Skillet White Chicken Lasagna

White skillet lasagna is a cheesy skillet of deliciousness. Made with ground chicken, an easy béchamel and topped with gooey melting cheese, you will love this way to get all the flavors of lasagna without all of the work! This white lasagna is an even creamier version of my red skillet lasagna, but this one is made with ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella. Ready and on the table in just 30 minutes.

I have something extra cheesy and extra easy for you; I can't wait to share it! I made this Skillet Lasagna for two because I was craving the flavors of lasagna, but didn't want to heat up the house by boiling water for the noodles and then baking the dish for an hour. Enter one-skillet, one-pan-to-clean lasagna! I made this a white version of lasagne by making a white bechemel sauce.

If you love lasagna but don't want to make a whole pan of it, you've got to try making it like this. This skillet lasagne has ground chicken, a cheesy white sauce, pockets of fresh ricotta, curly lasagna noodles, and fresh basil on top. You're going to love it!

How to make white chicken lasagna in a skillet

While most lasagna is made with ground beef or sausage, this is a white lasagna made with ground chicken. You can absolutely use ground turkey, if you prefer. We start by browning it in a 10" skillet, and then we'll make our béchamel right in the same pan!

After the chicken is cooked, sprinkle flour over the top, followed by the milk and water. This is the liquid for cooking the broken lasagna noodles right in the pan! Once everything simmers and the noodles are tender, it's time to stir in our cheeses. We're using three kinds of cheese: mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmesan.

Just before serving, we're sprinkling on fresh basil and some additional Parmesan Cheese. It's almost unbelievable how much we can get the flavors of lasagna all in a skillet in just 30 minutes!

The Ingredients

• Ground Chicken. Lean ground chicken is great here, so that the final dish doesn't become too greasy. You can substitute ground turkey, if you prefer.
• White Onion. One small white onion, finely diced will melt into the final dish; about ½ cup chopped.
• Basil. We're using dried basil early in the dish to flavor the chicken, and then we'll garnish at the end with fresh basil.
• Garlic. You can use one-half teaspoon of garlic powder, the same amount of dried garlic granules, or 2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced.
• Flour. All-purpose flour is the base of the roux or béchamel we're making in the skillet.
• Whole Milk. In my opinion, it's always best to bake and cook with whole milk, but you can use 2%. I haven't tested this recipe with any dairy substitutes.
• Broken Lasagna Noodles. We need about 6 broken curly lasagna noodles--perfect for using the last of the box from the last time you made freezer lasagna!
• Ricotta Cheese. Full-fat ricotta cheese is always the most delicious, but you may use part-skim, if you prefer.
• Mozzarella Cheese. Any white melting cheese is great here.
• Parmesan Cheese.

The Directions

1. Gather the ingredients, and make sure your skillet measures 10" wide. A smaller skillet might make it difficult for the lasagna noodles to have enough room to cook, and, similarly, a larger skillet might make the liquid evaporate too quickly before the noodles cook. This 10" skillet is the perfect size for this recipe.
   
2. First, add the olive oil to the skillet, and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the ground chicken, and cook while breaking up with a wooden spoon.
   
3. Add the finely diced onion, dried basil and garlic to the skillet. Continue to cook, while stirring occasionally. When no pink remains in the chicken and the onions are translucent and golden around the edges, you can proceed.
   
4. Next, sprinkle the flour in the pan. Cook while stirring for 1 minute. This just cooks the raw taste out of the flour, and helps prepare us to make our white sauce (also called a béchamel).
   
5. Add the 2 cups of whole milk, plus 1 cup of water to the skillet. Stir gently to combine, but be careful not to splash too much.
   
6. Add the broken lasagna noodles. Use the spoon to try to submerge most of the noodles. You can stir it occasionally while it comes to a simmer to facilitate this. After 8-9 minutes at a brisk simmer, the noodles should be cooked all the way through. Give them a taste to ensure before moving onto the next step.
   
7. Add the ricotta, grated mozzarella, and Parmesan to the skillet. Stir until everything melts, and is super creamy! Serve scoops on a plate garnished with fresh basil and additional Parmesan cheese.

If you love lasagna as much as we do in our house, you might need this Peanut Butter Lasagna recipe for dessert, too!