05.09.09 Mexican lasagna

We tried a recipe at the lake over the weekend that Mom saw at the Taste of Home cooking school earlier last week. It was a Mexican lasagna (recipe below), with layers of yummy goodness!

Mexican Lasagna
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken (we used lean ground beef)
1 cup each diced red onions and diced green bell pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup diced tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups pasta sauce
1 cup medium salsa
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
4 large or 8 small whole wheat flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded light sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup green onions

sour cream, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the ground chicken, onions, green pepper and garlic over medium-high heat until the chicken is no longer pink. Break up any large pieces of chicken as it is cooking.

Add black beans, tomatoes, corn, chili 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 casserole, spread a third of the sauce mixture over bottom of casserole dish. Top with half of the tortillas, overlapping and cutting them as necessary to fit. Top with a third of the sauce mixture, followed by half of 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 10 more minutes. Let lasagna stand for at least 10 minutes before slicing for easier serving. Top each piece with a dollop of sour cream.

Yield: 8 servings.