Throwback Thursday, Chicken & Spinach White Lasagna

the Painted Apron

2 years ago

This is a great make ahead dinner,

you can make it up to 2 days before baking

and then all you have to do is pop it in the oven

This White Lasagna,

made with chicken, spinach and a white cheese sauce

is Swoonworthy!

Simple ingredients, lasagna noodles, chicken, ricotta cheese,

chicken broth, milk, onion, spinach, butter,

cheese and seasonings

You can eliminate one time consuming step

by using no boil Lasagna noodles

These are so great to use when you prepare your dish ahead of time

because they will automatically start softening

while your dish is in the refrigerator

I like them also because they are thin,

so your casserole is not loaded with thick heavy pasta sheets.

Brown the chicken in a skillet

while you’re making the white sauce

The white cheese sauce is easy,

after melting the butter you toss in the onion and garlic

Cook a few minutes, stirring until onions are soft

and then add the flour

Stir in the flour and then add the milk and broth

Bring that mixture to a boil and cook and stir for one minute

Toss in the cheese and seasonings,

stir and remove from heat

In no time the cheese melts

and you have a lovely white cheesy sauce

Mix the ricotta cheese with the spinach and Parmesan

Start the assembly by putting about 1/4 of the sauce in the bottom

of your prepared dish

I used a deep 9″ square casserole

Break noodles to fill in the gaps so you have a full even layer

Top the noodle layer with 1/2 of the shredded chicken

and 1/2 of the spinach ricotta mix

Then top with 1/4 of the sauce and repeat

Top this final layer with another layer of noodles

Then top it with the remaining 1/4 cup of sauce

Sprinkle with Fontina and 1/3 cup of Parmesan

At this point you can cover it and refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking

Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, until hot and bubbly

Chicken & Spinach White Lasagna

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken and spinach lasagna, chicken casserole, make ahead dinner, white lasagna

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 45

Servings 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, {1 stick}
1 clove garlic minced
1 large yellow onion chopped
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk I used 2%
2 cups chicken broth vegetable broth can be used
1 cup chopped or grated Fontina cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 package frozen spinach thawed and drained
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
3 cups cooked chicken I used about 9 chicken tenders
9-12 lasagna noodles I used no boil
Additional grated white cheeses for topping I used Swiss and Parmesan

Instructions

Prepare a 9 x 13 or deep 9”square baking dish with cooking oil spray.
Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan. Saute the onion and garlic until onion is soft and translucent.
Whisk in the flour and then add milk and chicken broth.
Add seasonings, bring to a boil and cook for about 1 minute.
Add the Fontina and Parmesan, stir to melt cheese and set sauce aside.
In a medium bowl combine the ricotta cheese, spinach and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Mix until combined.
Spread 1/4 of the cheese sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
Top with 3-4 lasagna noodles, arranging in a flat layer.
Top with 1/2 of the chicken, 1/2 of the ricotta spinach mix, then top with another 1/4 of the sauce. Repeat.
Top the second layer with another layer of lasagna noodles and the rest of the sauce.
Sprinkle with a little more cheese on top. At this point the dish can be refrigerated overnight, covered with foil.
Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, until bubbly and golden. If dish has been refrigerated adjust cooking time, it might need a little longer.