White Chicken Zucchini Spinach Lasagna
White chicken zucchini spinach lasagna–a sneaky way to eat a lot of green veggies! This lasagna is decadent and really pretty simple to make. It’s sure to be a favorite! Also, this makes a large 10x 15 lasagna. This post may contain affiliate links.
This is a take on the first meal I ever made for my husband! I was no cook when we first met. However, I knew how to make this, and I tricked him into thinking I could cook…and so he married me. Ha! Not really, but he did like this meal! Even after we were married, I had maybe two meals that I knew how to make well, so we ate this fairly regularly! One note about this recipe, I use Romano cheese. If you have never used Romano, it stinks. Sort of like Parmesan stinks. Not foul, but definitely a strong smell. My kids always complain when I use it, but they get over it because it tastes really good! I used to make this lasagna with only Mozzarella and Parmesan, but the Romano adds so much creaminess and flavor that I now always use it!
Zucchini
This time of year, I will put zucchini in anything and everything. It is still growing well, and it’s nutritious, so I sneak it into nearly every dish I make. It’s just one of those vegetables that is very adaptable. I used to make this lasagna with only spinach, now I add zucchini and it’s even yummier! I have always used oven ready lasagna noodles. Honestly, I have never cooked the ones that you have to boil first. However, not all oven ready noodles are created equal. The ones in the picture were not our favorite. They were just straight and flat, and kind of small. Check at your grocery store for a brand that has the long noodles with the ruffled edge. They just make a better lasagna. The layers stay in place better, rather than just sliding off.
Jarred or Homemade Sauce
This is entirely up to you. I usually use a jarred sauce when I make this, but will include a made from scratch alfredo sauce recipe just in case you don’t like to use a pre-made sauce.
Chicken
I always use whole chickens. We raise our own meat, so that is what I have on hand. I cook a whole frozen chicken in the Instant Pot whenever I need chicken for a dish like this or for a casserole. For a frozen chicken in the Instant Pot, I cook it 10 minutes per pound on the poultry setting. I then de-bone it when it is done. For this recipe, I used about three cups of chicken, and saved the rest for another meal. Alternatively, you could bake or boil a few chicken breasts for this meal.
White Chicken Zucchini Spinach Lasagna
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 2 pkg Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles
- 3 jars Alfredo Sauce Or Approximately 5 Cups Homemade Sauce
- 1 pkg Fresh Spinach You can used frozen as long as it is thawed and drained
- 3 Cups Shredded Zucchini Add as much as you like
- 1 Carton Cottage Cheese
- 2 Cups Mozzarella Shredded
- 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese Shredded
- 2 Cups Romano Cheese Shredded
- 3 Cups Cooked and Chopped Chicken Cook using IP or boil it.
For the Sauce
- 1 Cup Butter
- 2 Tbs Flour
- 1 Head Garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp ital seasoning
- 4 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream or Half and Half
- 1 Cup Romano
- 2 Cups Parmesan
Instructions
- First, cook the chicken. I always use a whole chicken cooked in the Instant Pot. You can cook the chicken however you would like. You could boil a few chicken breasts, or you could bake them until done. If you are not using jarred sauce, go ahead and make the sauce while the chicken cooks.Preheat the oven to 375°. Shred as much zucchini as you would like. I used about 3 cups or so. Add as much as your family will tolerate! If your cheese is not pre-shredded, go ahead and shred that up now too.Begin layering the lasagna. There is no exact science to this. You can mix the sauce and chicken together if you like, or leave them separate. Start with a bit of sauce–enough to lightly cover the bottom of the pan. Next, layer the dry noodles. Pour enough sauce over the noodles to cover them. Then layer the chicken, spinach, zucchini, some shredded mozzarella, and some shredded romano. Add another layer of noodles, cover with sauce, then layer on the cottage cheese and top with some more mozzarella and romano. Add another layer of noodles, pour on the sauce, layer with chicken, spinach and zucchini, top with some more shredded cheese. For the last layer, place dry noodles on top, pour the last of the sauce over all of it, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Spray a large piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray. This will prevent the cheese from sticking to it. Cover the lasagna and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover, and bake for another 10 minutes or so. Lastly, let it stand for about 5 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
- Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan. Add in the minced garlic, cook until aromatic. Whisk in the flour and cook for about two minutes. Add in the heavy cream or half and half, whisk in the seasoning and salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, whisk in the cheese and stir until thick and smooth.
Comments
Share your thoughts, or ask a question!
What are the measurements for the Alfredo sauce??
Just a question - what size carton of cottage cheese? 8, 16, 24oz? I’m guessing 16, but it would change things if I’m guessing wrong..,