I already know what you're thinking... "lasagna isn't Mexican" or "is he out of his Tex-Mex mind?" While I've been accused of being mindless on occasion, I'm definitely not out of my mind this time.
Like Garfield the Cat, I'm a big fan of lasagna... mostly the Italian kind. I have an Italian lasagna recipe that I got from my dad that I used to make often when my children were younger, but for reasons I really haven't been able to describe I've made it only once in the past 20 years or so. That one time was for a very somber occasion, the passing of my younger brother just a few months ago, where I volunteered a turn at cooking dinner and that was what the family requested. I'll get around to making that one someday and posting it here, but not today.
Today, we have a southwestern style lasagna named after our neighbors to the south. Rightly it should be called a Tex-Mex dish that's more along the lines of multi-layered quesadillas or even stacked flat enchiladas, but I didn't name it... I just tried it, so that's what we'll keep calling it here.
I did make a couple of changes to this recipe from the original. First, the listed recipe called for a can of diced tomatoes and a can of green chiles. I replaced those with two cans of Ro*Tel diced tomatoes and chiles, a staple among Tex-Mex cooks here in Texas and surrounding states. I also played around with the serving sizes; it called for 12 servings from a 9 x 13 casserole dish, but my experience has been that 8 servings from one is more often found, especially here in Texas where servings are typically larger (although in this case you'd probably want to cut them down by half for smaller children).
Adapted from Amanda's Cookin'
A Tex-Mex twist on lasagna, layering seasoned meat, cheese, and tortillas in a delicious dish sure to please the entire family.
Adapted from Amanda's Cookin'
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In a large skillet, combine the ground beef and diced onions and cook over medium heat until the beef is browned and the onions have become translucent, breaking the beef into crumbles as it cooks. Drain off any excess grease.
Add garlic to the skillet and cook 1-2 minutes. Add taco seasoning and water, mixing well to combine. Add Ro*Tel and beans, mixing thoroughly and allowing to heat through.
Place a layer of 6 tortillas in the bottom of the casserole dish, overlapping them so they cover most of the bottom. Spoon in 1/3 of the meat mixture and spread evenly across the tortillas. Add 2 cups of cheese on top of the meat mixture, again spreading evenly. Repeat two more times with the remaining tortillas, meat mixture, and cheese to make a total of three layers.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbly. Remove from oven, uncover, and let rest for 10 minutes to allow the lasagna to firm up. Serve with garnishes if desired.
Servings 8
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.