Creamy Alfredo Chicken Lasagna

What makes this lasagna so delicious and special meal?

The right ingredients mix.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce.  This is a key step – flavorful Alfredo makes the recipe. It is creamy, silky, nutty, herby.

Spinach and Artichokes.  The cheesy texture needs balance. The best way to do it by adding spinach and artichokes. The spinach needs to be very dry. Add defrosted spinach to a fine mesh sieve over the sink then press down on it until no liquid is released.

Flavor. This Alfredo Sauce is full of flavors: garlic, basil, parsley, thyme, oregano and red pepper flakes.

No Grainy Ricotta! Instead of using ricotta, we combine cream cheese with sour cream for the creamiest taste. A good trick if you are making the lasagna for the kids.

Classic Lasagna Sheets.  Use classic noodles without boiling them. Soak lasagna sheets in hot water while the sauce is simmering.  They emerge softened and super easy to work with without the risk of tearing.

Shredded chicken: Yes, you can use rotisserie chicken because it eliminates one extra step, but making your own shredded chicken is less expensive and can save you a trip to the grocery store.  You can also make the chicken ahead of time and freeze for when you’re ready to make Chicken Lasagna. The best practice is when you are making the chicken stock for the month to shred the chicken and use it when you want to make the Lasagna. Every kitchen needs a chicken stock at hand. Usually we make it once a month and store in the freezer.

Alfredo sauce: You need 10 minutes to make this delicious goodness. The homemade Alfredo sauce is creamy but not as naughty as traditional Alfredo made with just butter and heavy cream.

Make the lasagna in advance:

Chicken Lasagna is the perfect make-ahead meal to either refrigerate and bake the next day or to assemble and freeze.

Assemble and Refrigerate. You can make and assemble the entire lasagna a day in advance and refrigerate (without baking).

Make Sauce in Advance. You can make the sauce up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate it in an airtight container.  You will need to gently warm the sauce on the stove, adding additional broth or milk to thin when ready to use.

Freeze lasagna. You can freeze the lasagna baked or unbaked.  Freezing homemade lasagna is a great way to enjoy a bake-and-eat dinner any night of the week without any prep!

Freeze uncooked lasagna (the best way):

• Assemble lasagna according to recipe directions in a freezer safe dish. Cover lasagna tightly with 2 layers of plastic wrap and then cover the lasagna tightly with one layer of aluminum foil. Label lasagna. Place evenly in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• When ready to bake, place lasagna in the refrigerator 48 hours before to thaw completely. Remove plastic wrap and cover tightly with foil.Bake lasagna according to directions, adding an additional 10-15 minutes.

Freeze cooked lasagna:

• Bake lasagna according to directions in a freezer safe dish. Let cool on the counter for one hour. Cover lasagna with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill completely before freezing (this will prevent an unpleasant texture). Cover lasagna tightly with a second layer of plastic wrap all the way around the dish. Cover the lasagna tightly with one layer of aluminum foil. Label lasagna. Place evenly in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• When ready to bake, place lasagna in the refrigerator the night before to thaw completely. Remove plastic wrap and cover lasagna tightly with foil. Reheat in the oven for 20-30 minutes.

Freeze individual servings:

Bake lasagna according to directions. Let lasagna cool completely then slice into individual servings. Freeze lasagna in freezer safe plastic bags or individual airtight containers. To reheat, remove servings from the bag/container to a baking sheet. Bake individual servings at 180 °C for 30 minutes.

Variations:

Sabstitute chicken with ground turkey or sausages.

Add more veggies.  Sprinkle in layers veggies: steamed broccoli, peas, peppers, zucchini, asparagus, mushrooms, etc.  Note: steam, roast or boil the veggies before adding to the pasta.

Add sun-dried tomatoes.  Sun-dried tomatoes are a delicious addition with the artichokes and spinach.

Add olives.   Add a layer of olives on top of the cream mixture You can even add some feta cheese for Greek mood.

Make casserole gluten-free.  To make this Lasagna recipe gluten free, use your favorite gluten free lasagna noodles and gluten free flour.