Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian Inspired, Southern

Keyword chicken-alfredo-lasagna, chicken-lasagna-recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 10

Stand time 10

Total Time 1 40

Servings servings

Calories 557kcal

Ingredients

15 oven ready lasagna noodles
4 cups roughly chopped rotisserie chicken
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 large cloves garlic minced
1/3 cup all purpose flour
5 cups half and half
1 1/2 tsp salt divided use
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese divided use
1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed dry
1 15 oz container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg
2 tsp dry Italian seasoning
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes Or 1/4 tsp black pepper
4 1/2 cups low moisture shredded mozzarella cheese divided use
3-4 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley for garnishing

Instructions

Alfredo Sauce: To a 4 quart heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic cooking just until fragrant, about 1 minute.
To the pot add the flour whisking constantly until the flour has been absorbed.
Gradually whisk in the half-and-half, 1 tsp salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a gentle boil whisking constantly then lower the heat to a simmer. Let cook for 5 minutes whisking occasionally.
After 5 minutes, to the sauce add 1 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese. Mix to combine and remove from heat stirring until smooth.
Ricotta-Spinach Mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, egg, Italian seasoning, onion powder, 1/2 tsp salt, red pepper flakes or black pepper and 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese. Add the spinach mixing to combine then set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a a 2 1/4-inch deep 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Assemble Lasagna: Divide lasagna noodles into thirds. Spread a thin layer of sauce (about 1/2 cup) on the bottom of the dish. Arrange one layer of noodles in the bottom of the pan. Spread the noodles with 1/2 of the ricotta-spinach filling then top with 2 cups chopped chicken. Drizzle with 1/3 of the sauce. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese.
Repeat layers starting with noodles, remaining ricotta-spinach mixture, 2 cups chopped chicken and drizzle with 1/3 sauce. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese.
Top with the final layer of noodles and alfredo sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese and remaining grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese.
Spray a large piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the dish. Bake in preheated oven until hot and the noodles are tender, about 55-60 minutes. (Spraying the foil prevents the cheese from sticking).
Remove the foil and broil at the end of baking to brown the top further.
Let stand for 5-10 minutes, then slice and serve garnished with Italian parsley.

Notes

- Protein: You could easily adapt this recipe using leftover Thanksgiving turkey.

- Chicken Substitutions: This recipe uses rotisserie chicken which means that the filling requires no additional cooking at all. You could use any roasted, poached chicken breasts, grilled or baked chicken in this recipe in the same amount.

- Half and Half: You can use heavy cream in place of half and half.

- Alfredo Sauce: The homemade Alfredo sauce is what sets this chicken lasagna recipe apart. That being said, you could adapt this recipe using jar alfredo sauce for a timesaver. You'll need the equivalent of around 6 cups.

- Vegetarian Option: For a delicious twist, you could replace the chicken with sautéed mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, zucchini or squash. Sauté for 2-3 minutes in butter or olive oil with fresh garlic cloves, a simple seasoning of salt and dry Italian seasoning, then add to the layers in place of chicken. Make sure there's no excess water or liquid from cooking.

- Herbs: You can garnish with fresh basil, rosemary or chives.

- Cheese: You can use pepper jack cheese for spice or gruyere cheese for a nutty flavor.

Nutrition