Creamy Chicken Lasagna

Creamy Chicken Lasagna

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Serves: 8-10 people (with leftovers!)

What You’ll Need

For the main event:

• 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded (rotisserie is your friend here)
• 12 lasagna noodles (uncooked – we’ll fix that)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (for the top)

For the cheese mixture:

• 1 large egg, beaten
• 15 oz ricotta cheese (whole milk if you can find it)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 16 oz frozen spinach, thawed and thoroughly squeezed

For the cream sauce:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/3 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pepper to taste

How to Make It

1. Get organized first. Preheat your oven to 375°F. This is one of those recipes where having everything ready makes your life so much easier.
2. Cook the noodles. Boil them just until al dente (about 7-8 minutes). Don’t overcook them – they’ll finish cooking in the oven. Drain them and lay them out on parchment paper so they don’t stick together.
3. Make the cheese mixture. In a large bowl, beat the egg and mix in all the other cheese mixture ingredients. Make sure that spinach is really well-drained – seriously, squeeze it like your life depends on it.
4. Create the cream sauce. In a large skillet, melt the butter and cook the onion for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the softened cream cheese, cream, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth and creamy – about 5 minutes. It should be thick but pourable.
5. Layer like you mean it. In a deep 9×13 baking dish:
   • Spread about 1/4 cup of cream sauce on the bottom
   • Layer 4 noodles (they’ll overlap slightly)
   • Half the cheese mixture
   • Half the chicken
   • About 1/3 of the remaining cream sauce
   • Another 4 noodles
   • The rest of the cheese mixture
   • The rest of the chicken
   • Another 1/3 of the cream sauce
   • Final 4 noodles
   • The rest of the cream sauce
   • Top with the 2 cups of mozzarella
6. Bake it up. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes until bubbly and golden. If you want extra browning, broil for a few minutes (but watch it carefully).
7. Let it rest. This is crucial – let it sit for 10 minutes before cutting. I know it’s tempting to dive right in, but this helps everything set up so you get clean slices instead of a delicious mess.

The Real Talk Tips

• About the ricotta: Use the highest fat content you can find. It’s creamier and less grainy.
• Noodle backup plan: Cook an extra noodle or two in case one breaks. It happens to the best of us.
• Storage situation: This keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheats beautifully. Cover with foil and warm at 350°F for about 30 minutes.
• Freezing facts: I’d be cautious about freezing this since cream sauces can get weird. But if you must, assemble but don’t bake, wrap tightly, and freeze. Thaw completely before baking.