Chicken Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna
Chicken spinach lasagna is a new twist on traditional lasagna that will keep you coming back for more! Made with shredded chicken, mushrooms, spinach, no-boil lasagna noodles, and delicious milk-based sauce.
Pair it with your favorite house salad tossed in a Greek salad dressing for a well-balanced meal.
Anytime I get an excuse to add more veggies into my meals…I’m all there! And this chicken spinach lasagna is nothing short of veggies.
Just like our chicken stroganoff recipe, it’s made with fresh white mushrooms, fresh baby spinach, and shredded cooked chicken. You can use leftover whole roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken.
I took a lighter approach to the sauce and used chicken broth as my base with some milk and then flavored it with nutmeg and Parmesan. So it is not overly heavy.
Everything is layered into a square baking dish with no-boil lasagna noodles. No-boil noodles are thinner than regular noodles and absorb flavor so much better. So the finished lasagna is delicate and does not feel so “heavy” as in you’re eating loads of noodles.
What is Chicken Lasagna Made Of?
To make chicken mushroom spinach lasagna, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- olive oil
- white onion
- garlic
- mushrooms
- spices – basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, nutmeg
- baby spinach
- shredded roasted chicken
- chicken stock
- milk
- all-purpose flour
- Parmesan cheese
- no-boil lasagna noodles
- mozzarella cheese
Chicken Spinach Lasagna Q&A
Before we get to how to make the chicken mushroom spinach lasagna, let’s answer some frequently asked questions. If you have a question that’s not included, let me know in the comments below.
What is the difference between oven ready lasagna noodles and regular noodles?
Oven-ready or no-boil lasagna noodles do not need to be boiled before using. They soften during baking. Whereas regular noodles need to be boiled or at least par-boiled before use.
How do you substitute no-boil lasagna noodles for regular noodles?
Fill a large rectangular dish with the hottest tap water. Add regular lasagne noodles and soak in water for 20 minutes. Move the noodles around occasionally with a pair of tongs so they don’t stick. Drain and lay flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Should spinach be cooked before putting in lasagna?
Yes. The spinach is high in water content and has to be cooked before adding to the lasagna, otherwise, it will make the lasagna soggy and/or watery. Use fresh baby spinach or frozen-thawed and drained spinach.
What can I substitute for mushrooms?
Substitute mushrooms with canned quartered artichokes or fresh zucchini. If using artichokes, add them towards the end with the chicken.
Can I make this lasagna in a 9X13 pan?
You certainly can but I recommend doubling the recipe then.
What is the correct order to layer a lasagna?
The correct order for this chicken mushroom lasagna is as follows:
- noodles
- chicken
- sauce
- cheese
Repeat for a total of 4 layers.
What temperature to put oven for lasagna?
You’ll need to bake the lasagna at 375 degrees F.
Do you cover lasagna with foil when baking?
Yes. Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes and then uncover the lasagna and bake for 15 minutes more.
How long should you let the lasagna rest before cutting?
Let the lasagna rest for about 15-20 minutes, uncovered, before cutting and serving. This lasagna is very creamy and if you cut into it right away, it will fall apart.
Why is my lasagna soupy?
Here are few tips to make sure your lasagna is not watery and runny:
- Cook the mushrooms and spinach until all of the liquid has evaporated. Both are high in water content and therefore you’ll want to cook them down until no liquid is left in the pan.
- Allow the white sauce to simmer until thickened so any all moisture can evaporate.
How to Make Chicken and Spinach Lasagna
Make the Chicken Filling: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook onions, garlic, mushrooms, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and cook until mushrooms have softened and all of the liquid has evaporated.
Stir in spinach and cook until wilted. Off heat, stir in cooked chicken, and set it aside.
Make the White Sauce: In a small bowl make a slurry by whisking together the flour and 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the remaining chicken stock, milk, nutmeg, and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and then gradually whisk in the flour slurry. Simmer until thickened, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and immediately remove off heat.
