Chicken and Broccoli Lasagna with Parmesan Custard
This is an amazing chicken and broccoli lasagna recipe that will blow your socks off! Finished with a delicious parmesan custard that your family will love, you’ll make this lasagna recipe again and again! And the bonus? Your family is eating broccoli – without complaining!
You might not realize that I am a HUGE lasagna fan! In fact, this website started off as just a collection of all my favorite lasagna recipes. I needed somewhere to keep track of them all, and to be able to share them with friends. That was many years ago and the site has grown a lot since then, but my love for lasagna remains.
As a lover of lasagna, I have played around with hundreds of lasagna recipes to create and refine my favorites. (Because who can have only ONE favorite?!) Sometimes I feel like turning up the spice, so I whip up my famous Mexican lasagna recipe. When I’m looking for comfort food – tasty, cheesy, filling – and I head straight for my usual homemade lasagna recipe. But when I’m looking for a nutritious, filling, weeknight dinner, I always come back to this chicken and broccoli lasagna recipe. The kids absolutely love it – and I love knowing that I am sneaking extra vegetables into their meal!
This is a hearty recipe that can stand alone as a meal in itself. However, it’s great if you have the time and ingredients to pair it with a side salad. Mixed lettuce, tomato wedges, and a few carrot and cucumber sticks add color, crunch, and nutrition to your meal.
If you are looking for another chicken dish to serve with this one, I found an amazing butterfly chicken recipe that I made the other day and it was fantastic!
Please note
The measurements in my recipes are generally imperial measurements, but I try to include the metric conversions, too. For your reference, here is a handy rule of thumb:
- 1 pound = 500 grams
- 1/2 pound = 8 ounces = 250 grams
- 350 degrees Fahrenheit = 180 degrees Celsius
Lasagna will keep well refrigerated for a couple of days, and is perfect to take to work in a lunchbox. Alternatively, this lasagna recipe freezes nicely and can be kept for up to three months. Wrap each portion individually in cling film, then place into a freezer-safe container. (Don’t forget to mark the date so you know when you use it by!)
Variations
As you know, I try to give you some suggestions about how you can personalize each of my recipes. If you or your family don’t like, don’t want, or don’t have broccoli, here are some alternatives:
- Replace the broccoli with cauliflower florets, asparagus, green beans, or courgette (zucchini). Alternatively, use a combination of broccoli AND cauliflower. I always try to add extra vegetables – and a variety of vegetables – when I can.
- Substitute the diced carrot with corn kernels or peas – whatever your family prefers.
- Add in 1/4 cup chopped dried or semi-dried tomatoes. Stir through the chicken mixture.
Wine tip
Looking for a wine to pair with this chicken and broccoli lasagna recipe? Try a crisp, cool, semi-sweet white wine like a chenin blanc or a riesling.
I’d love to hear how you enjoy the lasagna; please leave me a note in the comments section.
Until next time!
Love & lasagna, Bx
Chicken & Broccoli Lasagna Recipe
Equipment
- Oven
- Skillet/ frypan
- saucepan
Ingredients
Chicken & Broccoli Lasagna Ingredients
- 1 package instant lasagna sheets (approx 8 oz or 250g)
- 1 pound chicken breasts (approx 500g) (skinless, boneless, diced)
- 1 pound broccoli (approx 500g) (rinsed, cut into small florets)
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese (approx 500g) (grated)
- 4 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 large carrot (grated)
- 1 large onion (diced)
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (approx 125g) (grated)
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- salt & pepper (to taste)
Parmesan Custard Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup chicken broth/ stock
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
- 4 tablespoons all purpose flour (plain flour)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pinch ground paprika
- pinch ground nutmeg
Instructions
Parmesan Custard
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over a low heat.
- Stir in flour over a low heat until the mixture is smooth (approx 2 minutes).
- Stir in milk and whisk mixture over a medium heat until smooth (approx 4 minutes).
- Stir in chicken broth/ stock.
- In a bowl, beat the eggs.
- Gradually whisk the eggs into the mixture.
- Let the custard stand off the heat.
- Stir in the cheese.
- Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Lasagna Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (or approximately 180 degrees C).
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet.
- Stir in onion and garlic then saute for 1 minute.
- Add chicken and saute over medium heat until cooked through, turning frequently.
- Stir in broccoli and carrot.
- Cook – covered – over a medium heat until vegetables are just tender (approx 5 minutes).
- Add parsley, salt and pepper, to taste.
- Scoop ½ cup of parmesan custard into a 9 x 12 inch (approximately 20 x 30cm) baking dish.
- Top with a layer of instant lasagna noodles/ sheets.
- Scoop about half the chicken and brocolli mixture over the noodles.
- Add ½ cup of parmesan custard to the top of the chicken and broccoli mixture.
- Add a layer of one-third of the mozzarella.
- Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the parmesan.
- Arrange a second layer of slightly overlapping lasagna noodles on top.
- Scoop on the remaining chicken and broccoli mixture.
- Add half of the remaining mozzarella plus 1 tablespoon of the grated parmesan.
- Scoop on ½ cup of the parmesan custard.
- Top with the remaining lasagna noodles/ sheets.
- Arrange the remaining lasagna noodles on top.
- Sprinkle the last of the mozzarella on top and carefully pour the last of the parmesan custard over the top.
- Sprinkle with the remainder of the grated parmesan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (or approximately 180 degrees C) until the top is browned and bubbly (approx 50 minutes).
- Allow lasagna to stand for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Delicious just as is 🙂
Aloha, Bella! I’ve used several of your recipes, but this is my first time commenting. I just watned to tell you how much my family and I love this lasagna. I make it exactly as you say, and it always turns out perfectly. I’ve passed your recipe on to three separate friends. Thanks very much.
You’re very welcome, Kailani, and thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Just had to tell you that I baked this for my family last night and they loved it (although I switched out the instant lasagna sheets for my mother’s home made ones – we’re Italian so I wouldn’t dare try to use instant pasta in anything!!!!!). I bake lasagna regularly but had never thought to use chicken, broccoli, and carrot but it was a great change. Thank you!