Mexican Lasagna
Yield: 8-10 servings
1 cup unprepared rice
2 cups chicken broth OR water
2 large fresh tomatoes, chopped OR (1) 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 onion, chopped small
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of cooked pinto beans or about ½ of a 14 oz can of pinto beans
4 large flour tortillas, I used my homemade whole wheattortillas
3/4 lb ground beef, the leaner the better
12-16 oz shredded Mexican cheese blend, I used ½ Tillamook Cheddar and ½ Monterrey Jack
2 cups of frozen corn, thawed OR 1 can of corn, drained (drained)
16 oz salsa verde or green chile sauce
8 oz red enchilada sauce
3 tablespoons chili powder
1.5 tablespoons paprika
1.5 tablespoons cumin
Butter
Salt
Optional: Sour cream
Optional: Cilantro
Cook
the rice with the chicken broth and set aside. Melt a tablespoon of
butter in a large skillet and add the tomatoes, onions and garlic. Add 1
tablespoon chili powder and 1/2 tablespoon each of paprika and cumin.
Stir until combined. Add the pinto beans and then combine with the rice
in a large bowl. Taste this mixture and add salt as needed.
Brown
the ground beef using 1 tablespoon chili powder and 1/2 tablespoon each
of paprika and cumin. Salt the mixture to taste and add a few
tablespoons of water to create the taco beef.
Spread
half the salsa verde in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Layer the tortillas
across the bottom of the pan, covering the sauce. (I like to tear my
tortillas into pieces and then layer that across the dish in a single
layer.) Divide your rice mixture in half and spread it over the layer of
tortillas. Divide the cheese in half and layer it over the rice
mixture.
Add
another layer of tortillas on top of the cheese. Pour the red enchilada
sauce over the tortillas and spread it out evenly. Add the ground beef
in a layer over the sauce. Add the corn on top of the meat. Then add the
remaining rice mixture on top of the corn, followed by the remaining
salsa verde. On the top of everything add the remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until the center is warm and the cheese has melted completely.
Serve with sour cream and cilantro if desired.