For us, lasagna is a cheesy affair! Some chicken, some veggies, some white sauce, and a load of cheesy business with the golden broiled tempting crust. Yes! we are talking about a creamy, cheesy, bubbling white chicken spinach lasagna right out of the oven. The taste! It is creamy melt in the mouth yum, the taste is elaborated with spices, spinach, and veggies.
This is amongst those posts when I want to chill and talk about what we like to eat. Hubby is sold over anything white sauce; like mayo garlic sauce, white sauce, white karahi, alfredo pasta, or paneer reshmi handi. So the classic red pasta sauce and ground beef lasagna is something I never tried. (confession).
So this recipe is a depiction of my love of healthy veggies, his love of white sauce, and the savory cheese affair between lasagna sheets. What is most important tip? Serve it freshly baked. Reheating dries out the sauce a bit and doesn't taste as great. At the same time, let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving, so it is not bubbling hot and you don't want your family or guest to burn their mouth.
Few variations to White Chicken Spinach Lasagne:
This is twice tested recipe and i love it as it is, but here are few variations that can add more jazz in the dish.
- You can completely switch spinach with kale. I've tried it. Or can switch it with mushroom altogether or do half mushroom and half spinach.
- You can add some pickled jalapeno slices, olive, corns, broccoli, capsicum in the white sauce.
- If the red sweet and sour sauce is your thing then between layers you can drizzle tomato ketchup, chili garlic sauce, or pasta sauce.
- You can use leftover or rotisserie chicken instead of chicken breast.
- If cheese is your thing then be generous with it. Add any cheese you like, English cheddar, pepper jack, salted cream cheese. Add as much as you like.
- You can alway do a taste test and adjust the chicken filling to taste and similarly white sauce mixture to taste. Start with the original recipe posted here as it is great too and adjust as per things in hand and your mood.
Can I assemble Lasanga and cook later?
As most of the things in the dish are cooked, it is pretty safe to store lasagna in fridge for up to 24 hours and bake it just before serving. Baking ahead and reheating before serving is not recommended because sauces can dry out a bit.
What else can be paired?
Since lasagna is a rich high carb dish, I recommend pairing it with high protein side like grilled chicken or kabab.
How to make white Chicken Spinach Lasagna Recipe
Spinach Chicken Filling
- Heat oil in a pan and fry garlic lightly, add cubbed chicken, sliced chilies (optional) oregano, cumin, pepper, and salt. Give it a quick stir and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the color of the chicken changes to white. ( You can also use leftover, cooked, or rotisserie chicken instead. )
- Now, add tomato sauce, tomato puree, and spinach. Mix well and cook further. ( You may add any tomato sauce in hand like marinara, pasta, or pizza sauce. Adjust measures to taste and potency of sauce.)
- Cover the pot until chicken is tender and water dries.
- Set aside!
White Sauce with veggies
- Making white sauce or bechamel sauce is super simple. Melt the butter in a pan on low heat. Add flour and chicken cube. Fry it until the flour is fragrant. ( Tip: I know, that's a lot of butter, but we need that to make flour wet with fat. If flour is dry, it will make lumps when you add milk. )
- Gradually add milk and keep stirring. Break lumps if any.
- Keep cooking the sauce on low to medium heat until sauce gets bubbling hot. Then add the veggies. You can skip chillies here too if spice is not your thing.
- Mix well sauce is ready. The chicken cube has enough salt to season the dish. Do a taste test and add salt and pepper only if needed. (Tip: I didn't add any cheese in the sauce to skip few extra calories, you can add any soft melting cheese like cheddar or smoked gouda.)
Layering the White Chicken Spinach Lasagna
- Start by adding a thin layer of white sauce at the bottom of an 8 X 8-inch square casserole or baking dish.
- Add a layer of lasagna sheets. I boiled my lasagna sheet as per instruction on the packet.
- Add a layer of half of the spinach chicken filling.
- Now, add a layer of half of the white sauce. We just finished our first set of layers. Now we have to repeat. (You can add some shredded cheese before starting the second set of layers.)
- Now again put lasagna sheet => remaining spinach chicken filling => remaining white sauce.
- Spread a generous layer of cheese.
- Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes until lasagna is bubbling hot and cheese melts. Then broil for 5 minutes until golden.
- Let White Chicken Spinach Lasagna rest for 7-10 minutes on the counter then serve freshly baked.
Hungry for more Baked Casserole? Check these!
Spinach Chicken Lasagne Recipe
Ingredients
For Spinach Chicken Filling
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
- 500 grams chicken breast, cut in cubes, or 1.5 cup cooked shreded chicken
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ -1 tablespoon green chilli, minced, optional
- 1 teaspoon oregano powder
- 1 cup boiled spinach , can be substituted with 1 can mushroom see notes
- 3 tomatoes , pureed or 3 tablespoon tomato paste, see notes
- 3 tablespoon chilli garlic sauce , or spicy tomato ketchup
White Sauce with veggies
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 5 tablespoon flour
- 1 chicken cube/bullion
- 2 cups milk
- 2 green onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoon cilantro or parsley
- 1 green chili, sliced, optional
Assembling
- 5 Lasagna sheets , boiled as per instruction on the packet
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, or other melting cheese of your choice
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Spinach Chicken Filling
- Heat oil in a pan and fry garlic lightly, add cubbed chicken, sliced chilies (optional) oregano, cumin, pepper, and salt. Give it a quick stir and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the color of the chicken changes to white.
- Now, add tomato sauce, tomato puree, and spinach. Mix well and cook further.
- Cover the pot and cook until chicken is tender and water dries, set aside.
White Sauce with veggies
- Melt the butter in a pan on low heat. Add flour and chicken cube. Fry it until the flour is fragrant.
- Gradually add milk and keep stirring. Break lumps if any.
- Keep cooking the sauce on low to medium heat until sauce gets bubbling hot. Then add the veggies. Mix well sauce is ready.
Layering the Lasagna
- Start by adding a thin layer of white sauce at the bottom of an 8 X 8-inch square casserole or baking dish.
- Add a layer of lasagna sheets.
- Then add a layer of half of the spinach chicken filling.
- Now, add a layer of half of the white sauce. We just finished our first set of layers.
- Now again put lasagna sheet => remaining spinach chicken filling => remaining white sauce.
- Spread a generous layer of cheese.
Bake
- Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes until lasagna is bubbling hot and cheese melts. Then broil for 5 minutes until golden.
- Let the dish rest for 7-10 minutes on the counter then serve freshly baked.
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