Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna

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This chicken and broccoli lasagna is comfort food at its best. It’s creamy, cheesy, and oh-so-delicious! This dish features layers of pasta, ricotta, chicken, broccoli, and gooey cheese, all smothered in a creamy white sauce.

You can make the bechamel sauce up to 5 days in advance or take a shortcut and purchase a couple of jars of white Alfredo sauce. It’s even easier if you use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken from last night’s dinner.

A large slice of white chicken broccoli lasagna on a plate next to a fork.

This creamy chicken lasagna is a comforting meal that the whole family will love. Serve it with a tossed green salad or some Texas toast garlic bread, and you have an easy and delicious dinner.

Table of Contents

❤️ Here is Why This Recipe Works

This lasagna is sure to be a crowd-pleaser! The layers of cheesy goodness mixed with the creamy white sauce and tender chicken make a delicious dish.

It’s a great way to use up leftover chicken. You can use a rotisserie chicken, chicken breasts, or dark meat like chicken thighs.

Perfect for meal preps! You can assemble the lasagna two days in advance and keep it in the fridge. If you double the batch and make two lasagnas, freeze one for an emergency dinner next month.

🗒 The Ingredients

Here is a list of the ingredients you will need for our white chicken lasagna. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.

White sauce. We made a homemade Bechamel sauce, but you can purchase a couple of jars of Alfredo sauce if you prefer.
Lasagna sheets. You can use fresh pasta, oven-ready pasta, or dry pasta that needs to be boiled.
Sun dried tomatoes. We like the oil-packed tomatoes because they are more tender. If you purchase sun-dried tomatoes in a package, soak them in warm water for 5 minutes to soft.
Ricotta cheese. You can substitute the ricotta with cottage cheese.
Eggs.
Cooked chicken. You can use leftover chicken or cook chicken breast in the Instant Pot.
Cheese. Just about any type of cheese will work. We used shredded Mozzarella cheese and Havarti cheese. If you want to take a shortcut, then purchase a bag of pre-shredded Italian cheese blend.
Broccoli. We used fresh broccoli. If you use frozen broccoli, then thaw it and press it between paper towels to get the liquid out.

Ingredients: lasagna sheets, shredded chicken, Mozzarella, havarti, eggs, ricotta, salt, sun dried tomatoes, and broccoli. — Ingredients for the chicken broccoli lasagna

Scroll down to see ideas for variations and different things that you can add to this lasagna.

Ingredients for Bechamel white sauce: milk, parmesan, bay leaf, nutmeg, pepper, salt, garlic, butter, and flour. — Ingredients for the Bechamel sauce

If you have the time, it is worth making your own Bechamel sauce. And try to use freshly grated nutmeg, which gives it a vibrant, aromatic flavor.

You can use this Bechamel Parmesan sauce in recipes like eggplant lasagna, seafood mac and cheese, or our turkey casserole.

👨‍🍳 How to Make It

Here is a brief overview to get an idea of what to expect with the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.

Melting butter and garlic in a skillet then whisking in flour.

Make the white sauce: Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the minced garlic. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Gradually adding milk to a flour and butter roux.

Slowly pour in the milk while constantly whisking. When the mixture looks clumpy, stop adding the milk and whisk until smooth then add the milk again.

Adding nutmeg and a bay leaf then whisking Parmesan cheese into the Bechamel sauce.

Whisk in the salt, nutmeg, pepper, and bay leaf. Simmer the mixture, then add the Parmesan cheese.

Adding a layer of white sauce in the bottom of a baking dish then topping it with lasagna noodles.

Cover the bottom of a casserole dish with a thin layer of the white Bechamel sauce. Top with a layer of noodles.

Adding a layer of ricotta over the lasagna noodles then topping it with shredded chicken.

Spread ⅓ of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Top the ricotta with ⅓ of the shredded chicken.

Adding a layer of broccoli then dried tomatoes in the lasagna.

Add ⅓ of the broccoli then ⅓ of the sun-dried tomatoes.

Adding a layer of bechamel sauce then topping it with cheese.

Spread ⅓ of the bechamel sauce over the broccoli and top with ⅓ of the shredded cheese. Repeat the layers 2 more times.

✅ Substitutions and Variations

Replace the Alfredo sauce with a red sauce like our San Marzano sauce or add a green pesto sauce to the white sauce.
Spinach. If you use more than 1 cup of fresh spinach, saute it first, then press it between paper towels to remove the liquid. If you use frozen spinach, thaw it and press the liquid out.
Mushrooms. If you add mushrooms, saute them first so they don’t make the lasagna watery.
Add olives and roasted red peppers.
If you don’t have ricotta cheese, use cottage cheese instead (like we did in our meat lasagna with cottage cheese).

😉 Tips for Success

You can make the Bechamel sauce 3 to 5 days in advance and store it in the fridge. It will get very thick in the fridge, but you can warm it up when it is time to use it.

If you want the sauce to be thinner, add a splash of chicken broth. For another shortcut, purchase some creamy Alfredo sauce at the grocery store.
You can assemble the lasagna a day in advance and bake it the next day. If you bake it straight from the fridge, it will need to bake for an extra 5 to 10 minutes.
Cook the pasta to al dente, and remember it will cook more in the oven.

