[1] Mexican lasagna, a crowd-pleasing recipe (photo © Taste Of Home).
[2] Start with ground beef (photo © Good Eggs).
[3] Layer with your favorite grated cheese. (photo © Darryl Brooks | Dreamstime).
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Here’s a fun and tasty Tex-Mex comfort food dish for Cinco de Mayo, from Taste Of Home: Mexican lasagna, which adds Mexican flavors to the classic Italian dish. Serve it with a big green salad.
The correct spelling of the word, by the way, is lasagna.
MEXICAN LASAGNA RECIPE
Ingredients For 12 Servings
2 pounds ground beef
1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies or finely chopped jalepeños (more if you like things hot)
1 envelope taco seasoning
2 tablespoons hot salsa
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese or a Mexican cheese mix, divided
12 ounces uncooked lasagna noodles (we used whole wheat noodles for better nutrition)
1 jar (16 ounces) mild salsa
2 cups water
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
3 green onions, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped, optional
Preparation
1. COOK the beef in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the beans, chilies, taco seasoning, and hot salsa.
2. LAYER 1/3 of the noodles and meat mixture in a greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Repeat layers twice.
3. COMBINE salsa and water; pour over top. Cover and bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until heated through.
4. TOP with sour cream, olives, onions, tomatoes if desired and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes longer. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before cutting.
Variations
Substitute corn tortillas for lasagna noodles, 6 per layer, overlapped.
For a lower beef:bean ratio, use just 1 pound of ground beef and 32 ounces of refried beans.
Provide self-serve garnishes: fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, green and/or black olives, hot sauce, salsa, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt and/or tortilla chips.
Serve with a side of guacamole.
WINE PAIRING
Enjoy this recipe with a medium-bodied red wine such as Chianti, Malbec, Sangiovese or Zinfandel.
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