The Best Chicken Lasagna Recipe with Cottage Cheese

Name: Chicken Lasagna With Cottage Cheese
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 105 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil (or avocado oil); 1 small yellow onion (finely chopped); 5 garlic cloves (minced); 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 28 ounces crushed tomatoes (1 can); 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried basil; ½ teaspoon smoked paprika; ½ teaspoon salt (plus more to taste); ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 4 cups chopped rotisserie chicken; 1 teaspoon honey (optional); 9 lasagna noodles; Chopped fresh basil or parsley (optional, to serve); 2 cups full-fat cottage cheese; 1 cup whole milk; 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed well); ½ cup finely grated Parmesan; 1 large egg; 2 garlic cloves; ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 2 cups shredded mozzarella (divided)

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This Chicken Lasagna features layers of rich tomato chicken sauce, tender lasagna noodles, and a quick white sauce with cottage cheese and spinach. Baked until bubbling and golden, it’s great for meal prep or serving a crowd.

A chicken lasagna in a white dish with a spatula lifting out a slice.

I make this lasagna when I know my family is craving a cozy, comforting meal. I love that the white sauce is easy to blend yet still creamy and flavorful. It’s also packed with protein, thanks to the cottage cheese, plus a boost of veggies from the frozen spinach. The tomato sauce is a snap to make too, using chopped rotisserie chicken to speed up prep.

Recipe Overview

Skill Level

Beginner

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

A Few Key Ingredients

Below are the key ingredients you’ll need to make Chicken Lasagna. The full quantities can be found in the recipe card further down the post.

Rotisserie chicken: Full of flavor and already cooked, making it a great way to speed up the sauce-making step. You can also use ground chicken, ground turkey, or Italian chicken sausage; just brown it in the skillet (breaking it up as you go) before adding the other red sauce ingredients.

Crushed tomatoes: Use as the base for the red sauce, adding texture and a sweet-tart flavor. If your tomatoes taste too acidic, add a little honey to balance it. You can also crush whole, peeled canned tomatoes by hand and use them instead.

Cottage cheese: Blended up with the other white sauce ingredients to form a creamy, protein-rich base. I like to use full-fat for a richer taste, but low-fat works too. If you’re not a cottage cheese fan, ricotta works great here too.

Frozen chopped spinach: Must be thawed and squeezed of excess moisture to prevent the lasagna from becoming soggy.

Lasagna noodles: Use regular lasagna noodles, as we’re going to boil them before layering up. Whole wheat or gluten-free noodles will also work well here.

Tips for Success

When you add the tomato paste to the skillet, cook it out until it smells caramelized. This results in a deeper tomato flavor in the finished sauce.
Cook the chicken tomato sauce until it’s nice and thick. Watery sauce will result in a watery lasagna.
Add a layer of sauce to the baking dish before layering in the noodles. This prevents the noodles from sticking to the dish.
It’s better to slightly under-boil the lasagna noodles before layering them up. They’ll continue to cook as the lasagna bakes and you don’t want them to end up mushy!
Don’t tightly cover the dish with foil when baking as it will stick to the cheese. Try to tent the foil over the dish instead.
Let the baked lasagna rest for 15 minutes before slicing. This allows it to ‘set’ which leads to cleaner slices.

How to Make Chicken Lasagna

Make the Garlicky Tomato Chicken:

Step 1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, until softened.

making the red sauce for the chicken lasagna.

Step 2. Add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and smells caramelized.

Step 3. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, then add the oregano, basil, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir well and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.

Step 4. Fold in the chopped rotisserie chicken and honey, if using. Simmer for another 3-4 minutes, just until the chicken is heated through and evenly coated.

Step 5. The sauce should be thick and spoonable rather than watery. If it looks thin, simmer it uncovered for a few additional minutes.

adding the chicken to the sauce in the pan to make the base for the chicken lasagna.

Step 6. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles for 2 minutes less than the package directions.

Step 7. Drain and arrange the noodles in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet to prevent sticking.

Make the White Sauce:

Step 8. Place the thawed spinach in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. This is the key to preventing a watery lasagna.

Step 9. Add the cottage cheese, milk, spinach, Parmesan, egg, garlic, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of the mozzarella to a blender. Blend for 1-2 minutes, until completely smooth and velvety.

Assemble the Lasagna:

Step 10. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Step 11. Spread about 1/2 cup of the tomato chicken sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the cottage cheese white sauce, then arrange 3 lasagna noodles over the sauces.

Step 12. Spread one-third of the cottage cheese white sauce over the noodles, then spoon one-third of the remaining tomato chicken mixture on top.

Step 13. Repeat the layers twice more as follows: 3 lasagna noodles, cottage cheese white sauce, tomato chicken sauce. Finish with a layer of cheese (reserved 1 cup mozzarella).

assembling the chicken lasagna in a dish.

Bake:

Step 14. Cover the baking dish loosely with foil, making sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

Step 15. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and lightly golden.

Step 16. For a more deeply browned top, broil the lasagna for 1-2 minutes, watching it closely.

Step 17. Allow the lasagna to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Finish with fresh basil or parsley.

chicken lasagna in a dish with a portion taken off.

Recipe Notes

Make Ahead: Cook and cool the lasagna noodles and tomato chicken sauce. Once cooled, layer up as directed in your baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking as usual. You may need to add 5-10 minutes to the bake time.

Storage: Store the cooked, cooled lasagna in its baking dish, covered tightly with foil, in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezing: Freeze the baked and cooled (or unbaked) lasagna, tightly wrapped in a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before unwrapping and reheating (or baking).

Reheating: Reheat the lasagna in its baking dish, covered with foil, at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, until fully heated through. Alternatively, reheat individual portions in the microwave.

A slice of chicken lasagna on a white plate topped with basil.

Questions I Get Asked a Lot

Can I make it gluten-free?

Yes, just swap the lasagna noodles for your favorite brand of gluten-free lasagna noodles.

Can I use ground beef instead?

Yes, you can swap the rotisserie chicken for ground beef. Just brown it while breaking it up in the skillet before adding the other red sauce ingredients.

Can I make this without a blender?

You can blend up the white sauce in a food processor or in a bowl using a stick blender if you don’t have a free-standing blender.

Why is my lasagna watery?

Watery lasagna can happen if you haven’t cooked the red sauce for long enough. It can also be due to not squeezing enough moisture out of the frozen spinach.

Can I use no-boil lasagna noodles?

Yes, you can use no-boil lasagna noodles (no need to pre-cook) and layer them up with the sauces. You should thin out the white sauce with 1/3 cup water so that the lasagna doesn’t become too dry.

More Rotisserie Chicken Recipes

Thanks so much for being here and cooking along with me. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment and a ⭐️ rating below.