Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 quart whole milk
• 8 ounces blue cheese crumbles
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Ground black pepper
• 4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 1 cup hot sauce
• 8-ounce package oven-ready lasagna noodles
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400˚F. Start the blue cheese sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then stir in the flour and let it cook, stirring now and then, until it’s bubbling and just starting to turn golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Gradually whisk the milk into the butter and flour mixture. It may tighten up and look a little crumbly at the beginning, but keep whisking and adding the milk, and it will come together smoothly.
3. When all the milk has been whisked in, bring the sauce to a simmer. Whisk it often, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan so it doesn’t scorch.
4. Let the sauce cook until it’s lightly thickened and creamy, 10 to 15 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, then stir in the blue cheese, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper until the cheese is melted. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
5. In another bowl, toss the shredded chicken with the hot sauce until the chicken is evenly coated.
6. To put the lasagna together, spoon a little cheese sauce across the bottom of a 9x13-inch (3-quart) baking dish. Add one layer of pasta sheets over the sauce. Top with a third of the chicken mixture, about 1 cup of the blue cheese sauce, and about 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.
7. Repeat the same layering process 2 more times. Add one last layer of noodles, then spread the remaining blue cheese sauce over the top and finish with the remaining mozzarella.
8. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Take off the foil and continue baking until the lasagna is bubbling and the edges are lightly browned, about 10 minutes more.
9. Let it cool for about 15 minutes before serving.