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    Home > Pasta Recipes > Cheesy Creamy Green Chile Chicken Lasagna

    Cheesy Creamy Green Chile Chicken Lasagna

    Published: Dec 16, 2019 · Modified: Oct 13, 2022 by Lea Ann Brown · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Green Chili Chicken Lasagna Recipe

    Green Chile Chicken Lasagna is everything you love about classic lasagna. However, this version combines layers of lasagna noodles with lean shredded chicken breast, cheese and a luscious green chile white sauce. This Green Chile Chicken Lasagna is a totally irresistible, make ahead recipe to feed a crowd.

    Green Chile Chicken Lasagna served on a white plate sprinkled with cotija cheese and green onions with a tossed green salad.

    Sometimes it’s the little things that can inspire a new recipe. During one of my recent Christmas shopping trips I fell into the “one for them, one for me” present purchasing game. On impulse, bought myself a new lasagna pan.

    Green Chile White Chicken Lasagna baked in a Le Creuset Lasagna pan and sprinkled with Cotija cheese

    And I love this new pan, and I needed a new lasagna recipe to break it in.

    I’ve been planning this Green Chile Chicken Lasagna recipe for months, but simply never got around to bringing it to life. Now that we’re smack dab in the middle of comfort food season and with my new lasagna pan begging for … well … lasagna, my white chicken lasagna has finally made its debut.

    As you know, I may make a recipe three or four times, tweaking and improving before I deem it blog-worthy. My method of perfection is totally inspired by Ina Garten. I saw Ina speak a couple of years ago, and she confided that once she and her team have prepared a recipe, they always sit back and ask themselves how the recipe could be improved.

    I invited neighbor Beth to join us for dinner and to be part of the Guinea Pig crew. in testing this chicken lasagna. Between the three of us, we just couldn’t think of a thing that would make this recipe better. With this one, first time was a charm.

    This Lasagna Is All About the Green Chiles

    I always have bags of fresh roasted chile peppers in the freezer. I have Hatch, from New Mexico and Pueblo Chile Peppers grown right here in the Arkansas Valley of Colorado.

    For this recipe, I used roasted Colorado Pueblo chile peppers.

    Pueblo chile peppers are actually Mirasol peppers. Mirasol, which means “looking at the sun” are peppers that grow in an upward direction on the plant.

    Mirasol Chile Plant with red mirasol peppers growing

    They’re medium in heat, and meatier than Hatch chile peppers from New Mexico. I took this photo of a potted young Mirasol plant at the Pueblo Chile Festival a couple years ago.

    Dried Mirasol peppers are called Guajillo peppers, a common dried chile used in Mexican cuisine.

    These Pueblo chile peppers were simply defrosted, skin, stems and seeds removed and then chopped. I used 1 cup (about 10 medium chile peppers) to make this white chicken lasagna.

    If you don’t have a stash of fresh roasted chile peppers in your freezer most grocery stores and even Costco sell chopped frozen chile peppers.

    Choose frozen peppers that are labeled mild to medium on the heat level. You don’t want them to overpower the creamy sauce for this recipe.

    White chicken lasagna served on a white plate sprinkled with cotija cheese and green onion. With a side tossed green salad on the side.

    How To Make The Spicy White Sauce

    The sauce is simply a roux made of flour and chicken broth. Prepared stove top, it comes together very easily and to make it even creamier, it’s finished with a cup of milk.

    • Melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan.
    • Once the butter is melted, add 1/4 cup flour.
    • Turn heat down to medium and stir constantly for about two minutes or until the roux is golden in color.
    • Slowly add the chicken broth to the roux and with a whisk, mix until well blended. Cook until roux thickens.
    • Add in drained, canned chopped tomatoes.
    • Add one cup of milk. This will thin the roux, but not to worry, the al a dente pasta will help thicken it back up.
    • Stir in the green chile peppers and shredded chicken and set aside.

    How to Make Green Chile Chicken Lasagna

    Here’s how to build and layer this white chicken lasagna:

    • Cook chicken breast and shred. Or you can use shredded rotisserie chicken.
    • Cook lasagna noodles according to package, but lessen the cooking time by two minutes. This will produce a very al a dente noodle.
    • In a medium bowl, combine two beaten eggs, ricotta cheese, shredded mozarella and shredded cheddar cheese. A large spoon works well to blend this mixture.
    • Make green chile sauce (roux) and set aside.
    • Spray your lasagna pan with Pam.
    • Place 1/3 of the green chile roux on the bottom of the lasagna pan.
    • Place four lasagna noodles over the green chile white sauce.
    • With a spatula, spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture over the lasagna noodles.
    • Repeat these layers two more times, ending with the cheese mixture.
    • Top with one cup of crumbled Mexican Cotija cheese.
    • Bake covered for 45 minutes. Remove cover (I used foil) and bake another 20 minutes.
    • Let set for 10 minutes, uncovered so the lasagna sets up.
    Hatch Chile White Chicken Lasagna Recipe served with a tossed salad

    Recipe for White Chicken Lasagna

    This green chili chicken lasagna is a perfect choice is you’re looking for a make-ahead and freezable meal to feed a crowd. Just prepare, cover well and freeze. Then thaw before following baking instructions.

    All you need is a beautiful green tossed salad for a side dish! Easy.

