Mary Berry Chicken and Mushroom Lasagne Recipe

A chicken and mushroom lasagne is a genuinely different dish from the classic beef version — not a substitution for the beef, not a pale imitation, but a dish with its own distinct character. The mushrooms give an earthy depth that suits the chicken’s more delicate flavour.

The béchamel is the same. The layering is the same. But the character of the filling — the earthiness of the caramelised mushrooms against the tender chicken in a white wine and cream sauce — gives something that is simultaneously more refined and more interesting than the classic beef ragù.

This is the lasagne I make for people who want something special but not quite what they expect. It disappears as reliably as the beef version and generates as many requests for the recipe.

Ingredients for Mary Berry Chicken and Mushroom Lasagne

For the Chicken and Mushroom Filling

• 700g boneless skinless chicken thighs, minced or very finely chopped — or use 500g chicken mince
• 400g chestnut mushrooms, very finely chopped
• 100g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 200ml hot water for 20 minutes — liquid reserved
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 30g unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, very finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 celery sticks, very finely chopped
• 150ml dry white wine
• 200ml double cream
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Béchamel Sauce

• 75g unsalted butter
• 75g plain flour
• 900ml whole milk, warm
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 75g Parmesan, finely grated
• Salt and white pepper

For Assembly

• 12 dried lasagne sheets — no-cook variety
• 100g Parmesan, finely grated — for the top
• 50g mozzarella, torn — for the top

How to Make Mary Berry Chicken and Mushroom Lasagne

Step 1 — Prepare the Porcini

Soak the dried porcini in hot water for twenty minutes. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid. Squeeze the porcini dry and chop very finely. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine sieve lined with kitchen paper to remove any grit. Set both aside.

Step 2 — Caramelise the Fresh Mushrooms

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil and half the butter in a large pan over a high heat. Add the finely chopped chestnut mushrooms — do not stir for two minutes. Cook until deeply golden and all the moisture has evaporated. Remove and set aside.

Step 3 — Cook the Chicken Base

In the same pan, heat the remaining oil over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken mince or very finely chopped chicken. Break up and cook for six to eight minutes until thoroughly browned and golden. Remove and set aside.

Step 4 — Build the Filling

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining butter. Cook the onion, celery, and garlic for ten minutes until very soft. Add the thyme.

Return the chicken to the pan. Add the white wine — bubble for two minutes. Add the cream, the caramelised fresh mushrooms, the chopped porcini, and the strained porcini soaking liquid. Season very generously.

Simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes until the sauce is rich, thick, and deeply flavoured. The liquid should be mostly absorbed and the filling should not be watery. Add the parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Step 5 — Make the Béchamel

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour — stir for two minutes. Add the warm milk gradually, whisking continuously until smooth. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and comes to the boil. Add the nutmeg, Parmesan, salt, and white pepper. Remove from the heat.

Step 6 — Assemble

Preheat your oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Lightly butter a deep 30x20cm ovenproof dish.

Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the base. Lay four lasagne sheets over. Spread half the chicken and mushroom filling over the pasta. Pour a third of the remaining béchamel over the filling. Lay four more sheets. Spread the remaining chicken and mushroom filling. Pour another third of béchamel. Lay the final four sheets. Pour the remaining béchamel over the top — covering the pasta completely.

Scatter the Parmesan and torn mozzarella generously over the top.

Step 7 — Bake

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is deeply golden and bubbling and a knife inserted through the layers meets no resistance. Rest for ten minutes before serving — the lasagne sets slightly and slices more cleanly.

My Top Tips For Perfect Chicken and Mushroom Lasagne

Use dried porcini mushrooms. Fresh chestnut mushrooms give earthiness. Dried porcini give extraordinary depth — the soaking water alone, added to the sauce, transforms the flavour of the filling from pleasant to genuinely complex. Do not skip them.

Caramelise the fresh mushrooms separately at high heat. Mushrooms added to a moderate pan with the other ingredients steam rather than caramelise. Two minutes of high heat without stirring gives deeply golden, flavourful mushrooms.

The filling must not be watery. A watery filling makes the pasta sheets float rather than absorb the sauce, gives the finished lasagne a wet, slightly sloppy texture, and makes it impossible to slice cleanly. Simmer until the liquid is substantially reduced and the filling is thick.