Assemble and Bake: Pour half of the white sauce onto a bottom of a baking dish, top with 2 noodles, 1 cup of chicken mixture, 1 cup sauce, and 1/4 cup of mozzarella. Repeat 3 more layers with noodles, chicken, sauce, and cheese.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer. Rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Serving Side Dishes
This chicken and spinach lasagna serves best with a fresh salad. Here are a few suggestions:
Video: How to Make Chicken Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna
More Chicken Recipes
- One-Pan Chicken with Zucchini and Corn
- One-Pan Balsamic Chicken
- Chicken Stroganoff
- One-Pot Chicken Stew
- Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe
Chicken Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Chicken mushroom and spinach lasagna made with shredded chicken, mushrooms, spinach, no-boil lasagna noodles, and delicious milk based sauce. It’s creamy, yet light and does not taste like you’re eating loads of noodles.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 8 oz. white mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 1 (6 oz.) bag fresh baby spinach
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 8 no-boil (oven-ready) lasagna noodles
- 1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add oil and then the onions, garlic, mushrooms, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Sauté for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms soften while stirring occasionally. Make sure all of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated before moving to step 3.
- Stir in spinach; cook until wilted and all of its moisture has evaporated. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cooked chicken. Set it aside.
- In a small bowl make a slurry by whisking together 1/2 cup chicken stock with flour. It should be thick milky consistency. Set it aside. In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, milk, nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a slow simmer over medium heat, stirring occassionally. Once the mixture starts to bubble up around the edges, add the slurry while whisking nonstop. Simmer until thickened, about 5-8 minute, whisking occassionally. Stir in Parmesan cheese and then remove from heat.
- Pour 1/2 cup sauce into bottom of 10X10 square baking dish, top with 2 noodles, 1 cup chicken mixture, 1 cup sauce, and 1/4 cup mozzarella, making sure noodles are covered with sauce. You can even press them down lightly. Repeat 3 more layers with noodles, chicken, sauce, and cheese. Last layer will have slightly more sauce and remaining cheese on top.
- Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer. If desired, broil for 2-3 minutes for golden brown top. Let stand 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
- Recipe Update 12/3/21: This recipe has been retested and updated to reflect some of the comments/feedback since originally published on 4/21/17. Here are the changes that I’ve made: Reduced the salt by 1/4 teaspoon. Reduced the chicken stock by 1/2 cup and increased the milk by 1/2 cup as many of you mentioned that the sauce was not thickening for you. I’ve retested the sauce many times and it does thicken. Make sure to use whole milk. Also, I changed the method of how the flour is added to the milk mixture as many of you had trouble getting the flour lumps out of the sauce. So now instead of whisking the flour directly into all of the milk and stock, you can make a slurry with flour and some of the stock and add to simmering milk. Please note the step-by-step pictures still reflect the old method.
- Common Questions: I included common questions and answers in the body of the post. If there is a question that I missed, please feel free to ask in the comments below.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 328
- Sugar: 5.6 g
- Sodium: 812.7 mg
- Fat: 10.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.5 g
- Protein: 24.4 g
- Cholesterol: 39 mg
Keywords: comfort food, white lasagna, no boil noodles, easy
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Hi! I'm Katya -- a former corporate paralegal turned full-time recipe developer and blogger behind Little Broken. Here you'll find family-friendly and seasonal recipes made from real ingredients.
Hi, I am about to start whisking the flour into the milk & broth, but have a question. I plan on serving it tomorrow for lunch but think the noodles will turn soggy by then… should I assemble it tomorrow to be safe? Will the bechamel heat up well tomorrow? Thanks!
If you’re not baking the lasagna tonight then I would assemble tomorrow. The sauce should heat up well on low heat. It might be a little on the thick side but otherwise should be fine
Looks delicious! Would this hold up as a freezer meal?
Thank you!
