Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Mexican Lasagna


Okay, Mexican Lasagna.. I had you for the first time in the Penn State dining commons my freshman year. I am embarrassed to say I LOVED IT!

I love all things lasagna. I love all things Mexican (well, sort of). The combination? Incredible. If you like tacos/enchiladas/melty cheesy goodness (I know I got you on that one) then you will feel immense happiness making and eating this easy recipe! There are a bunch of variations involving using your own combination of spices (think cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper) but if you don't have the time or energy, this recipe uses a quick fix taco seasoning packet. Dig in!
Now, this is supposed to be in a 9x13 and serve 8 people. I cut the recipe in half for 4 people and put it in an 8x8 pan. The recipe below is for 8 though.

What ya need:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
2 (16 ounce) cans refried beans
4 (10 inch) corn tortillas (these hold up better than flour, plus they're better for you!)
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Salsa (as much or as little as you'd like...we're big salsa people)
1/2 medium onion
2 green onions, chopped
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
Sour Cream (optional for the side)
Olives (I HATE OLIVES WE WILL NOT BE INCLUDING THEM IN THE RECIPE!) if you don't feel as strongly as I do, toss em in!
What ya do:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
In large skillet over medium heat, cook beef and onion until browned. Drain. 

Combine beef with taco seasoning and refried beans.
Spread half of mixture in 9x13 inch baking dish.
Top with salsa and two tortillas, trimming if necessary, and half of cheese.
Repeat layers again. 
Bake 35 to 45 minutes until heated through and cheese is bubbly.
 Top with green onions and tomatoes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving. 

Serve alongside more salsa/sour cream
 
Tasty, tasty!!! This will give you 8 generous servings. Not counting added sour cream, the recipe comes out to:

Calories: 521
Fat: 22.4 g
Carb: 41.9 g
Protein: 30.8
Fiber: 7.4

Serve it along side a salad and you have a pretty well balanced meal. It's hearty, filling and satisfying!



3 comments:

Rick said...

Heart attack.

Jessie -- The Messie Kitchen said...

No diet soda in this one.

RachelE said...

I bet ground turkey would be great for this -- another way to cut down on calories and fat! Once you toss in the taco seasoning it tastes the same to me.