A baking dish with a freshly baked chicken lasagna with broccoli.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Lasagna is always a crowd-pleaser, and it’s even better when you serve it with the right sides. From our arugula burrata salad to sriracha Brussels sprouts, there are plenty of options that will make this chicken broccoli lasagna a complete dinner. Here are some ideas:

⏲ Storage and Reheating

In the fridge: Store this creamy chicken lasagna in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

In the freezer: You can also freeze the lasagna for up to 6 months. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

To reheat, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 300° F for 10 to 20 minutes, or until heated through. Optionally, you can zap it in the microwave turning frequently to make sure it heats evenly.

🍛 More Chicken Dinner Recipes

If you are looking to break out of your chicken dinner rut, we have some delicious chicken dinner recipes. From chicken dumpling soup to smoked whole chicken, these recipes will elevate your mealtime game.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How do you cook chicken lasagna from frozen?

Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake it at 350°F for 90 minutes, then remove the cover and cook for an additional 20 to 30 minutes.

How many layers should a good lasagna have?

A good lasagna should have at least three layers of pasta, but there are no firm rules on how many layers you need. The key is to make sure each layer has enough sauce and cheese to bind the dish together.

This chicken broccoli lasagna is a great way to use up leftover chicken and make a delicious dish for the whole family. Serve it with a kale Caesar salad for an easy weeknight meal that everyone will love!

😋 More Recipes You Will Love:

Our Chicken-Mushroom Pizza is loaded with flavor and makes a great lunch or dinner. Serve it with a tossed green salad.

Our Pasta with Morel Mushrooms is an elevated dish. We love the flavors of the mushroom with crisp pancetta, leeks, and creamy goat cheese that coats every bite.

Our chicken tortellini Alfredo is perfect for a weeknight dinner when you are craving quick comfort food.

Our vegetable lasagna with white sauce is loaded with fresh garden veggies, cheese, and tender noodles. It makes a delicious and healthy meal that your whole family will love!

Layers of pasta, creamy bechamel sauce, shrimp, scallops, and salmon are combined in this seafood lasagna. It makes an indulgent meal that will wow any crowd.

Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

This chicken and broccoli lasagna is comfort food at its best. It's creamy, cheesy, and oh-so-delicious! This dish features layers of pasta, ricotta, chicken, broccoli, and gooey cheese, all smothered in a creamy white sauce.

You can make the bechamel sauce up to 5 days in advance or take a shortcut and purchase a couple of jars of Alfredo sauce. It's even easier if you use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken from last night's dinner.

Ingredients

Bechamel Sauce (white sauce)

6 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 tablespoons flour
5 cups whole milk
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Lasagna

12 ounces lasagna sheets (fresh or dried)
1 cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes (7-ounce jar)
16 ounces ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
2-½ cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded Havarti cheese or Fontina cheese
2 cups chopped broccoli florets

Instructions

For the Bechamel Sauce

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes while stirring.
Slowly pour in the milk while constantly whisking. When it gets lumpy, stop pouring the milk and whisk until smooth, then repeat until all the milk is added. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Whisk in the salt, nutmeg, pepper, and bay leaf.
Reduce the heat to low and bring it to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.
Discard the bay leaf and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Remove the saucepan from the heat and press plastic wrap directly against the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming.

For the Lasagna

Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
If you are using regular dried lasagna noodles, boil them according to the package directions then drain them and toss them with a bit of olive oil so they don’t stick to each other. If you are using no-boil oven ready lasagna noodles, soak them in warm water for 5 minutes (this gives them a better texture and bite). Skip this step if using fresh lasagna sheets.
Drain the oil from the sun dried tomatoes and chop them.
Combine the ricotta cheese, egg, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Combine the shredded cheese in another bowl.
Cover the bottom of the baking dish with a thin layer of the white Bechamel sauce. Top with a layer of lasagna pasta sheets, overlapping them slightly.
Spread ⅓ of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Top the ricotta with ⅓ of the chicken, ⅓ of the broccoli, ⅓ of the sun dried tomatoes, ⅓ of the bechamel sauce, and ⅓ of the shredded cheese. Repeat the layers 2 more times.
Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with non-stick cooking spray and cover the lasagna. Bake for 25 minutes then remove the foil and bake 10 to 15 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on top.

Notes

You can make the bechamel sauce in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The sauce will get thick when it chills in the fridge but you can zap it in the microwave to warm it up and make it more pourable.
Just about any type of cheese will work in this recipe. Some other suggestions are Monterey Jack, Muenster, Provolone, Gouda, and Cheddar.
If you want to use frozen broccoli, thaw the broccoli and press it between paper towels to squeeze out the extra liquid.

Shortcuts:

Skip the homemade Bechamel sauce and use a jar of Alfredo sauce from the store.
Use fresh lasagna noodles or oven-ready lasagna noodles instead of the kind you have to boil. Oven-ready noodles will have a better texture if you soak them in water, but this is an optional step.
Use a package of pre-shredded cheese.
Shred a store-bought rotisserie chicken.