Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

My friend Claire made this recipe from the Make It Fast, Cook It Slow cookbook by Stephanie O'Dea recently and it turned out yummy. I can write with confidence that it was yummy because she brought me a sample piece...she is such a good friend! Anyway, I am going to change some things around and just use the original recipe as a blueprint. Thank goodness that Claire and I like a lot of the same foods, otherwise I wouldn't have her blog to steal ideas from!!! I think a fresh green salad and this lasagna will make a very tasty meal.

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

Ingredients:
cooking spray
1 box of no-boil lasagna noodles
2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste
1 jar of prepared pasta sauce
1 1/2 cups buffalo wing sauce (I used Frank's Hot Sauce. If you like it less spicy, use less hot wing sauce.)
1/2 of a small red onion, diced
1 jar of roasted red and yellow bell peppers, diced
1 small can of sliced green olives
1/2 tub of low fat cream cheese (about 4 ozs.)
1/2 tub of part skim ricotta cheese (about 4 ozs.)
1 package of dry ranch dressing mix
1 cups shredded cheese (I am using fresh mozzarella)
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles (I am using blue cheese on top of half of the lasagna)
1/4 cup of smoked Gouda, shredded (I am using the smoked Gouda to the top of the other half of the lasagna--my husband hates blue cheese)

Directions:
In a large glass bowl, combine cooked and chopped chicken breast, the pasta sauce, and the buffalo wing sauce. Then, in a separate bowl mix ricotta cheese, cream cheese, and ranch dressing together, and set aside.

Ladle a big spoonful of the sauce mix into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles. Add a smear of the ricotta cheese mix to the top of the noodles. Add a layer of the diced bell pepper, green olives, and onions. Sprinkle on a handful of shredded cheese. Repeat layers until you run out of ingredients.

Add the blue cheese crumbles (or shredded smoked Gouda) to the top, if desired. (I am doing blue cheese on half and the Gouda on the other half.)

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes covered with foil, and then remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the top cheese becomes slightly browned and bubbly. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve!



The Result:
This was yummy with a bit of a lip-tingling, spicy, hum to it. We all really liked it...even my 4 year old. If you like things a little more tame, remember to cut down on the amount of hot sauce used. My family is comprised of a bunch of spicy food freaks; so if that is not your bag, adjust the recipe accordingly. As for the types of cheese I used...ummmm perfection! Dare I say, I liked the smoked Gouda cheese on top almost more than I liked the blue cheese. I love blue cheese, so that really surprised me. The smoked Gouda added a real depth to the overall flavor of the dish. The only negative thing I can say about this dish is that it was messy. Once I cut into this lasagna to serve, it fell apart and was a little soupy. I don't mind ugly food, so I was okay with the messy pile of noodle parts on my plate. Other than that, it was still totally delicious!