Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
by Sommer Collier — on Nov 12, 2025 Cheesy, creamy chicken Alfredo lasagna is one of my favorite comfort food recipes with a touch of elegance! I make it with layers of chicken, spinach, pasta noodles, and a simple homemade Alfredo sauce, all snuggled together with 3 types of melty cheeses. It’s special enough for holidays, but it’s also the perfect dinner for a cozy and relaxing weekend.
When I first set out to make a white lasagna recipe with chicken and Alfredo sauce, I considered it a labor of love for a friend. Because while I am a big fan of pasta with white sauce, I usually choose something a little quicker to make, like my fettuccine alfredo recipe. But this fabulous chicken lasagna came out so much better than I expected, and was so easy to prep and layer, it’s now a regular on my laid-back weekend menu!
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Family Dinner Winner – Alfredo chicken and spinach lasagna makes a wonderful holiday meal, with rich flavors and all kinds of comforting cheesy goodness. I usually make it around Christmas to break the onslaught of more traditional holiday meals. But it’s also just as great for a casual weekend get-together, or any night you have a few extra minutes to cook dinner.
Not Quick, But Easy – Heads up, this is not a fast weeknight recipe. As with all lasagna recipes, it’s not exactly brain surgery; however, there are a few extra ingredients and steps… But that’s what makes it special! You need about an hour and a half from start to finish, but most of this is hands-off baking time. I prep it way ahead of time, pop it in the oven an hour before dinner, then sit back and enjoy my glass of wine. PS, if you need a speedier version, try our cheesy alfredo pasta recipe.
Yay Leftovers! – Over time, the savory, garlicky-good flavors get more cozy together, and the layers firm up nicely as the dish sits in the fridge. Even if you don’t plan to eat all 12 servings tonight, I still recommend you make a full pan. Then you’ve set yourself up for success with lunch and maybe a dinner or two for the week!
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Homemade Alfredo sauce – Don’t be intimidated by “homemade.” Alfredo sauce is ridiculously easy to make with simple ingredients like butter, all-purpose flour, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder, chicken base, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese. Trust me, you’ve got this!
- Lasagna noodles – You can use traditional noodles that require pre-boiling, or easy no-boil noodles. I prefer using classic noodles because they are thicker, and I find you have more control over how al dente the pasta is… Since you layer No-boil noodles raw, they are thinner, so the pasta component seems a little skimpy. However, if you are in a hurry, they are a great time-saver.
- Chopped cooked chicken – This is a great recipe for using a ready-to-go rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Or you can bake a few chicken breasts the night before or earlier in the day. I’ve found that even leftover grilled chicken is a great addition.
- Ricotta and mozzarella – Both of these cheeses are soft, rich, and melty on their own. Together, they’re the ooey-gooey cheese dream team that holds the lasagna together. I love to use Tillamook shredded mozzarella because it has super-thick shreds and tastes amazing!
- Spinach – You really want to use frozen chopped spinach here, not fresh spinach. Why? Fresh spinach wilts and releases tons of moisture when cooked. But spinach that is first cooked, frozen, thawed, and drained has a great soft consistency and doesn’t make the lasagna filling watery.
How to Make
Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Make the Alfredo Sauce – I can’t believe I used to actually spend money on jarred Alfredo! Let me show you how to make it for a fraction of the cost, with just a little bit of effort. I start by adding the butter and flour to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Then whisk the melted butter and flour to make a roux. Cook this for about 2 minutes while whisking constantly so the roux doesn’t gunk up. Once it is golden and thick, but not too thick, stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
I stir in the Italian seasoning, chicken base, onion powder, and heavy cream. Then I turn the heat up a tad to bring the sauce base up to a gentle simmer. Now it’s ready for the Parmesan cheese. Once the cheese is fully melted into the sauce, I give it a taste and season with salt and pepper.
Cook the Pasta – If you are using no-boil noodles you don’t need to boil them, obviously. Skip on to the next step! If you are using traditional pasta, set a large pot of salted water over high heat. Bring it to a boil, and cook the noodles according to the package instructions. I suggest cooking them until they are just al dente, usually on the low end of the suggested cooking time. Remember, the pasta will continue to cook in the oven. Carefully lift the pasta sheets out of the water and lay them on a clean work surface to cool.
Make the Spinach Ricotta Filling – I usually start this step while the noodles are boiling. First, I place the ricotta cheese in a medium bowl. Then I stand over the sink and place the thawed chopped spinach into a sieve, and press the spinach firmly to remove all excess water. It needs to be very dry so the filling doesn’t get soupy. (Press like you have anger management issues!) Dump the chopped spinach in the bowl with the ricotta, salt, and pepper liberally, and give it a good stir.
How to Assemble Lasagna – Now I’ll walk you through how to layer a lasagna, step by step. To start, I preheat the oven to 350°F, and meanwhile, I place a small scoop of alfredo sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread it around in a thin layer so it’s just barely coating the bottom, just enough to keep the noodles from sticking to the pan. Then add three lasagna noodles across the bottom of the baking dish, and layer on 1 cup of chopped cooked chicken, approximately 1 cup of ricotta mixture, and 1 ¼ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. To finish the layer, I ladle on 1/3 of the remaining Alfredo sauce over the cheese.
Repeat two more times. So to recap, the layers go:
- Lasagna noodles
- Chicken chunks
- Ricotta mixture
- Mozzarella cheese
- Alfredo sauce
Quick Tip – When you are finishing the third layer, the lasagna looks prettiest if you put the Alfredo sauce down before the final layer of mozzarella cheese.
