My New Favorite Spicy Dish

Sadly, the restaurant Brad and I frequented for the most delicious hot wings and blue cheese dipping sauce went out of business. I wish we'd known they were in trouble, or we would've gladly visited the establishment daily. Unfortunately, though, now we have no outlet for our hot wing desires. I make a hot wing dip that is all the rage among my coworkers, but it has even less nutritional value than actual hot wings, and since you have to eat it with chips, it doesn't feel like dinner. Occassionally, I will grill some chicken breasts and coat them with Syberg's Wing Sauce (The BEST wing sauce, in my opinion ), but again, it just isn't the same. In my effort to satiate our hot wing desires, I created this recipe. Hot Wing Lasagna. It was REALLY delicious, but does not quell my lust for Seamus McDaniels's wings. Luckily, the Muny opens next week, and we will be across the street from the original location once per week where we can consume wings and blue cheese to our little hearts' desires just before sitting outside for three hours in the 80+ degree weather with 90% humidity!

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

1 package oven ready lasagna noodles

1 jar Alfredo sauce (I used the Priano brand from Aldi)

1 tablespoon olive or other vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (8 oz) package mushrooms
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1/2 -3/4 cup hot sauce, to taste (I used Frank's Red Hot)

2 cups ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 - 2 cups blue cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Add olive oil to a preheated skillet. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms and chicken. Saute until onions and mushrooms are limp, and chicken is thoroughly cooked. Add hot sauce. The mixture will be a bit liquidy.

In a small bowl, mix ricotta cheese and egg together.

Heat oven to 375 F.

Spray a 11 x 7 inch pan or an 8x8 inch pan with cooking spray. Pour a little less than half of the Alfredo sauce in the bottom of the pan, and spread evenly. Lay 3 lasagna noodles across the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/2 of the ricotta/ egg mixture over the noodles. Spread 1/2 of the chicken mixture over the ricotta. Sprinkle 1/2 of the blue cheese over the chicken mixture. Sprinkle 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese over the blue cheese. Layer 3 additional lasagna noodles over the mozzarella cheese, followed by the remaining ricotta mixture, the remaining chicken mixture, the remaining blue cheese, and 2/3 cup mozzarella. Layer 3 final lasagna noodles. Spread remaining Alfredo sauce evenly over the top of the noodles. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil, and bake in preheated over for 60 minutes. After 60 minutes, unwrap the lasagna. If the top appears dry, add a small amount (a tablespoon or two) of water or milk. Then, return lasagna, uncovered, to the oven for 10 minutes or until cheese on top is melted and bubbly. Enjoy! (I certainly did!)

If I were to make this in a 13X7 inch pan, I would obviously use more lasagna noodles, but I think I would adjust in the following manner: 2 jars Alfredo sauce, 4 garlic cloves, 2 packages of mushrooms, 1 -1/2 cups hot sauce, 4 chicken breasts, 4 cups mozzarella and 2 cups blue cheese. I would not add any more ricotta, egg, or onion. You can also leave the blue cheese out altogether if you do not care for blue cheese. I, however LOVE blue cheese.

This delicious cobbler was super easy to make. I used 2 cups strawberries and 1/2 cup each of blackberries and raspberries, but you could also use blueberries, apples, peaches, or nectarines.

Triple Berry Cobbler

3 cups mixed berries
4 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon sugar

Prepare an 8 or 9 inch pan by spraying with cooking spray.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt. Add milk; whisk to form a smooth batter. Pour batter into pan, then scatter fruit over batter. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Bake until batter browns and fruit bubbles, 50 to 60 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.