Chicken Lasagna with Broccoli is filled with the most delicious flavors! It's cheesy, and stacked tall with layers of pasta and creamy homemade Alfredo sauce. I've been told by several people that "they couldn't stop eating it", and I know the feeling!
I understand that chicken and broccoli don't really represent comfort food. However, when you add in layers of pasta, with a combination of cheeses and homemade Alfredo sauce, we've made it into the comfort food zone.
Lasagna is always a labor of love and I'd be lying if I said this recipe wasn't, but I can promise you, the results are worth the process.
If you love pasta dinner recipes, add this TikTok French Onion Pasta, Lemon Pasta with Spinach, and Four Cheese Pasta to your must make list.
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Why You'll Love This Lasagna:
- Flavor Packed. The combination of taste in this recipe from the pulled chicken, sautéed broccoli with garlic and cheeses all stacked into layers with alfredo sauce is out of this world.
- A Classic. This recipe will become a staple in your house, especially in the Fall and Winter months. It's a bit labor intensive, so I love cooking it on the weekends, when I'm not in a hurry. This lasagna recipe is fantastic on Christmas Eve too.
- Rotisserie Chicken Recipe. We've skipped one step by using store bought rotisserie chicken to save on time. I love how tender it is and it doesn't dry out because it's protected by the pasta layers in the oven.
- Prep it Ahead. This recipe can be prepped ahead in the day, then baked in the oven for 30 minutes before dinner. After prepping, just seal with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you're ready to bake it. Swap the plastic wrap with tin foil and bake!
For more recipes with Alfredo sauce, check out this Tortellini Alfredo Casserole and Spaghetti Alfredo.
Ingredients ✍️:
Rotisserie Chicken: Store bought rotisserie chicken saves us a bit of time and energy, plus it gives us a really good texture. For a bonus, it makes this dish higher in protein.
Broccoli: Stems are removed and the florets are cut into smaller pieces, then sautéed with onions and garlic. This adds flavor and ensures that our broccoli is tender with no crunch when serving. Broccoli is also high in several vitamins and fiber, and is known to reduce inflammation in the body.
Alfredo Sauce: A simple combination of heavy cream, salted butter, and a high quality parmesan cheese. I highly recommend Parmigiano Reggiano for it's superior nutty taste. I'm in love with this cheese.
Cheese Spread: Ricotta, mozzarella and Italian spices combine for the classic cheese spread onto the lasagna layers. One egg is used to bind the ingredients, making it easier to spread. I recommend a whole milk ricotta for the best taste.
Lasagna: Classic lasagna noodles are used for this recipe and boiled until a few minutes before al dente. This gives them the perfect texture after baking.
*Find the full recipe ingredients and quantities in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
Cooked chicken breast can replace the rotisserie chicken. I recommend cooking two chicken breasts. This Sauteed Chicken Breast on the Stovetop or Blackstone Chicken Breast Recipe would be great to use, then cut into small cubes.
The homemade Alfredo sauce can be substituted with a 16 once jar of store-bought Alfredo sauce. The taste will differ a bit from the homemade version.
Want more veggies? Add in ½ cup of diced roasted red peppers with the broccoli or a few handfuls of baby spinach.
For a classic Lasagna, try this Lasagna al Forno recipe, or if you want a less effort version, try this Lazy Lasagna, made all in one pot.
How to Make Chicken Broccoli Lasagna (Step by Step Instructions):
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the lasagna. In a large skillet over medium low heat, add in the olive oil and allow to heat up. Toss in the onions and broccoli and stir to combine. Cover the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring half way through. Toss in the minced garlic, stir and cover until broccoli is nice and tender, about 1-3 minutes. Turn the heat off and transfer the broccoli and onion mixture to a large bowl.
Step 2: Once the water boils, add the lasagna noodles and cook until just a few minutes before al dente (about 8 minutes), then strain. Note: The pasta will continue to cook in the oven and should be very firm. If they're sticking together after boiling, run a bit of cold water through them and if needed, lay out flat on a cookie sheet.
