Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna

Close-up of cheesy vegetable lasagna slice with a fork on a white plate.

5 from 15 votes

Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna

This chicken and broccoli lasagna is creamy, cheesy comfort food layered with pasta, ricotta, chicken, broccoli, and a rich white sauce. You can make the béchamel up to 5 days in advance or swap in jarred Alfredo for a shortcut. You can also use rotisserie chicken to save time.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Casseroles

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken and broccoli lasagna, chicken broccoli lasagna

Servings: servings

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

White Bechamel Sauce

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

Lasagna

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

Instructions

For the Bechamel

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 let the sauce simmer gently for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf, stir in the Parmesan, then remove from the heat. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the sauce to keep a skin from forming.

For the Lasagna

Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Prep the pasta (see Notes). 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.
Add ⅓ of the broccoli then ⅓ of the sun dried tomatoes.
Spread ⅓ of the white sauce over the broccoli and top with ⅓ of the shredded cheese. Repeat the lasagna 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

Make-ahead béchamel: The sauce can be prepared up to 5 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. It will thicken as it chills. Just reheat gently in the microwave or on the stove to make it pourable again.

Cheese options: Gruyère is great, but just about any good melting cheese works. Try Monterey Jack, Muenster, Provolone, Gouda, or Cheddar.

Broccoli tip: If using frozen broccoli, thaw first and press between paper towels to remove excess liquid.

Pasta prep: Cook dried noodles according to package directions, then drain and toss with a little olive oil. For no-boil noodles, soak in warm water for 5 minutes to improve texture. Fresh lasagna sheets can be used as-is.

Shortcuts: Use jarred Alfredo sauce instead of homemade béchamel, pre-shredded cheese, oven-ready or fresh noodles, and rotisserie chicken to save time. You can also cook frozen chicken breast in the Instant Pot.

Nutrition