CINCO DE MAYO RECIPE: Mexican Lasagne

May 2, 2013 at 8:46 am · Filed under Cinco de Mayo-Dia De Los Muertos, Pasta-Pizza, Recipes

Mexican lasagne, a crowd-pleasing recipe.
Photo courtesy Taste Of Home.

Here’s a fun and tasty Tex-Mex comfort food dish for Cinco de Mayo, from Taste Of Home: Mexican lasagne, 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 lasagne, ending with an “e”; lasagna ending with an “a” is an Americanization.

MEXICAN LASAGNE RECIPE

Ingredients

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 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. Yield: 12 servings.

VARIATIONS

Substitute corn tortillas for lasagne 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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