Dill Pickle Cheddar Lasagna

Instructions:

1. For the Cheddar Cheese Sauce:
2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
3. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine.
4. Cook for approximately 1 minute, whisking often.
5. Add the milk and heavy cream together in a measuring cup.
6. Slowly pour in about 1 cup of the milk/heavy cream while whisking constantly, until smooth.
7. Slowly pour in the remaining milk/cream, while whisking constantly, until combined and smooth.
8. Continue to heat over medium heat, whisking very often, until thickened to a very thick consistency.
9. Remove from the heat and stir in spices and 1 1/2 cups cheese, stirring to melt and combine. Stir until completely melted and smooth.
10. For the Dill Ricotta:
11. Mix all the ingredients together until fully combined.
12. Set aside.
13. To layer the Lasagna:
14. Using a 9-x-13 pan ladle a third of the cheddar cheese sauce.
15. Place the 1 cup pickle juice into a shallow pan, such as a pie plate.
16. Dip 5 oven ready noodles into the dill pickle juice to wet them. The cheese sauce is thick and is not juicy like traditional lasagna with a red sauce so dipping the noodles adds pickle flavor and will help soften them when they cook.
17. Layer the 5 noodles in the pan. They may overlap in spots and gap in others…it’s fine.
18. Spread a half the ricotta fresh dill mixture in an even layer.
19. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheddar cheese over the ricotta mixture as evenly as possible.
20. Layer 10 dill pickle stackers staggering them out so that each bite will have pickle.
21. Top with a third of the cheese sauce.
22. Dip 5 more oven ready noodles into the dill pickle juice to wet them.
23. Layer the 5 noodles on top of the pickle layer.
24. Add the remaining ricotta mixture and spread evenly across the noodles.
25. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheddar cheese over the ricotta mixture as evenly as possible.
26. Layer 10 dill pickle stackers staggering them out so that each bite will have pickle.
27. Dip 5 more oven ready noodles into the dill pickle juice to wet them.
28. Layer the 5 noodles on top of the pickle layer.
29. Top with remaining third of cheddar cheese sauce.
30. Cover with foil and bake at 375F for 40 minutes.
31. Remove from oven (leave oven on) and remove foil.
32. Sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup cheddar cheese and the diced dill pickle pieces.
33. Place back in oven and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 8-10 minutes.
34. Let cool for about 10 minutes and then serve.