Chicken Lasagna

A few days ago, a good friend texted me asking for a chicken lasagna recipe. I had to laugh because... I didn't have one! Traditional lasagna is always tomato-based in our house, but she wanted something with chicken and a white sauce. The catch? My husband is not an Alfredo fan at all—he finds it too rich and garlicky. So, I set out to find a version that uses a lighter, homemade creamy white sauce instead of jarred Alfredo. The result? This warmly comforting, cheesy chicken lasagna that's layered with tender shredded chicken, and plenty of gooey mozzarella.

Ingredients:

9 lasagna noodles

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups cooked shredded chicken

Cheese Mixture

2 cups cottage (or ricotta) cheese

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

White Sauce

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

Boil the lasagna noodles according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese, egg, salt, and black pepper. Mix well and set aside.

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the diced onion until soft and translucent, about 3–4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Stir in the cooked shredded chicken and remove from heat.

In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute to form a roux. Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens, about 5–7 minutes. Stir in the dried basil, oregano, nutmeg, and half of the Parmesan cheese.

Spread a thin layer of the white sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.

Arrange a layer of 3 lasagna noodles on top, then spread half the chicken mixture over the noodles, followed by half the cottage cheese mixture and a layer of mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layering with noodles, the remaining chicken and cottage cheese mixtures, and mozzarella.

Finish with a final layer of noodles, remaining white sauce, and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses on top. Cover the dish with foil.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes covered with foil to heat through.

Tip: Spritz the foil with oil to keep the cheese from sticking while it bakes.

Remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until the top is golden, bubbly, and slightly browned.

Allow the lasagna to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes:

Use rotisserie chicken for great flavor and time savings.

Gradually add the nutmeg to the white sauce, tasting as you add, and adjust to your liking. I would not add the full 1/4 teaspoon to begin with. When I make this again, I may omit the nutmeg all together, and add garlic powder instead.