Step 3: While the pasta is cooking, in a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 4 ounces (half) of the grated mozzarella, egg, salt, pepper, basil, parsley, and oregano. Stir to combine and set aside.
Step 4: Wipe out the cooled broccoli skillet (or use a new one) and heat to medium low. To make the Alfredo Sauce, melt the butter in the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and add in heavy cream.
Step 5: Cook for 5 minutes until nice and hot, stirring every so often, then add in the parmesan cheese. Stir often and allow the sauce to thicken on low heat. Note: The thickening process takes between 5-7 minutes, depending on the heat, skillet, etc. A bubble is okay, but not boiling. Once it's thickened, remove the skillet from the heat.
Step 6: Stir the rotisserie chicken into the broccoli and onion bowl.
Step 7: To assemble the lasagna, prepare a 9x13 casserole dish. (1) Spread about a ladle full of alfredo sauce on the bottom of the pan. (2) Cover with 4 lasagna noodles and if desired, slice 1 noodle in half and position it on the end in the opposite direction. We are using 4 ½ noodles per layer. Spread out about ½ to ¾ cup of the ricotta filling over the noodles. (3) Sprinkle over ¾ cup of broccoli and chicken over the ricotta filling. (4) Complete the layer by drizzling a few tablespoons of alfredo sauce over the top. Repeat steps 2-4 two more times, which is 3 layers of filling total.
Step 8: Top the last layer with 4 or 4 ½ lasagna noodles (whichever you're using), then pour the remaining alfredo sauce over the top of the noodles and spread out to cover all the noodles. Sprinkle on the remaining half of mozzarella cheese. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Optional: Broil on high for 2-3 minutes for crispy cheese topping.
Step 9: Remove the casserole from the oven. Allow to sit tented with foil for 10 minutes before slicing into squares.
Step 10: Serve with red pepper flakes, fresh parsley or basil, if desired. Enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Shred the parmesan cheese from the block on the finest setting of the grater for an easy melt. Do not use bagged cheese as it has an anti-caking agent that doesn't melt well.
- Make sure the broccoli and onions are nice and tender before removing from the pan.
- Cook the lasagna a bit less than how you would want to eat it. It will continue to cook in the oven and we want it to be al dente still when served. After straining, if the pasta is sticking together, run cold water over it before assembling the layers.
- When layering, remember not to overfill or over sauce. We need to make the fillings and sauce last for three layers, then use the remaining Alfredo sauce for topping. You want at least half of the Alfredo sauce leftover for topping.
If Store bought rotisserie chicken is always on your grocery list, check out these recipes for Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas, Chicken Mini Pot Pies, Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad, and Cheesy Hashbrown Chicken Casserole.
Recipe FAQs:
There are so many options that go with lasagna. Try a simple salad like a classic Caesar with homemade Caesar dressing or Caprese Burrata. If it's cold out, pair it with a soup, like this Chicken Minestrone Soup. For an easy side dish, try this Stuffed Garlic bread, which is super fun to eat because it pulls apart.
I'm not using a no bake lasagna in this recipe. I grew up with lasagna versions that boil the noodles before baking and I prefer those recipes. I haven't tested it with no bake noodles, and don't recommend it, because there isn't a ton of sauce in this recipe and we only bake it for 30 minutes total.
Store the leftover lasagna in square portion sizes in sealed containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the lasagna into a casserole dish or cookie sheet and seal the top with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes until hot. Note: Make sure to cover with foil to avoid the Alfredo sauce from completely drying up in the oven.
Yes! Allow the lasagna to come to room temperature, then vacuum seal into individual servings and freeze. Use within 2 months for the best taste. This is a great way to be able to eat it again after putting so much work into the first version. Allow it to thaw completely before reheating in the oven (according to the reheating instructions above).
