This Easy Chicken Lasagna is FAR from a traditional recipe, but it is no less delicious because of it. It has all the layering of a lasagna, but we have swapped the beef for lean and protein packed chicken and made a rich sun-dried tomato sauce. Easy to pack out with vegetables, this is total comfort food, with a healthy twist.
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Lasagna is such a loved classic with its layers of pasta, rich sauces, and gooey crispy cheese on top. It's a go-to family meal. However, even the classics need fresh twist sometimes. Enter the Sun-Dried Tomato and Chicken Lasagna.
This chicken lasagna recipe combines the rich taste of sun-dried tomatoes in a veggie packed sauce, with shredded chicken, creamy béchamel and cheese to create a lasagna that's both comforting and something a little bit different.
Looking for more lean chicken recipes? Why not try our juicy Greek Yogurt Chicken, protein packed Chicken Power Bowl, quick Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas, delicious Greek Chicken Bowls or our comforting Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chicken - We used chicken breast that had already been cooked. You can use leftovers of our Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken or Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts. You could use chicken thighs to keep it juicer.
- Passata - This is always the base of our pasta sauces. Also known as tomato sauce, it is simply puréed, strained uncooked tomatoes.
- Vegetables - We packed this with vegetables using onion, carrot, bell pepper, courgette (zucchini), olives and spinach.
- Sun-dried tomatoes - These add such a rich tomato flavour.
- Sun-dried tomato pesto - Swap the sun-dried tomatoes pesto with a basil pesto for a fresh, herby flavour. You can also mix the pesto into the béchamel sauce for an even distribution of flavour.
- Paprika and oregano - You can use an Italian seasoning blend if you prefer.
- Lasagna noodles - We used dried noodles. You could use fresh, but it would change the cooking time.
- Stock - We used a vegetable stock, but you can use a chicken stock for a richer flavour.
- Balsamic vinegar - This is our "secret" (not so secret) ingredient for adding a splash of richness to a pasta sauce.
- Tomato puree - This helps to thicken the sauce and add a richer tomato flavour.
- Cheese - We used cheddar and Parmesan. You could also add some mozzarella on top.
- Béchamel - We make our own béchamel as it's so simple to make with basic ingredients like butter, flour, milk, salt and pepper and a little mustard.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
Variations
- Vegetarian option: Replace the chicken with more vegetables such as, mushrooms, aubergine (eggplant) or kale for a vegetarian version.
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free lasagna noodles and a gluten-free flour blend for the béchamel sauce to make this dish gluten-free healthy chicken lasagna.
- Cheese Options: Feel free to experiment with different cheese combinations in this chicken lasagna recipe. Fontina, gouda, or even a bit of blue cheese can add a unique flavour to your lasagna.
- Mediterranean Twist: Add sliced kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and crumbled feta cheese to the chicken filling for a Mediterranean twist. Serve with a Greek salad to complete the meal.
How To Make Chicken Lasagna
Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
To make the sauce:
Step one: Heat the oil over a medium heat and add the onion, pepper, carrot and courgette. Cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.
Step two: Add the chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, tomato puree, paprika and oregano. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
Step three: Add the passata, stock, pesto, balsamic, salt and pepper. Mix well. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step four: Add the spinach to the ragu and heat until it has wilted.
To make the béchamel:
Step five: Meanwhile, make the bechamel sauce by adding the milk, butter, flour, mustard, salt and pepper to a pan and simmering until thick, continuously whisking.
Step six: Once thickened, add the Parmesan and stir until it has melted.
To build the lasagna:
Step seven: Put half of the ragu on the bottom of a baking dish.
Step eight: Spoon ⅓ of the bechamel over the ragu.
Step nine: Lay 3 of the lasagna noodles over the bechamel.
Step ten: Add the remaining ragu, then another ⅓ bechamel, then Parmesan.
Step eleven: Add the other 3 lasagna noodles, the remaining bechamel and sprinkle over the cheddar.
Step twelve: Cook for 25-30 minutes, until the cheddar is bubbling.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your Sun-Dried Tomato and Chicken Lasagna with a fresh green salad like our Rocket Salad, Little Gem Salad or Watercress Salad. With a glass of your favorite crisp white wine of course.
If you want to bulk this meal out, or maybe if you are making it for a crowd, then why not add garlic bread? Try our Air Fryer Garlic Bread or Cheesy Garlic Bread.
Or, keep it simple with a vegetable side dish, such as Roasted Asparagus or Roasted Broccoli.