Spread béchamel on the base before the first pasta sheet. This prevents the base sheets from drying out and becoming tough. A thin layer of sauce under the first pasta keeps it moist throughout baking.

Rest for ten minutes before serving. Lasagne cut immediately from the oven collapses as you serve it. Ten minutes allows the layers to firm slightly and gives clean, identifiable portions.

Serving Suggestions

With a simple rocket and Parmesan salad dressed with lemon and olive oil. With garlic bread. On its own — a generous portion of this lasagne needs nothing alongside.

How to Store

In the fridge: Store covered for up to 3 days. Reheat covered with foil at 180°C for 25 to 30 minutes.

In the freezer: Freeze assembled before baking for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight and bake as directed, adding ten minutes.

Mary Berry Chicken and Mushroom Lasagne Recipe

Mary Berry's chicken and mushroom lasagne has a rich, deeply flavoured filling with caramelised mushrooms, tender chicken, and a silky béchamel.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Resting Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Servings: 6 Portions

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Calories: 570

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• Chicken and Mushroom Filling:
• 700 g boneless skinless chicken thighs minced or very finely chopped
• 400 g chestnut mushrooms very finely chopped
• 100 g dried porcini soaked in 200ml hot water — liquid reserved and strained
• 2 tbsp olive oil 30g unsalted butter
• 1 large onion 3 garlic cloves, 2 celery sticks — all very finely chopped
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 200 ml double cream
• 1 tsp fresh thyme 2 tbsp fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper
• Béchamel Sauce:
• 75 g unsalted butter
• 75 g plain flour
• 900 ml warm whole milk
• ½ tsp nutmeg 75g Parmesan grated
• Salt and white pepper
• Assembly:
• 12 no-cook dried lasagne sheets
• 100 g Parmesan finely grated
• 50 g mozzarella torn

CHECK THIS RECIPE  Mary Berry Sticky Chicken Wings Recipe

Method

 

1. Soak porcini in hot water 20 minutes. Drain — reserve liquid, strain through kitchen paper. Chop porcini finely.
2. Caramelise chestnut mushrooms in hot oil and butter — 2 minutes without stirring until deeply golden. Remove.
3. Brown chicken mince in hot oil — 6–8 minutes until thoroughly golden. Remove.
4. Cook onion, celery, and garlic in remaining butter — 10 minutes until very soft. Add thyme. Return chicken. Add wine — bubble 2 minutes. Add cream, caramelised mushrooms, porcini, and strained porcini liquid. Season. Simmer 15–20 minutes until thick and rich. Add parsley. Taste.
5. Make béchamel: melt butter, add flour, stir 2 minutes. Add warm milk gradually — whisk smooth. Thicken over heat. Add nutmeg, Parmesan, seasoning.
6. Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Butter dish. Thin béchamel on base. Layer: 4 pasta sheets, half filling, third béchamel. Repeat. Final 4 sheets — remaining béchamel over top completely. Scatter Parmesan and mozzarella.
7. Bake 40–45 minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Use dried porcini — their soaking water transforms the depth of the filling.

Caramelise fresh mushrooms at high heat without stirring — steaming gives no depth.

The filling must not be watery — simmer until thick before assembling.

Spread béchamel on the base before the first pasta sheet — prevents drying out.

Rest 10 minutes before serving — layers firm and portions hold their shape.

Freeze assembled before baking for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use ready-cooked chicken instead of raw?

Yes — shred a cooked rotisserie chicken very finely and add with the wine and cream. Skip the browning step. The porcini and fresh mushrooms still need to be prepared separately.

Can I use a different pasta?

Yes — wide, flat pasta like pappardelle or rigatoni can be used as a baked pasta dish rather than a traditional layered lasagne. The filling and béchamel quantities are the same.

Why is my lasagne watery?

The filling was not reduced sufficiently, or there was too much béchamel and it became liquid in the oven. Ensure the filling is thick before assembling and measure the béchamel carefully.

Can I make this ahead?

Yes — assemble completely and refrigerate overnight. Bake the following day, adding ten minutes to the baking time. This is the best approach for dinner parties.