Easy Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Recipe
Add Preferred SourceChicken Alfredo Lasagna is what I make when I want to feed a full table without being stuck at the stove while everyone else relaxes. You build it ahead, keep it in the fridge, and slide it into the oven when people arrive.
The one thing I’ve learned is to keep the spinach alfredo sauce looser than it looks, because the pasta sheets drink it in as they bake, and a stiff sauce leaves you with dry layers. One dish feeds eight, a rotisserie chicken does the heavy lifting, and the leftovers freeze well, so nothing goes to waste.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a white chicken lasagna: creamy alfredo and parmesan stand in for red sauce, layered with tender chicken and spinach.
- It gives you the flavor of fettuccine alfredo built into a sliceable, make-ahead lasagna.
- Make-ahead is built in, so you can assemble it a day early and bake it when you need it.
- One 9×13 dish stretches across a family dinner or a potluck table.
- A rotisserie chicken keeps the prep short and the grocery bill down.
- The spinach cooks right into the sauce, so a green vegetable is already handled.
- It freezes in portions, turning one big bake into several dinners later.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what to know before you start; the printable card below has the full list with quantities.
- Cooked shredded chicken: A store-bought rotisserie chicken shreds down fast and costs less than cooking breasts from scratch, and any leftover cooked chicken works just as well.
- Frozen or fresh spinach: Frozen usually costs less and works fine, but thaw it and squeeze it very dry, or the extra water thins the sauce.
- Whole milk and heavy cream: Used together they give the sauce body. Whole milk on its own runs thin, which is the most common reason the finished lasagna turns out watery.
- Butter and all-purpose flour: Cooked together first, they thicken the sauce so it holds between the layers instead of sliding out when you cut a slice.
- Mozzarella and parmesan: Mozzarella melts into the sauce for stretch, and parmesan on top browns into a savory finish. It’s a chicken and cheese lasagna at heart, and that parmesan top is what people go for first.
- Ricotta, optional: Spread thin between layers it adds a little body, though the recipe holds together fine without it if you’d rather keep the shopping list short.
- Lasagna sheets: Regular sheets boiled just to pliable are easiest to layer, and oven-ready sheets work too, with a note below on keeping them from drying out.
How to Make Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
Scroll down for the full recipe card containing a full printable recipe and measurements in both US customary and metric units.
Preheat and prepare
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish before you start layering.
Boil the sheets to just pliable
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the lasagna sheets only until they bend without snapping, then lay them flat on a tray so they don’t stick.
They finish softening in the oven, so stop early. If your sheets are oven-ready, skip this and go straight to the sauce.
They absorb more liquid than boiled sheets, so keep the sauce loose and cover every sheet, or the edges will bake dry.
Season the chicken
In a large bowl, toss the shredded chicken with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper until it’s evenly coated. Set it aside while you make the sauce.
Make the spinach alfredo sauce
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and whisk in the flour to make a smooth paste. Add the minced garlic, then pour in the whole milk slowly, whisking the whole time until it starts to thicken.
Turn the heat down and stir in the mozzarella, heavy cream, Italian seasoning, spinach, salt, and pepper until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth.
Keep it looser than necessary, adding a splash more milk if it stiffens.
Layer everything
Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish, then add a layer of sheets, ricotta (if using), seasoned chicken, and more sauce.
Repeat until everything is used, then finish with a generous layer of sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan on top.
Bake until golden and bubbling
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling at the edges.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
- Squeeze frozen spinach as dry as you can. Trapped water is the top reason the sauce ends up thin and the lasagna weeps onto the plate.
- Pull the sauce off the heat before the cheese fully melts, then stir it in. High heat is what makes an alfredo sauce turn grainy or split.
- The sauce should pour slowly off the spoon before it goes in. If it mounds up, thin it with a splash of milk so the layers don’t bake dry.
- Spread each layer out to the edges so every slice gets sauce, chicken, and cheese instead of a dry corner.
- For a browned top, broil for the last 2 to 3 minutes, watching it closely.
Recipe Variations
- Leave the ricotta out for cleaner, more pourable layers, or spread it thin for extra body; I’ve tested it both ways and the recipe holds up either one.
