Lazy Day Chicken Lasagna

What do you do when you don’t have a lot of time to make dinner but you want a delicious, quality meal? Well, you make Lazy Day Chicken Lasagna, of course.

Some days are hard. You want something warm and deeply comforting, but the thought of standing over a stove browning meat, simmering sauce, and carefully layering noodles makes you want to order pizza instead. That’s the exact moment this cheesy chicken lasagna recipe was designed for.

A hot-out-of-the-oven classic lasagna is such a delicious dish, but usually it’s not something you think of as quick and easy. But, all of that is about to change. I’ve taken a little help from some grocery store conveniences to make a healthy and delicious chicken version of this classic Italian favorite easy enough to make any time.

Make it on a Sunday when you want comfort without effort. Make it on a Wednesday when you need dinner handled with minimal brain power. Make it whenever you want something warm, rich and satisfying when you have little time. Lazy Lasagna!

What Makes This Recipe Great

✅ Minimal Prep Work Required – The recipe lives up to its “lazy day” name by eliminating the most time-consuming aspects of traditional lasagna. You don’t need to precook the noodles, brown meat for extended periods, or spend hours layering ingredients with precision. The use of rotisserie chicken, no boil noodles and some jarred ingredients for the main components means you can skip entire cooking steps, shaving significant time off your meal preparation.

✅ Perfect for Feeding a Crowd – This homemade lasagna makes a generous portion that easily feeds a family or provides leftovers for the week. It’s ideal for potlucks, family gatherings, or meal prepping. The recipe scales well if you need to make more, and it holds up beautifully when reheated, making it practical for busy households.

✅ Make-Ahead Convenience – You can assemble this lasagna hours or even a day before you need to bake it. Simply cover it and refrigerate until you’re ready to pop it in the oven. This make-ahead capability is invaluable for busy weeknights or when you’re hosting and want to minimize last-minute kitchen stress.

What to Serve with Lazy Day Chicken Lasagna 

Cheesy Bloomin’ Crusty Italian Bread
Pull together the lasagna, a side salad and this cheesy pull apart bread and you have yourself a winner dinner.

Savory and Cheesy Baked Parmesan Puffs
The parmesan cheese gives them a wonderful, cheesy flavor, the black pepper gives them a little bite, and they take almost no time to prepare.

Roasted Asparagus Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
A bright, tangy salad is always a great choice. This recipe is nice and light and tastes really fresh and bright from the orange juice and orange pieces. The pine nuts add a little crunch and the rosemary adds some depth to the flavor.

Freezing and Storing Leftovers

To Store:

Let it cool completely before storing. Putting hot lasagna in the fridge creates condensation, which makes it soggy. Once it is at room temperature, then cover tightly with plastic wrap or transfer individual slices to airtight containers.

You can store the lasagna for 3-5 days in the fridge.

To Freeze:

If you are making this ahead of time and want to freeze unbaked, simply assemble, cover with plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil and put in the freezer. If you are freezing leftovers, I like to cut up individual pieces and put them in their own airtight containers. It makes it easier to control portions if you are going to reheat for a lunch or dinner.

The lasagna will keep in the freezer for up to three months.

How to Reheat

Oven Method

If you are reheating an entire pan from frozen, put into a preheated 350 degree oven. Allow an additional 15 minutes of cooking time.

Microwave Method

I like to use the microwave method when reheating individual pieces. Let the piece of lasagna thaw, put onto a microwave safe plate, cover with parchment paper and heat for 1-2 minutes until hot.

Parchment paper is much better to use than a paper towel because it doesn’t stick to the cheese as much as a paper towel.

Recommended Equipment

Tips and Tricks

• If you want to make this lasagna extra special, you can make your own ricotta cheese. You can make up to five days ahead. It’s super easy to make and it tastes so delicious.
• Use a mix of white and dark meat chicken. Dark meat stays juicier and adds more flavor, but white meat gives you that classic chicken texture. A rotisserie chicken already has both, so just shred the whole thing and mix it together.
• Use parchment paper under the foil if your cheese is really piled high. It creates a barrier so the foil doesn’t stick, and you don’t lose half your cheese layer when you uncover it.
• The lasagna can be made ahead and frozen for up to three months.
• If your family is smaller, the lasagna can be divided into two 8×8 pans. You’ll need to increase the noodles to 18, using 3 per layer, per pan. Bake one now and freeze the other one for later.
• Make sure the spinach is well drained. I wrap the defrosted spinach in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze it until the liquid is removed.
• Allow the lasagna 10-15 minutes to rest before serving.

Ingredients Needed to Make Lazy Day Chicken Lasagna

Full instructions can be found below in the printable recipe card

• Jarred marinara sauce – Any brand will work, but I love Trader Joe’s Marinara. It’s a delicious pasta sauce.
• Water – Since the recipe uses no boil lasagna noodles the water helps to keep the lasagna nice and saucy, since the noodles will absorb some of the sauce.
• Rotisserie chicken – You could also use shredded chicken breast.
• Jarred roasted red peppers – I use jarred as a time saver, rather than roasting my own.
• Frozen spinach – After thawing, I wrap the spinach in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out the extra moisture.
• Dried Italian seasoning – For this recipe I prefer dried herbs to speed up prep time.
• Garlic powder – I also use this over chopping fresh to speed up prep time.
• Red pepper flakes – Use as much or as little for the level heat that you’d like.
• Cooking spray – This prevents the lasagna from sticking to the pan.
• No boil lasagna noodles – This really speeds up the prep time and I feel they taste just as good as traditional.
• Shredded mozzarella cheese – Again for ease, I use pre-shredded, but feel free to shred your own, if you prefer.
• Grated parmesan – I feel like this incorporates better into the lasagna.
• Whole milk ricotta cheese – Whole milk will give a richer, creamier taste and texture, but feel free to substitute a low fat ricotta.

How to Make Lazy Day Chicken Lasagna

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine marinara sauce and water in a large mixing bowl.
• Remove 1/2 cup sauce and set aside.
• Add next 6 ingredients, through red pepper flakes to mixing bowl, stirring until well combined.
• Coat a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.
• Spread reserved sauce on the bottom of the pan.
• Top with 4 noodles.
• Spread 1/3 of the chicken mixture over the noodles.
• Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella and 2 tbsp parmesan over chicken mixture.
• Repeat process two times for a total of 3 layers.
• Dot top layer with ricotta cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.
• Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until cheese starts to brown.
• Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.

ENJOY!

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