Storage
Store: Leftovers can be kept in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze: This sun-dried tomato chicken lasagna freezes well. Assemble it in a freezer-safe dish, cover tightly, and freeze. To bake from frozen, add an additional 30-40 minutes to the covered baking time. You can also freeze individual portions of leftover lasagna in a freezer container and it will keep or up to 3 months.
Defrost: You can defrost chicken lasagna in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: You can reheat this in the microwave in about 4 minutes. To reheat in the oven, put it in an ovenproof dish, cover with foil and reheat at 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4 for about 20-30 minutes.
Dannii's Top Tips
- If the chicken lasagna starts to brown a bit too much, then you can add some foil on top for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Allow the lasagna to rest for 10 minutes before serving. This helps it set and makes it easier to slice.
- Add a kick of heat by mixing some red pepper flakes or diced jalapeños into the chicken filling. You can also use a spicy marinara sauce for an extra layer of heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can assemble the lasagna a day in advance and refrigerate it. When you're ready to bake, simply extend the baking time by about 10 minutes, as it will still be cold from the fridge.
More Lasagna Recipes
If you've tried this chicken lasagna recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Sun-Dried Tomato and Chicken Lasagna
Ingredients
For the chicken ragu
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 Red onion - diced
- 1 Bell pepper - diced
- 1 Carrot - peeled and diced
- 1 Courgette (zucchini) - diced
- 300 g Cooked chicken - chopped
- 6 Sun-dried tomatoes - sliced
- 10 Olives - sliced
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon Tomato puree
- 1 Stock pot
- 2 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
- 1 pinch Sea salt
- 1 pinch Ground black pepper
- 500 g Passata
- 2 tablespoon Sun-dried tomato pesto
- 60 g Spinach
For the white sauce
- 750 ml Milk
- 50 g Butter
- 2 tablespoon Plain flour
- 1 teaspoon Mustard
- 1 pinch Sea salt
- 1 pinch Ground black pepper
- 20 g Parmesan - grated
For the lasagna
- 6 Lasagna sheets
- 20 g Parmesan - grated
- 60 g Cheddar cheese - grated
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
Make the ragu
- Heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil over a medium heat and add 1 Red onion, 1 Bell pepper, 1 Carrot and 1 Courgette (zucchini). Cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add 300 g Cooked chicken, 6 Sun-dried tomatoes, 10 Olives, 1 tablespoon Tomato puree, 1 teaspoon Paprika and 1 teaspoon Dried oregano. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Add 500 g Passata, 1 Stock pot, 2 tablespoon Sun-dried tomato pesto, 2 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar, 1 pinch Sea salt and 1 pinch Ground black pepper. Mix well. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add 60 g Spinach to the ragu and heat until it has wilted.
Make the bechamel
- Meanwhile, make the bechamel sauce by adding 750 ml Milk, 50 g Butter, 2 tablespoon Plain flour 1 teaspoon Mustard1 pinch Sea salt and 1 pinch Ground black pepper to a pan and simmering until thick, continuously whisking.
- Once thickened, add 20 g Parmesan and stir until it has melted.
Build the lasagna
- Put half of the ragu on the bottom of a baking dish.
- Spoon ⅓ of the bechamel over the ragu.
- Lay 3 of the 6 Lasagna sheets over the bechamel.
- Add the remaining ragu, then another ⅓ bechamel, then 20 g Parmesan.
- Add the other 3 lasagna noodles, the remaining bechamel and sprinkle over 60 g Cheddar cheese.
- Cook for 25-30 minutes, until the cheddar is bubbling.
Recipe Tips
- If the chicken lasagna starts to brown a bit too much, then you can add some foil on top for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Allow the lasagna to rest for 10 minutes before serving. This helps it set and makes it easier to slice.
- Add a kick of heat by mixing some red pepper flakes or diced jalapeños into the chicken filling. You can also use a spicy marinara sauce for an extra layer of heat.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Emma Bottomley says
This was an amazing lasagne recipe! I could have ate double (but I didn’t)! Liked by the whole family so will make again. Served it with a simple salad. The only thing I might change next time is to make the béchamel sauce my normal way by making a roux from the butter and flour and then slowly adding the milk in while whisking because doing it this way for some reason I’d say the béchamel was too thin and I like it gloopier. Maybe it reacts differently with different butters, or different milk etc. But it was a beaut of a lasagne x
Christine says
This was easy to make and really tasty. Whole family enjoyed it which is no mean feat!