    I hope you give this Southwestern Chicken Lasagna recipe and try, and if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating. And leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.

    And if you have a favorite green chile chicken lasagna recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

    More Spicy Pasta Recipes

    If you love a little spice with your pasta you won’t want to miss:

    • Spicy Creamy Shrimp Pasta
    • Instant Pot Chicken Chipotle Mac and Cheese
    • Hatch Chile Mac and Cheese
    • Mexican Macaroni and Cheese
    • Elaine’s Green Chile Pasta (from New Mexico Magazine)
    Creamy Cheesy Green Chili Lasagna with Chicken

    Green Chile White Chicken Lasagna

    Green Chile White Chicken Lasagna is everything you love about classic lasagna. This version combines layers of lasagna noodles, lean shredded chicken breast, cheese and a luscious white sauce. This Green Chile Chicken Lasagna is totally irresistible.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Pasta Recipes
    Cuisine: Southwestern Mexican
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 404kcal
    Author: Lea Ann Brown

    Ingredients

    • 1/4 cup butter
    • 1/4 cup flour
    • 2 cups chicken broth
    • 1/2 sweet onion diced
    • 14 ounce canned tomatoes diced and drained
    • 1 cup Chile Peppers roasted, peeled, chopped
    • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded about 2 – 2 1/2 cups
    • 1 cup milk
    • 15 ounces ricotta cheese drained
    • 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
    • 2 eggs lightly beaten
    • 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
    • 12 lasagna noodles cooked al a dente
    • 1 cup Cotija cheese crumbled
    • 2 tablespoons green onions chopped
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    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add flour and whisk together until a light brown roux forms. Cook the roux over medium heat until roux is golden. This will also help remove that "flour-y" taste.
    • Slowly add chicken broth and bring to a low boil whisking constantly. Stir in 1 cup of full fat milk.
    • Add diced and drained tomatoes, green chile peppers, and shredded cooked chicken, stirring to combine and heat, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
    • In a medium mixing bowl, blend together ricotta cheese, eggs and shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.
    • Coat a 3 quart lasagna pan with cooking spray.
    • Place a 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom. Top with 4 lasagna noodles and then ricotta and cheddar cheese mixture.
    • Repeat 3 times, with last layer being cheese mixture. Sprinke the Cotija cheese over the top of the lasagna.
    • Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and cook an additional 15 0- 20 minutes
    • Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Top with fine chopped green onions for garnish.

    Video

    Notes

    This is a great make-ahead recipe. Either prepare the casserole ahead of time and refrigerate before baking.
    Or bake the lasagna, let it cool, then freeze. Let the lasagna thaw before following the baking instructions.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 614mg | Potassium: 447mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 682IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 323mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @lannisam or tag #CookingOnTheRanch!

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    • Fettuccine Mio Amore Recipe (Lincoln Highway Pasta)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Becky says

      July 08, 2021 at 6:30 pm

      5 stars
      This sounded good, so I bought all the ingredients and made this dish. Oh man this is delish!!
      My daughter and son-in-law loved it, they had to make themselves stop eating it.
      Next time I’ll use a whole chicken in place of the breast. And my bad, I just put the lasagna noodles in without cooking them but they were cooked. This is a keeper for sure!!

      Reply
    2. Liz says

      January 26, 2020 at 4:41 pm

      5 stars
      Oh, my, the flavors in this lasagna sound terrific. When it comes to entrees, I get in a rut, so this is a delicious dish to add to our menu!

      Reply
    3. Abbe@This is How I Cook says

      January 13, 2020 at 8:53 pm

      5 stars
      You know I love green chiles and that white sauce sounds incredible. Plus I am so cold right now, I could use something to warm me up!

      Reply
    4. Mimi says

      December 29, 2019 at 2:51 pm

      THIS LOOks fabulous! And perfect for some leftover grilled or poached chicken. I personally think cotija is too salty. Maybe it’s the brand I have to rely on here in Oklahoma, but at least there are many other options! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        December 30, 2019 at 6:29 am

        Cotija is salty. I don’t use as much salt when I cook with it. Thanks for your note Mimi. I was just over at your site admiring your latest brownie recipe. DELISH

        Reply
    5. mjskitchen says

      December 23, 2019 at 3:45 pm

      5 stars
      I’m not sure if I had pueblo green chiles. I’ve read a lot about them and tried to find a couple of plants last year. I’d love to give them a try. I’ve never met a chile I didn’t like. 🙂 What a great batch of spicy, creamy goodness. A great comfort food for cold weather Thanks for sharing your recipe. I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season! Looking forward to another year of your great recipes.

      Reply
    6. John / Kitchen Riffs says

      December 18, 2019 at 8:03 am

      Love lasagna. And love this twist on it — green chilies? Sold! And SO color-appropriate for Christmas. 🙂 Really creative dish — thanks. And Happy Holidays!

      Reply

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    I'm Lea Ann, A Culinary School Grad bringing you Wild West Colorado inspired recipes. You'll find lots of Southwestern, and Mexican food recipes, and some favorites from Culinary School along with pro cooking tips. If you're an adventurous home cook looking to spice up your meal plans, you'll find plenty of inspiration and reliable, approachable, easy to follow recipes.

    More about me →

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