Hi Quinn: it’s hard to say how the white sauce will hold up without trying it out first but everything else should be okay.
Katya, since people keep asking you, I thought I would give you my experience regarding freezing pasta and white sauces. Cooked pasta freezes just fine. White sauces do also. I’ve done this for years. However, I’m not sure how freezing uncooked no-bake lasagna pasta will turn out. It might need to thaw in fridge at least partially.
Thanks so much for your feedback LaDell! I hope some of the readers will find it helpful.
My husband is on a low carb diet, so I can’t use the noodles. What could I substitute for the noodles? Can I just leave out the noodles?
Hi Mary: I’m guessing you can substitute some type of veggie but it’s hard to say how it will do without testing it out first. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.
The recipe sounds amazing and I can’t wait to try it also. Altho our household is low carb right now , due to too many holiday sweets. LOL Anyway, I plan to try zucchini as my noodles, cut into planks on a mandoline.
So Good ! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
★★★★★
Thank you Stasia! So glad that you loved it.
Made this tonight, no spinach because I didn’t want to drive to store, however double the mushrooms , turn out delicious! It was easy and fast!loooove it! Thsnks
That’s awesome! Thanks so much Ivone.
I made this with ground turkey & nonfat milk & it was delicious! My entire family loved it!! Thank you
★★★★★
That’s awesome! Thank you!
I didn’t have a 10×10 so I used a 9×13, extra noodles and cheese. I also reduced the salt and will reduce it more next time. Tastes delicious!
★★★★★
That’s great Patricia! So glad it worked out for you.
Thanks, Patricia! That’s what I’m planning on doing and I was worried that I would need to double the recipe, as the commenter above did.
This was great! We made it tot for dinner and my entire family loved it. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow night — thank you! YUM!
That’s awesome Laura! Hope you enjoy the leftovers tomorrow 🙂
Made this tonight, substituted turkey for the chicken…my hubby loved it! I will be adding this to my regular line up! Thank you for sharing ????
That’s awesome Michelle! So glad you guys loved it. Thanks so much for your feedback 🙂
I doubled the recipe for a 9×13 pan and used a full rotisserie chicken. Family LOVED it!! Served it with a tomato/avocado salad and garlic knots. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!!
Oh yum! That sounds good. So glad you all enjoy it!
how long did you bake for, when you made it in a 9×13?
I just found this s recipe so I haven’t tried it yet. Definitely going to this week. I would cook the same amount of time. You will have the same amount of layers in a bigger pan. 30-40 min is the amount of time I use for traditional lasagna which I use a 13×9. Don’t forget to have your resting time.
This is so amazing! It was a huge hit with family and friends. A keeper recipe for sure. Thanks:)
★★★★★
Thanks so much Liz! So glad you all enjoyed it!
This looks great and can’t wait to make it! I am having 5 people over, 3 are men and heavy eaters. Concerned that the 10×10 casserole dish is small. Is there a way to accommodate for a 9×13 pan?
Hi Kathy: I would recommend you just double the recipe if you’re concerned that it might be not enough. Even though a 10X10 casserole will yield about 9 servings but of course depends on how big/small you cut them and peoples appetite 🙂
Can regular lasagna noodles be used instead of oven ready if I cook them first? I’d prefer whole wheat noodles and can’t find an oven ready version.
Hi Laura…I think they’ll work. I haven’t personally tested the recipe with regular noodles but I don’t see why it would not work esp if you cook them first.
Laura, have you made this with whole wheat noodles? If so, how did it turn out? We also prefer whole wheat.
I just made this recipe for dinner and it smells incredible, I’m sure it will taste great as well. My only issue was adding the flour. I added it slowly as instructed however no amount of whisking was going to smooth out the lumps. I ultimately strained it, made a rue, and used that to thicken it. Is there another type of flour that would have worked better?
Hi Ruth, I used all-purpose flour that I whisked into chicken stock at first before adding to the pan. There’s no trick to it…just a lot of whisking. Hope that helps. Thanks!
