Quick & Easy Chicken & Spinach Lasagna Recipe
Don’t miss this Quick and Easy Chicken & Spinach Lasagna Recipe that’s a great way to use leftovers! And it’s SO much faster than traditional baked lasagna. You will LOVE how it’s ready in under 30 minutes!
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Chicken & Spinach Lasagna Recipe
I thought up this recipe one night last week when I was wondering what to make with leftover chicken breast. Because, I wanted to use up the leftovers. And, since it was already cooked, it made making this that much faster! So, my goal was to create a chicken breast recipe that wasn’t boring, and wasn’t something we eat all the time. After all, we hate eating the same old thing almost as much as I hate wasting leftovers!
Do You Like Leftovers?
Typically my family doesn’t want to eat leftovers, so it’s always a struggle! But, every now and then I hit a home run. Then, they not only ask for seconds, but I find them foraging around the kitchen in search of my culinary masterpiece for lunch the next day. That’s when I, as a chef, know that I’ve arrived. Ha, ha, ha!
About the Ingredients
Chicken
Amazingly enough, I only needed ONE chicken breast (they were huge) for this whole pan of lasagne! Talk about a frugal meal! One chicken breast fed my whole family.
Pasta
I used whole wheat pasta, but you can use whatever you like! And, I used previously canned tomatoes from my garden. But, you can use spaghetti sauce or marinara, fresh or store bought. Whatever you happen to have on hand.
Spinach
I try to sneak in healthy ingredients, which is why I added spinach. I know some people don’t like spinach, which is why it’s totally optional in this dish. This lasagne is great without spinach too. My family loves it with spinach. So, it works for us.
Cheese
And when it comes to cheese, I used two types – yellow and white. For the topping I used yellow cheese. You can use something like cheddar (either mild cheddar, or even sharp cheddar is great), Monterrey Jack and Colby or Colby-Jack cheese. It just depends on what taste you and your family prefer.
And then for the inside soft cheese, I love cream cheese lasagna (as in Philadelphia cream cheese) but I know people who like ricotta. Alternatively, cottage cheese lasagna is a great frugal alternative to using ricotta!
Let’s Go!
This leftover-chicken lasagna is super quick and easy to put together! And seriously, it’s so tasty!
Easy Chicken & Spinach Lasagne Recipe
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This healthy version of the classic Italian fare will surprise even those who aren’t wild about vegetables. And it’s perfect for putting leftover chicken breast to good use!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cheese (shredded Cheddar, Colby, or Monterrey Jack)
- 1 package cream cheese (or ricotta cheese)
- 1/3 cup spinach (optional)
- 1 quart tomato sauce & 1 small can tomato paste (or use spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce)
- 1/2 box lasagne noodles (I prefer whole wheat)
- 1/2 – 1 lb meat (I used shredded chicken breast, or you can use ground beef or sausage)
Instructions
- Cook meat (e.g. brown hamburger or steam chicken breast)
- Bring a pot of water with 1 T oil to boil, add noodles and boil for 8-10 minutes (until noodles are al dente*)
- Place one single layer of noodles on bottom of pan
- Layer 1/3 sauce along with meat
- Add another layer of noodles
- Layer 1/3 sauce with cream cheese (or ricotta) cut into small pieces
- Add another layer of noodles
- Layer 1/3 sauce with 1 cup spinach
- Top with shredded cheddar cheese (or choice)
- Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes
Notes
*al dente describes pasta and (less commonly) vegetables, rice or beans that are cooked to be firm to the bite
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian