as in I just got my first apartment and have been experimenting with different recipes =)

Suzanne on 1.24.2013

what are your thoughts on using those lasagna noodles that don’t have to be boiled. I think they’re alot easier, but will it taste the same?

    Profile photo of Laurie - Simply Scratch

    Laurie - Simply Scratch on 1.24.2013

    When I make my own lasagna I use the no-boil lasagna noodle sheets and I LOVE THEM! But either way I don’t think you could go wrong :).

Katrina on 1.24.2013

I’m making this tonight!!! I’ll have to do 1/2 spinach, as my kids will gag. but they’ll love this version. Question, I lay lasagna noodles opposite when layering,(long then across), I was told that this makes the lasagna hold better .. your thoughts?

    Profile photo of Laurie - Simply Scratch

    Laurie - Simply Scratch on 1.24.2013

    To be honest I’m not sure if it matters really. I think it’s easier to cut and I didn’t have any problems with this lasagna holding together. So go for it! :)

Jayne on 1.23.2013

Oops, lasagna. For someone who loves lasagna that much, you’d think I’d spell it right the first time.

Jayne on 1.23.2013

As much as i adore tomato based lasagne, this is right up my alley. More cheese please!

Anna (Hidden Ponies) on 1.23.2013

So glad you made and loved this as much as us, Laurie!! Your photos are gorgeous – we’re linking to your awesome step-by-step in our post :)

Maria Tadic on 1.23.2013

This looks so yummy! I love the colors in the pictures – they’re fantastic. I definitely want to try out that white sauce in my next lasagna!

Andrea M. on 1.23.2013

This lasagna looks amazing! But 1 whole stick of butter? That just seems excessive!

    Profile photo of Erika (TK)

    Erika (TK) on 1.23.2013

    A whole stick of butter does seem daunting but this serves 6, so that’s about 1 1/3 tablespoons per serving. Which is probably less than what I end up using on a stack of pancakes. (I probably shouldn’t have admitted that. :)) That said, you can probably use less butter if you want to, and just make the necessary adjustments so the cheese sauce maintains its texture and consistency.

Kevin R. from KC on 1.23.2013

This looks so good. Thank you. I love lasagna and white sauce with chicken. Hope I can pass the spinach off to my sons.