CrockPot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

Kristin Molitor credits her sister, Hannah, for finding this unusual recipe in Stephanie O’Dea’s “Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking.”

“We’ve got the ‘crockpot bug,’ ” Kristin explained. “That’s why we bought the book. We think this recipe is fun because it is different from most traditional ‘crockpot’ recipes like goulash or roast beef. It’s one of Hannah’s favorites — she puts buffalo chicken sauce on everything.”

I’m glad that Kristin brought this recipe to my attention. It’s not only a surprising flavor combination for lasagna but also an unconventional way to cook this classic oven-baked dish. I’ve added it to my “give this a try soon” list. Maybe you will, too. CJK

CrockPot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

(Kristin Molitor) 
From a Stephanie O’Dea Recipe

4 cooked chicken breast halves, chopped

1 jar of pasta sauce

1 cup buffalo wing sauce

12 uncooked traditional lasagna noodles

1 (15 oz.) tub ricotta cheese

3 red, yellow or orange bell peppers, chopped

2 cups shredded mozzarella and cheddar blend cheese

1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles

1/4 cup water

Spray the crock liner of a 5 quart-size (or larger) slow cooker with no-stick spray.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, pasta sauce and buffalo wing sauce. Ladle a spoonful of the sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker. Cover with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles — break them to fit properly into container.

Spread some of the ricotta cheese onto the noodles. Add a layer of bell peppers and sprinkle with a handful of the shredded cheese.

Repeat layers until these ingredients are all placed in slow cooker. Distribute the bleu cheese crumbles over the top. Pour 1/4 cup water into empty pasta sauce jar and shake. Pour liquid over lasagna.

Cover and cook on “low” for 6-7 hours or on “high” C for 4 to 5 hours. When the cooking is complete, unplug and take the lid off of the slow cooker. Let the lasagna sit for 20 minutes before cutting and serving. (This step is important — otherwise it will fall apart.)

Yield: 10 servings

A note from Kristin: First, make sure you grease the liner. This step was not mentioned in the original recipe and we found that without it the ends get very hard and crusty and difficult to remove from the sides of the stoneware crock.

Also, we’ve tweaked the flavor for a greater “kick” by adding more hot sauce than the recipe called for. We’ve used a lot more than one cup of Frank’s® RedHot hot sauce (instead of the buffalo wing sauce) and found it wasn’t too hot. Our family really likes spicy food!

A note from Carol: Kristin Molitor is the Marriage Course and Fully Engaged Coordinator in the diocesan Office of Marriage and Family. Kristin, the second oldest in her family, and her seven sisters — Melaine, Leah, Hannah, Maria, Abby, Angela and Maggie — are the daughters of Joseph and the late Shirley Molitor, whose family attend Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church in Rockville. Melaine is a second grade teacher at St. Alphonsus School in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Leah is married to Adam Brix and they are the parents of two young sons.

Stephanie O’Dea is a New York Times best-selling author, award-winning blogger and mother of three. In 2008 she made a New Year’s resolution to use her slow cooker every day for a year and write about it in her blog, “A Year of Slow Cooking.” Sharing those recipes on her blog was inspiration for two books: “Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking” and “More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: 200 Brand-New, Budget-Friendly, Slow-Cooker Recipes.” She created her CrockPot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna recipe when she “stumbled across” a version of this dish (which is baked in an oven) on another blog.