Layered Lasagna Recipe {with Italian Chicken Sausage}

This Easy Homemade Layered Lasagna Recipe with Italian Chicken Sausage is the stuff that dreams are made of. Layers of pasta, creamy ricotta, salty chewy mozzarella, salty and hearty Italian Sausage, and sweet and tangy tomato sauce. With each glorious layer, you get incredible flavor from the aromatic garlic and Italian herbs and seasonings.

What makes this recipe unique though, is that it has homemade Ground Italian Chicken Sausage vs. traditional ground beef or pork. So you get a healthier, leaner meaty bite with all of that sausage-y garlic and fennel flavor. Seriously, once you try Italian chicken sausage in your cheese lasagna you will never want it without it!

Simple Ingredients and Substitutes

• Ground chicken, White meat – I used only white meat, but any fat content of ground chicken or ground turkey will work. You can also use lean ground beef or ground pork.
• Fresh Garlic, minced – Fresh garlic is best, but you can buy pre-minced garlic to save time or mince it in bulk and freeze it for use when you need it!
• Fresh Parsley – Parsley is used in the Italian sausage mixture for moisture and color. If you don’t have it, you can leave it out as the fennel and garlic bring the flavor.
• Fennel Seed – Fennel seed is what makes Italian Sausage taste like Italian Sausage. If you don’t have it, the recipe will still work and taste great, it will just be missing that recognizable sausage flavor.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – You can substitute with any neutral oil, such as vegetable oil, avocado oil, or even coconut oil.
• Crushed Tomatoes and Diced Tomatoes – I like the combination of the crushed and chunkier diced. You can use any combination of pureed, crushed, diced, or whole tomatoes that you crush with your hands.
• Italian Seasoning – This is typically a combination of equal parts oregano, basil, rosemary, and thyme.
• Honey – The honey helps to balance out the acid from the tomatoes. You can sub in granulated sugar.
• Cornstarch – Cornstarch is the thickener in the sauce and helps to prevent any liquid from seeping out of the ricotta.
• Ricotta Cheese, whole milk – You can also use low fat. Dairy substitutes for ricotta are cottage cheese or softened cream cheese. Non-dairy subs are non-dairy ricotta or tofu that is blended to be a ricotta texture and consistency.
• Slices Low-Moisture Mozzarella Cheese – I use the deli-sliced mozzarella, not the fresh mozzarella. Fresh has more water content and can make your lasagna watery. Substitutes for mozzarella are provolone, monterey jack, or even white cheddar. Xojaca cheese is also a good substitute.
• No-Boil Lasagna Noodles – No boil noodles are easiest to use. You can use regular noodles that have been par-cooked until very al dente. You can also find gluten free lasagna noodles these days at most stores.

No Special Equipment Needed

Nothing special needed for this one! Just a casserole dish, approximately 9×11. Or you can divide it into two smaller pans for freezing one for later.

Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps for this Lasagna

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are the steps you prepare in the day(s) in advance and store in the fridge as your meal Kit… (See the recipe below for more details)

For this recipe, you can make the entire Cheese Chicken Lasagna ahead! However, if you are like me and like to do things in stages so they aren’t so overwhelming all at once, then you can break it up into these steps on the days ahead…

1. Make the Italian Sausage and Tomato Sauce
2. Mix the Ricotta
3. Make the Lasagna
4. Cook the Lasagna and eat!

Make Homemade Italian Chicken Sausage

So, let’s start with what makes this Lasagna version unique, the Ground Italian Chicken Sausage! First, have you ever made your own Italian Sausage? It’s incredibly easy and right at your fingertips as long as you have a few simple ingredients. My version for this recipe uses ground chicken, which is a leaner meat than pork or beef and works really great for Italian Sausage because it sticks together nicely.

Mince the 3 cloves garlic (2 for the sausage, 1 for the sauce), chop the parsley, and measure out the fennel seed, salt, and pepper.

Then turn the heat for a pot on medium-high and add in a tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add the Chicken Sausage meat mixture and break it up. Let it sear for a few minutes until it get really browned, then stir so that it cooks on all sides.

Finish the Sauce and Cheese Filling

Once fully cooked, turn the stove to medium heat add in the crushed and diced canned tomatoes – I like both for sauce and texture. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Then add the garlic, 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning, honey, salt, and pepper.

The final step for the sauce, is to make a cornstarch slurry by adding 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to ¼ cup cold water and mixing. Then stir it into the sauce and cook the sauce for another 5 minutes.

The last prep-ahead step before assembling the Italian Sausage Lasagna is to combine Ricotta cheese with herbs and seasoning. You want to make sure that every glorious layer is seasoned to bring out maximum flavor. I also add in cornstarch so that it helps to thicken any additional moisture as the ricotta cooks. In a bowl, mix the ricotta with cornstarch 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning and salt.

Ok, you now have all of the major components of the Lasagna ready for assembly!

Assemble and Cook the Layered Lasagna Recipe

In addition to the homemade meat sauce and the Ricotta mixture, you will need low-moisture Mozzarella slices (fresh has too much water) and No Boil Lasagna noodles. I like these best as they are easy to use and can soak up any additional moisture from the sauce or cheese.

To assemble the lasagna layers, start by spooning a thin layer of sauce onto the bottom, just so the pasta sheets don’t stick to the bottom. Try not to get any lumpy sausage on the bottom layer. Then add a single layer of pasta sheets.

Next add a layer of Ricotta, then a layer of Italian Sausage sauce. The ricotta is easier to spread on the dry pasta vs. on the sauce.

Now another layer of the lasagna noodles, followed by Ricotta and sauce.

Repeat the second layer, but this time, you also want to add a layer of Mozzarella!

Then repeat again for the third layer of pasta sheets, ricotta, sauce and mozzarella.

Then the 4th and final Top layer of pasta sheets, final cover of sauce, and final cover of mozzarella.

Bake in a 350 F degree oven for 40 minutes covered. Then uncover and bake for the final 10-15 minutes until the top is starting to get golden with crispy edges.

Let the hot baked lasagna sit outside the oven for 15 minutes before cutting into it just so everything can settle back in and stop bubbling.

ENJOY! 😍 Carrie

What To Serve With Layered Lasagna Recipe

You can serve a crusty bread, cool and crisp side salad, or roasted vegetables with this lasagna dish. But, for even more inspired ideas, check out some easy and delicious side dish recipes in this round up!

Layered Lasagna Recipe FAQS

Can I freeze this Layered Lasagna Recipe?You can freeze your fully assembled lasagna either cooked or uncooked in an airtight container. If you freeze it uncooked, you will want to thaw it in the fridge for 24 hours before baking it. If it is fully thawed through to the center, simply bake according to the instructions. When freezing it fully cooked, you should still thaw it in the fridge 24 hours ahead, but you could bake it in the oven at 350 F degrees for an hour from frozen state. Just test the center to see if it is warmed through in the center. If not, bake for another 10-15 and check again.

Can I use ground turkey instead of chicken?I used ground white meat chicken in this recipe, but you could certainly used regular ground chicken, ground turkey, or even ground beef or ground pork. The cooking instructions will be the same for all of these options.

Can I use cottage cheese instead of ricotta?You could use cottage cheese in this recipe in place of ricotta. If you do this, you want to use either small curd or blend the large curd in a food processor until smoother.