Bake – I cover the baking dish with a sheet of foil and wrap the edges tightly. I bake it for 30 minutes, then carefully remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. You know the Alfredo lasagna is done when it’s golden on top and bubbly around the edges.
Make Ahead Tips
If you have the time to make this lasagna in advance, I say go for it. Your future self will thank you! My favorite way to prep ahead is to assemble the whole thing and freeze it before baking. To make things super easy, I put it together in a disposable aluminum pan. That way, it can go straight from the fridge to the oven. Because you definitely don’t want a glass pan to go from cold to hot! (It could easily shatter in the oven due to the drastic change in temperature.) To prevent freezer burn, I tightly wrap the pan in a layer of plastic wrap, then do two wraps of aluminum foil.
If you prefer, you can make and bake the chicken lasagna earlier in the day, or even a full day before. Once it comes out of the oven, let it cool to room temperature, then wrap it up and store the pan in the fridge overnight.
Recipe Variations
- Alfredo sauce – Sure, go ahead and use jarred sauce. No judgement here!
- Without spinach – Feel free to skip the spinach and make this a purest chicken Alfredo lasagna, if you like!
- Fresh basil – Add some oomph to the Italian flavors by adding chopped fresh basil to the ricotta cheese mixture.
- Nutmeg – Hear me out…A sprinkle of ground nutmeg in the filling is the secret ingredient to enhance the richness and savory flavor of the lasagna. Trust me, it’s delicious!
- Spicy – Because, of course, I’m going to suggest mixing some crushed red pepper into the filling for a kick of heat!
Serving Suggestions
Can’t get enough carbs in your life? I’m right there with you! Take this meal up a level on the comfort food scale and serve it with baked beauties, like:
Frequently Asked Questions
A sieve is a type of strainer, or colander, that has super-duper tiny holes. I use them often to make cheeses and other recipes that require straining out a lot of liquid.
You can serve the lasagna immediately while it’s all gooey. But for the best cutting and lifting results, I suggest you let it rest for at least 30-60 minutes before serving.
Storing and Reheating
- Storing Leftovers – Once the baked pasta cools, I transfer the pieces to an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I swear leftovers taste as good, if not better, the next day!
- Reheating – I always recommend reheating lasagna in the oven. I put pieces on a baking sheet and bake uncovered for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.
More Classic Pasta Recipes
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Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
Video
Ingredients
For the Alfredo Sauce –
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 5-6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon chicken base or 3 bouillon cubes
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
For the Chicken Lasagna –
- 1 box lasagna noodles traditional dried or no-boil
- 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 15 ounce whole-fat ricotta cheese
- 15 ounce frozen chopped spinach thawed and well-drained
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Optional Add-ins: fresh basil nutmeg, and/or crushed red pepper in the ricotta filling.
Instructions
- Make the Alfredo Sauce: Set a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the butter and flour to the pan. Whisk well to form a roux, then continue to cook for 2 minutes. Toss in the minced garlic and stir well. Cook the roux with the garlic for another minute, then stir in the Italian seasoning, chicken base, onion powder, and heavy cream. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then stir in the Parmesan cheese. Once the Parmesan cheese is fully melted into the sauce, taste, and salt and pepper as needed. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Cook the Pasta (if needed): You can use traditional pasta sheets or no-boil lasagna sheets for this recipe. If cooking traditional pasta, set a large pot of salted water over high heat. Bring it to a boil, then place the lasagna noodles in the pot. Gently stir and submerge the noodles in the water. Cook according to the package instructions. Once cooked to al dente, carefully lift the pasta sheets out of the water and lay them on a clean work surface to cool.
- Make the Spinach Ricotta Filling: Set out a medium bowl. Place the ricotta cheese in the bowl. Place the drained chopped spinach in a sieve and press it firmly to remove all excess water. It needs to be very dry. Then place the chopped spinach in the bowl with the ricotta. Salt and pepper liberally, and stir to combine. *If desired, add a dash or two of nutmeg, crushed red pepper flakes, or even some fresh chopped basil.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- To Assemble: Place a small scoop of alfredo sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Spread it around in the thin layer. Then add three lasagna noodles across the bottom of the baking dish. Top the lasagna noodles with 1 cup of chopped cooked chicken, approximately 1 cup of ricotta mixture, and 1 ¼ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Then scoop 1/3 of the remaining Alfredo sauce over the ingredients. Repeat with two more layers of lasagna noodles, chicken chunks, ricotta mixture, mozzarella cheese, and Alfredo sauce, creating 3 complete layers. *When you are finishing the third layer, the lasagna looks prettiest if you put the Alfredo sauce down before the final layer of mozzarella cheese, but it's not necessary.
- Bake: Cover the baking dish with a sheet of foil and wrap the edges tightly. Bake for 30 minutes. Then carefully remove the foil and bake additional 15-20 minutes until the lasagna is golden on top and bubbly around the edges.
Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Once the spinach and chicken Alfredo lasagna cools, I transfer the pieces to an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I swear leftovers taste as good, if not better, the next day! The flavors and layers all have time to really get to know each other and become besties.
- Freezing – You can freeze lasagna for up to three months, whether it’s already baked or not. As I noted above, be sure to wrap the pan tightly in layers of plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Then the day before you’re ready to cook it, transfer it to the fridge to defrost overnight. If you’re baking it from a cold, unbaked state, just add about 20 minutes to the usual baking time.
- Reheating – I always recommend reheating lasagna in the oven rather than the microwave. Yes, the microwave is faster, but it won’t get the same nice texture and bubbly-brown cheese on top. Put the pieces on a baking sheet and bake, uncovered, for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.