- For a sharper finish, swap the mozzarella for provolone, or stir a handful of cheddar into the sauce, both supported swaps that melt well without changing the method.
How to Store Leftovers
To make it ahead, assemble the whole lasagna, cover it, and keep it in the fridge for up to a day before baking, adding a few minutes to the bake since it goes in cold.
Once it’s baked, refrigerate leftovers within two hours in an airtight container and eat them within 3 to 4 days.
Don’t leave the dish out to cool completely first, since food left in the danger zone too long isn’t safe.
To freeze, wrap portions tightly and store them for up to about 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat leftovers in a 350°F (177°C) oven until the center reaches 165°F (74°C).
What to Serve With Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
This lasagna is rich, so the sides that balance it best are the light ones. Warm garlic bread is the natural partner for wiping up sauce, and a crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette cuts through the cream.
If you want something hot, roasted broccoli or asparagus keeps the plate simple and fresh next to the heavier dish.
FAQs
You can, and it’s a real shortcut on a busy night. Warm the jar with the spinach stirred in, and thin it with a little milk so it stays loose enough for the sheets to soak up. The homemade version costs less and lets you control the thickness, so the recipe makes it from scratch.
Rotisserie is my usual shortcut, but any cooked chicken works, whether that’s poached breasts, leftover roast, or canned in a pinch. You need about four cups shredded, and it should be fully cooked already, since it only warms through in the bake.
Almost always, it’s wet spinach or a sauce that was too thin to begin with. Squeeze thawed spinach hard to get the water out, use both whole milk and cream for body, and let the sauce thicken properly before it goes into the dish.
More Easy Dinner Recipes to Try at Home
If this one goes over well, here’s what I’d make next.
- Creamy Chicken Alfredo: the same flavor without the layering, for a night you want dinner on the table faster.
- Classic Lasagna: the red-sauce original, for when someone at the table is loyal to the traditional version.
- Chicken Scampi Pasta: another creamy chicken pasta, quicker to pull together on a weeknight.
- Beef Stroganoff: a creamy beef and noodle dinner when you want something with beef instead.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- Salt and pepper
Spinach Alfredo sauce:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- Salt and pepper
Assembly:
- 14-15 lasagna sheets almost 1 pack
- 1 cup ricotta cheese optional
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- If you need to precook your sheets, then boil the lasagna sheets in a pot of water just until they’re soft enough to bend, or follow the package instructions if using oven-ready sheets. Lay them flat on a tray to prevent sticking.14-15 lasagna sheets
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a bowl, season the cooked shredded chicken with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper, mixing well to coat evenly.4 cups cooked shredded chicken, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika powder, Salt and pepper
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, whisking in the flour to create a thick paste. Add the minced garlic and gradually whisk in the milk. Stir continuously until the mixture begins to thicken.¼ cup unsalted butter, 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 cups whole milk, 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Reduce heat and mix in the mozzarella cheese, heavy cream, Italian seasoning, spinach, salt, and pepper. Stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. Adjust with more milk if needed for a thinner consistency.2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 cup heavy cream, 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 2 cups chopped spinach, Salt and pepper
- In the prepared baking dish, layer a bit of the spinach Alfredo sauce on the bottom. Add a layer of lasagna sheets, spread ricotta cheese (if using), top with seasoned chicken, and then more sauce. Repeat the layers, finishing with a generous layer of spinach Alfredo sauce on top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly across the top.1 cup ricotta cheese, 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
Notes
- Boil the lasagna sheets only until pliable; they finish cooking in the oven. Skip this step with oven-ready sheets.
- Thaw and squeeze frozen spinach very dry so the sauce does not turn watery.
- Keep the alfredo sauce loose before layering; the sheets absorb liquid as it bakes.
- Spread each layer evenly so every slice gets sauce, chicken, and cheese.
- Season the chicken and sauce well; it ties the dish together.
- If the sauce feels too thick, add milk a little at a time until it loosens.
- For a browned top, broil the last 2 to 3 minutes and watch closely.
- Reheat leftovers in a 350°F (177°C) oven until the center reaches 165°F (74°C).