More Pasta Recipes You Will Love:
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PrintRecipe
Chicken Lasagna with Broccoli
- Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
Description
This Chicken Lasagna with Broccoli is filled with the most delicious flavors! It's cheesy, and stacked tall with layers of pasta and creamy homemade Alfredo sauce. I've been told by several people that they couldn't stop eating it, and I know the feeling!
Ingredients
- 16 ounce lasagna (regular, not no bake)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced fine
- 2 heads of broccoli, stems removed and chopped into small pieces (see ingredient photo above in post for visual)
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 8 ounce block mozzarella cheese, grated
- 15 ounce whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- White and dark meat from store-bought rotisserie chicken, skin removed, then pulled and roughly chopped
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter
- 1 and ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups parmesan cheese, grated fine from the block
- Optional: (crushed red pepper flakes or 1 teaspoon of fresh basil or parsley, minced for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the lasagna. In a large skillet over medium low heat, add in the olive oil and allow to heat up. Toss in the onions and broccoli and stir to combine. Cover the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring half way through. Toss in the minced garlic, stir and cover until broccoli is nice and tender, about 1-3 minutes. Turn the heat off and transfer the broccoli and onion mixture to a large bowl.
- Once the water boils, add the lasagna noodles and cook until just a few minutes before al dente (about 8 minutes), then strain. Note: The pasta will continue to cook in the oven and should be very firm. If they're sticking together after boiling, run a bit of cold water through them and if needed lay out flat on a cookie sheet.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 4 ounces (half) of the grated mozzarella, egg and salt, pepper, basil, parsley, and oregano. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Wipe out the cooled broccoli skillet and heat to medium low again. To make the Alfredo Sauce, melt the butter in the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and add in heavy cream.
- Cook for 5 minutes until nice and hot, stirring every so often, then add in the parmesan cheese. Stir often and allow the sauce to thicken on low heat. Note: The thickening process takes between 5-7 minutes, depending on the heat,skillet, etc. Once it's thickened, remove the skillet from the heat.
- Stir the rotisserie chicken into the broccoli and onion bowl.
- To assemble the lasagna, prepare a 9x13 casserole dish. (1) Spread about a ladle full of alfredo sauce on the bottom of the pan. (2) Cover with 4 lasagna noodles and if desired, slice 1 noodle in half a position it on the end in the opposite direction. We are using 4 ½ noodles per layer. Spread out about ½ to ¾ cup of the ricotta filling over the noodles. (3) Sprinkle over ¾ cup of broccoli and chicken over the ricotta filling. (4) Complete the layer by drizzling over a few tablespoons of alfredo sauce. Repeat steps 2-4 two more times, which is 3 layers of filling total.
- Top the last layer with 4 or 4 ½ lasagna noodles, then pour the remaining alfredo sauce over the top of the noodles and spread out. It should cover all the noodles. Sprinkle on the remaining half of mozzarella cheese. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Optional: Broil on high for 2-3 minutes for crispy cheese topping.
- Remove the casserole from the oven. Allow to sit tented with foil for 10 minutes before slicing into squares.
- Serve with red pepper flakes, fresh parsley or basil, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Shred the parmesan cheese from the block on the finest setting of the grater for an easy melt. Do not use bagged cheese as it has an anti-caking agent that doesn't melt well.
- Make sure the broccoli and onions are nice and tender before removing from the pan.
- Cook the lasagna a bit less than how you would want to eat it. It will continue to cook in the oven and we want it to be al dente still when served. After straining, if the pasta is sticking together, run cold water over it before assembling the layers.
- When layering remember not to overfill or over sauce. We need to make the fillings and sauce last for three layers, then use the remaining Alfredo sauce for topping. You want at least half of the Alfredo sauce leftover for topping.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: Italian
George
So good! We loved this one.
Tara Smithson
So happy to hear that! Thanks for the review and I'm glad you enjoyed it.