Cheesy Chicken Lasagna
This recipe for Chicken Lasagna made with flavorful chicken bolognese, creamy béchamel sauce and layers of cheddar and mozzarella cheese is a comfort food dream. It’s a lighter and quicker alternative to traditional beef lasagna, using no-boil lasagna sheets for convenience. The post includes step-by-step instructions, tips for making the best lasagna, serving suggestions and freezing and reheating instructions.
Lasagna is always a crowd-pleaser. There are very few people who can resist all that cheesy, meaty goodness. And even though classic lasagna is amazing, this chicken lasagna has been my go-to for a while now.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Lasagna
- Lighter than beef: Chicken doesn’t add much in terms of fat or rich, beefy flavor.
- Quick to make: Chicken bolognese doesn’t require long cooking times like beef bolognese.
- Extra cheesy: Layering with cheddar and mozzarella creates ultimate cheesy goodness.
- No-boil noodles: Using no-boil lasagna sheets makes assembly a breeze.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken. Ground chicken/chicken mince.
- Vegetables: Onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms (and spinach if you like!)
- Aromatics: Fresh garlic cloves and herbs like basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary are all good options.
- Sauce: Canned tomatoes, chicken stock / chicken broth, Balsamic vinegar and sugar (optional).
- Salt and pepper.
- Lasagna sheets / Lasagna noodles. I prefer using no-boil pasta sheets.
- Bechamel sauce: butter, flour, milk and seasonings.
- Cheese: Cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese.
How to make chicken lasagna
- Chicken bolognese: Brown ground chicken in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté vegetables until softened. Add garlic, herbs and add the chicken back to the pot. Pour in tomatoes, stock, Balsamic vinegar and sugar. Simmer until sauce reduces. Season to taste.
- Make the bechamel sauce: Melt the butter and whisk in the flour to make a roux. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Simmer until thickened. Stir in the seasonings.
- Assemble the lasagna: Layer the bolognese, no-cook lasagna sheets, béchamel sauce and mozzarella in an oven-proof baking dish/casserole dish (18cm x 25cm or 7in x 10in). Top with cheddar cheese, mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Bake: Cover with foil and bake until a knife can easily be inserted. Uncover and bake until golden brown. Let rest before slicing and serving.
Freezing and reheating instructions
- Freezing: Assemble the lasagna in a freezer- and oven-safe dish. Press a piece of parchment onto the surface then wrap tightly with two layers of foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen: remove the parchment, recover with foil and bake until hot and bubbling.
- Making ahead: Lasagna can be assembled, covered and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking. Baked lasagna can be reheated by placing in a hot oven and baking until hot throughout.
Serving Suggestions
Lasagna is a meal all on its own but it’s delicious with a simple salad or garlic bread to soak up any leftover sauce on your plate.
Servings: 8
Calories: 388kcal
Ingredients
- 500 g (1lb) ground chicken / chicken mince
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 2 celery spears finely chopped (+- ½ cup)
- 2 large carrots finely chopped (+- 1 cup)
- 250 g (½lb) mushrooms finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp Italian herbs / Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes that were starting to soften)
- 1 cup tomato puree (passata / crushed tomatoes)
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
For assembly
- 2 cups bechamel sauce / cheese sauce (my recipe is linked)
- 250 g (½lb) no-boil lasagna sheets
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large, deep pan and brown the chicken well. Remove and set aside.
- Add the vegetables and cook for 7-10 minutes or until they start to soften.
- Add the garlic and herbs and cook for another minute before adding the chicken back in.
- Pour in the tomatoes, stock, Balsamic and sugar.
- Cover, reduce and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Season to taste.
- Layer the bolognese mixture with no-cook lasagna sheets and bechamel/cheese sauce in an oven-proof baking dish (18cm x 25cm or 7in x 10in). Add a quarter cup mozzarella cheese with each layer to make it ultra cheese. Top with cheddar cheese, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 200°C/390°F for 20-30 minutes or until a sharp knife can easily be inserted. Remove the foil and allow to bake until browned on top.
- Remove from the oven, allow to rest for at least 10 minutes then slice and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 400mg | Potassium: 891mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3591IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 369mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Delicious and a huge family favourite. Good way to disguise mushrooms in a dish also.
Can you substitute the bechamel sauce with ricotta ?
You could but I am not a fan of ricotta in lasagna, it will result in a much drier baked dish.
Tries this recipe came out extremely well! Will definitely make up again!
Hi I was wondering if I could use spaghetti sauce, because I have very low income and I can only use what is in my house. So would it work.
Yes, of course.
Lijk me heerlijk mijn vraag hoeveel is 1 cup
250ml.
Can o chop chicken btrasts
Yes you can.
thanks information
This is such a family favourite. So delicious and I love how many vegetables go in to it. Thank you so much!!
Want to try this but, living in a rural area am not able to get ground chicken. Will this work with ground turkey? We don’t have a local butcher and my grocery store butcher is not willing to mince chicken for me.
Yes, ground turkey will work very well.
So good! Thanks
it’s look so yummyy!!
i want to make this soon at home in saturday night for gathering with family. will be healthy if i can add other vegetables right?
but, it’s so yummy. thank you for sharing this great recipes 🙂
This is a recipe that will be repeated at least once a month. It’s loaded with cheesy goodness and yummy vegetables. I loved the texture provided by the bechamel <3 I didn't have the right tomato things, so I just used 2 cans of diced. It worked out fine. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
So happy to hear that Katie. 🙂
That looks mouth watering – Thank You