Mexican Lasagne

I’m trying to be more creative with my cooking. I want to expand, but I’m so busy. When it gets late, I start thinking of my old favorites; tortillas, cheese, beans. Gooey, saucy, yummy Mexican-influenced food. I’m too tired to be creative. So, I try a new spin on an old favorite instead.

I made a beef roast in the crockpot the other day, using my usual spice blend. We used it for tacos, with corn tortillas from Trader Joes that I will never buy again. Ugh. They were so odd. They smelled weird and had very little flavor. Very disappointing.

Last night, I needed to fit a few things into the few remaining hours of the day. Among these things were dinner and my daily run. I decided to use the leftover beans and beef from the other dinner to make a sort of layered enchilada/Mexican Lasange dish. I don’t remember the exact measurements, but you can find a quick explanation below. I built the casserole, then refridgerated it for an hour while I ran. After my run, I took it out, let the dish sit for 15 minutes, then baked it. Letting it sit for a bit allowed the tortillas to plump up a bit with the sauce. That, paired with the creamy layer, gave it a lasagne-feel.

Mexican Lasagne

*1 cup Enchilada sauce
*12 corn tortillas
*1 cup refried beans with 3 TB water stirred in to make them smooth and spreadable
*1 1/3 cups Shredded Beef (you can substitute ground beef, ground turkey, or chicken here, but it helps if it already has been seasoned with taco-type seasoning)
*1 1/2 cup cheese (cheddar, jack, Mexican mix, whatever you like)
*1 cup sour cream
*1 TB flour
*1 cup salsa

Spray a dish (about 8 inches in diameter) with no-stick cooking spray. Pour a 1/4 cup Enchilada sauce in the bottom to coat, then lay 3 tortillas in the bottom of the pan. Break one apart if you need to, as long as you cover the entire bottom of the pan. Spread the beans over the tortillas, then top with a light layer of cheese. Cover with 1/4 cup Enchilada sauce, then another layer of tortillas. Spread the shredded beef over the tortillas, then top with the salsa, then sour cream, then cheese, then 1/4 cup Enchilada sauce. Top with another layer of tortillas. Cover with 1/4 cup sauce, then remaining cheese.

At this point you can either bake or cover with plastic and put in the fridge to bake later. If baking now, cover with foil, put into a 350 F oven for 30 minute. Uncover and back for an additional 10 minutes. Dish is done when it’s brown and bubbling.

Image credit: Michelle Hamor Smith

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