This happened to mine as well. All lumps. I ended up starting from scratch and making a rue first. The recipe says to add the flour after the mixture is bubbling. You’re saying to add the flour into the stock before its heated?
Hi Brett, sometimes you just need a little minute or so of stirring with a fork or a whisk for the mixture to be lump free. I usually use a fork and it works great. And yes, you stir in the flour into the stock before it is heated through.
It is best to mix the flour with some of the broth or milk (say 1/2 cup liquid) to make a bit of a paste. then pour into the simmering liquid stirring constantly. Doing it this way will reduce or eliminate the lumps.
It is best to mix the flour with some of the broth or milk (say 1/2 cup liquid) to make a bit of a paste. then pour into the simmering liquid stirring constantly. Doing it this way will reduce or eliminate the lumps.
I found the sauce too salty…I only used 1/2 tsp as I did not have low sodium Chicken Broth. I also did not have No Cook Noodles. I decided to make this recipe with what I already had on hand. I had the rest of the ingredients. My noodles were 12″ x 2 1/2″, I cut them to fit my 8 x 8 dish and still had 2 full noodles left, with the top covered in a layer of noodles. Maybe I should have only used 4. I sure hope it turns out good. I am not a novice cook and found it hard to stretch 1 cup of filling over a nine” square pan, same with the amount of cheese. My biggest concern right now is the saltiness.
Mine came out watery . Any tips to thicken next day?
★★★★★
Hi Kim, my only thought is that maybe the sauce didn’t have enough time to thicken? It should not be watery. Also if you let the lasagna stand for 5-10 minutes after it’s done baking some of the moisture will steam out. Hope that helps a little.
I too struggled with the sauce not thickening. 1/4 C flour to 4 C do liquid doesn’t seem adequate. Sauce smells great. It going in the oven now!
Same here. My sauce also didn’t thicken. It’s in the oven now, so hopefully it still turns out ok.
★★★★
Did you simmer the sauce long enough?
The instructions stated 5 minutes and I gave it a solid 10-15 minutes. I have made cream sauces numerous times over the years and have found that the step with a roux is essential.
I’m sorry it didn’t quite work out for you. It’s hard to say exactly why it didn’t thicken. But I hope you still enjoyed the lasagna.
Mine was super runny too!
I will try this recipe this week, so i can eat it at lunch at my work. Only i guess that i would use a base for the bechamel (I`m not too good with this sauce)
Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
I hope you enjoy it! Sauce is not that hard at all! Just low heat and a some whisking. Let me know how you like it.
Can I make this night before? If so, any tips on reheating? I don’t want the noodles to dry out…
I’m excited to try this for our Mothers Day Brunch!
Hi Becky, you definitely can make it overnight and then just reheat in the oven on low temperature. You can also prepare the sauce and the chicken filling the night before and then just assemble and bake the next day. Whichever way you do, let me know how it turns out for you. Thanks!
You are 3 for 3 with me! I made this and we loved it. So far all your recipes have hits in my house!!
★★★★★
So happy to hear that Amy! I so appreciate your feedback. My whole family loves this lasagna too 🙂
Do you think this would freeze well?
Hi Sara, I think it should freeze okay. The noodles might just be a little softer than usual but other than that it should be okay.
Would you freeze it before you bake it? Or after…
I haven’t tried freezing this specific lasagna so I can’t answer with certainty but if I was I would definitely freeze it before baking.
Loving this recipe, we will be trying it very soon!. I am also loving how all of the step-by-step photos are together. Think I need to learn to do that, thank you for the idea. 🙂
★★★★★
Thank you friend! So easy….picmonkey 🙂
This is such a good recipe. I followed the recipe with the exception of the noodles. I made them using my pasta maker. Everything turned out great! Thank you so much for the recipe!!
★★★★★
That’s so great Kristene! Thank you so much for your feedback.