Chicken Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna
Chicken spinach lasagna is a new twist on traditional lasagna that will keep you coming back for more!
Love creamy dishes? Try our Creamy Chicken Stew recipe.
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.
I made this for company. Everyone loved it. I doubled the recipe including the sauce and used a 13×9 pan. I used sodium free stock so that allowed me to control the salt added. It took about 15 minutes to thicken the sauce. I used fresh basil and oregano for heightened flavor as well as a store bought rotisserie chicken. Make sure to let it sit for at least 20 minutes to thicken before eating. I will definitely be making this again and again!
★★★★★
Thank you Laurie! So glad you enjoyed it.
Hey there, looks wonderful. All I found at the store was regular lasgna noodles. Do I just boil them halfway before adding? Thanks!
Yes – you can definitely use regular noodles. You don’t even have to boil them. Simply fill a large rectangular dish with hottest tap water. Add the 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. Don’t leave the noodles in a colander or they will stick together. Hope that helps!
Hey! This looks delicious and I was wondering how I would adjust the recipe for it to serve about 15 people?
Hi Natalie: You can double the recipe and bake it in two separate pans. Thanks.
This was really good. Due to other comments saying it was too watery, I replaced 1/2 cup of the milk with 1/2 cup of half and half. I also used less salt
★★★★★
Thank you Gina! Appreciate your feedback.
This was great, I was having company for dinner and was hesitant about making something we had never had before, the the reviews and comments were the best.
My husband asked me to put this on the favorites list. Very easy to make and comes off as something you have worked on all day.
★★★★★
Thank you Annie!
Made this tonight, delicious. Just as a my own white sauce. Going t freeze t rest. Many thanks. Susan
★★★★
Thanks Susan! Appreciate your feedback.
This looks delicious! I’ll be trying it tonight for dinner
I hope you enjoy it! Thank you!
I have been cooking for 60some years and have never run into an”easier” recipe. It took me close to three hours to put in in the oven!!! where it is. Hope the sauce thickens somewhere alone the line. And more so, hope that it tastes as good as the garlic makes it smell; guests for dinner tomorrow night.
★★★
Thank you so much Nan! I hope you enjoy it!
I made this last night and made two pans at one time because I’m taking one to my daughter who just had a baby. It took over 3 hours to get them into the oven. I used 8 x 10 disposable foil pans because I wanted it to be easy for her. I guess I should have made more sauce because the top noodles on hers curled up. I ran out of noodles for ours so we didn’t put any on the very top. I cooked the chicken breast tenderloins from scratch too so that’s part of the time it took. But if I make this again I will make a roux for the sauce because it took forever to thicken up. (I did use 1% milk though, as that’s what I had.). I’m hoping the flavor is even better today because I was a bit disappointed for the amount of time it took.
If you’re doubling the recipe and cooking the chicken from scratch, it will definitely take more time to make. I hope you and your daughter enjoy the lasagna!
By far the best lasagna I’ve ever made!
I make it at least 3 times a year
Oh wow…thank you Ann! So happy to hear you love it.
Hi if i’m using frozen spinach, what would the quantity i should add?
Hi Scarlett: you can definitely use frozen spinach. I would thaw out the spinach first and get some of the moisture out before adding. I would say about half of 10 ounce package of frozen spinach should be enough for this recipe.
Hello, can I substitute spinach for arugula?
Hi Tala. It’s hard to say as I haven’t tried it with arugula.
I made this tonight on a whim and was so pleasantly surprised I had to call my MIL over to try it, as she loves a white lasagna too. Because, like I mentioned, I made it spur of the moment I made quite a few adjustments for what I had on hand. However the main ingredients and directions still stand. I subbed whole wheat lasagna noodles because thats all we eat (I boiled them as usual first), I added in broccoli, shredded carrots, tomatoes and frozen peas, cooking them all down at the same time as the mushrooms and onions. To ensure the broccoli and carrots cooked down to softness, I added a cup of chicken stock and let it simmer then made sure all the moisture was gone before moving on as directed. Again, it was fantastic. Next time I will use a cup less of the sauce at the end because I don’t need that much moisture using already cooked noodles vs. the no boil noodles and I want to try it with skim milk just for diet purposes. I had no issues with the sauce not thickening, like other commenters. So all in all, fantastic recipe and the addition of nutmeg was stupendous… assuming anyone says that word anymore. Thanks for the recipe, I’ll be giving more from this blog a try.
Thank you Jamee! Glad you enjoyed the lasagna and I love your twist of ingredients!
This was a great recipe to use up some leftovers I had (rotisserie chicken, mushrooms). I substituted about 3/4 c white wine for the same amount of chicken broth in the sauce. I thought it was a little strange to whisk the flour into the liquid, as some others have noted here. It was lumpy, but we used it anyway and it tasted great! Next time I’ll just make a roux or do a slurry like you suggested in the comments. My family ate it and liked it fine, but we all agreed it was more casserole-like than lasagna. I think next time I’ll try it with rice or a smaller pasta and make a casserole out of it instead! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
★★★★
Thank you Rachel!
Tried this tonight. Good flavors, though I personally would reduce salt in sauce by half as Parmesan is salty. Still a little liquidity, but not runny and will help with using it as leftovers and freezing! Red pepper flakes as nice spicy kick. I used fresh herbs and minced fresh garlic. It also took me 2 hours from start to finish, start beginning with gathering all of the ingredients and utensils, mushrooms took longer to cook off and I am not the fastest cook. Would repeat again, good recipe to make with two cooks in kitchen. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Thank you Danielle! I’m glad you enjoyed the lasagna.
I have made this at least 5 times already for various occasions and it’s always a hit. It’s an absolute must try. So good.
★★★★★
That’s awesome Shalene! Thank you so much.
This is wonderful. Fixing it for the second time right now. Even the hubs who “hates lasagna”, loved this.
★★★★★
Thank you Jana! So glad you all enjoyed it.
Hoping to make this tonight. The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of minced garlic – is that correct? Seems like a lot, but I don’t make lasagna often…
Thanks!
That’s correct Katy! It seems excessive but it will actually add a lot of flavor to the lasagna. I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you! We just finished eating it….it was delicious! And, I think I used nearly 3 tbsp garlic!
That’s awesome! So glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you for this recipe! It is perfect and delicious! My family loves it and I have made it several times! It is a keeper.
★★★★★
That’s awesome! Thanks so much LeeAnn. So happy you all are enjoying it.
Hi, this recipe looks great! Anyone have nutrition info (calories, fat, protein, etc)?
Can you assemble this the day before with the no-boil noodles? I have never tried them and not sure what happens if they sit in liquid over night.
Hi Jodi: I think it might be too soggy if you assemble the lasagna the night before. No-boil noodles are partially cooked so they will absorb the liquid much faster.
Are you able to prepare this and freeze without cooking as a make ahead dish? Thanks, debbie. Email is [email protected]
Hi Debbie: to be honest I’m not so sure. I’ve never tried freezing it so I can’t answer with certainty.
Holy cow this was delicious! I made it in a 9×13 pan. To accommodate for the different, slightly larger size, I used a whole rotisserie chicken and increased the sauce by 1.5. I didn’t use all the sauce, and it was still a little wet, so I will try it without increasing the sauce next time. Also, I will probably add more spinach. My family LOVED it and I will definitely make it again!
Thanks so MUCH Karen! So happy you and the family enjoyed it. I appreciate you taking the time to leave me your feedback.
Can you use canned chicken in this recipe?
I would imagine it would work. I don’t have much experience with canned chicken but you basically just need cooked chicken for this recipe.