Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Mexican Lasagna


I made this last night for dinner, we liked it a lot, but if you like a bit of spice, you might want to add some more heat. There wasn't much heat at all.

I contemplated doubling the tortillas, but didn't and although it might be nice, both Adam and I thought it might dry the dish out too much to do that.

Overall a very tasty recipe, and quite easy to prepare (I made it up while Jackie napped, then just threw it in the oven when needed). I think it would freeze well, but it would have to be completely defrosted before cooking.

Mexican Lasagna

1 ½ pounds (680 g) extra-lean ground beef
1 cup diced red onions
1 cup diced green pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup diced tomatoes
½ cup frozen or canned corn
1 ½ tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin powder
2 cups your favourite tomato pasta sauce
1 cup medium salsa
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
4 large or 8 small whole wheat flour tortillas
1 ½ cups packed shredded light old (sharp) cheddar cheese
¼ cup chopped green onions
1 cup light sour cream

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 9 X 13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large, non-stick pot or skillet, cook ground chicken, onion, green pepper and garlic over medium high heat until meat is no longer pink. Break up any large pieces of chicken as it’s cooking.

Add black beans, tomatoes, corn, chilli powder and cumin. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes. Add pasta sauce, salsa and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro and remove from heat.

To assemble lasagna, spread 1/3 sauce mixture over bottom of casserole dish. Top with ½ of the tortillas, overlapping and cutting them as necessary o fit. Top with 1/3 sauce mixture, followed by ½ the cheese. Cover cheese with remaining tortillas, followed by remaining sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheese over sauce and top with green onions.

Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes. Let lasagne stand for at least 10 minutes before slicing for easier serving. Top each piece with a dollop of sour cream.

Hint: If you prefer, you can substitute extra-learn ground beef for the ground chicken and Monterey Jack cheese for the cheddar cheese.

Yield: 8 servings
Source: Eat, Shrink and Be Merry by Janet & Greta Podleski

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