Mexican Lasagna

I love traditional dishes from all over the globe but I also love to mix things up with some fusion cuisine too. Fusion food is a general term given to cuisines that combine elements from different culinary cultures. Like Chinese Fried Chicken or Mexican Lasagna. I discovered Mexican Lasagna about 5 years ago in a ground beef cookbook I bought at a checkout counter. I thought this was perfect since my husband loves Mexican flavors and I am all about some Italian pastas. This is a great combination of the two.

One lasagna few my family of 4 for 2 nights. Very filling and the 2lbs of ground beef is the most expensive part of this recipe.

Ingredients

• 2lbs ground beef
• 1 can (32oz) refried beans
• 2 cans (4.5oz) mild chopped green chilies
• 1 envelope or 3 Tbsp taco seasoning
• 1 jar (16oz) salsa mild-hot
• 12oz uncooked lasagna noodles
• 4 cups Mexican blend cheese
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups (16oz) sour cream 
• 1 can (2oz) sliced olives, drained
• 5 green onions 
• 1 medium tomato, optional

 

UTENSILS YOU NEED:

• Large Frying Pan
• Can Opener
• Mixing Spoon
• 9x13 Baking Dish
• Cutting Board
• Chopping Knife
• Measuring Cup
• Medium Mixing Bowl

Directions 

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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook beef in large skillet until no longer pink  
3. Drain beef in a colander and return to skillet
4. Add taco seasoning, refried beans, chilies, and 2 tablespoons of salsa. I used medium chunky salsa but whatever your preferences are. I am a heat weanie and the medium salsa is very mild when cooked in this dish. 
5. Stir until evenly combined. (looks like mud but tastes delicious!)
6. Taste and add salt as desired.
7. In a 9x13 baking dish layer 5 lasagna noodles like shown, breaking the 5th noodle as needed to fit width wise in the pan (dry noodles snap incredibly easy) 
8. Layer a third of the beef mixture on top of the uncooked noodles. Don't worry about the beef mixture being perfectly even.       
9. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese and repeat layers twice.
10. Combine remaining salsa and 2 cups of water and pour on top of uncooked lasagna.
11. Cover with foil and bake on center rack of oven for 1 hour. 
12. When timer goes off, uncover lasagna and top with sour cream, green onions, olives, and tomatoes if you prefer.                       
13. Bake uncovered for 5 more minutes.      
14. Once cooked let it sit for about 10-15 minutes before digging in. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup is always a crowd pleaser. You can make this hearty soup as spicy or mild as your tastes prefer. I'm more of a mild salsa kind of gal where my husband and middle son are more hotter the salsa the better kind of people. This recipe is more on the mild-medium side but can easily be spiced up with some Cayenne Pepper, 1/4 tsp at a time until its at your desired heat. It can also be made even more mild by only adding regular diced tomatoes verses the Salsa Style ones my recipe calls for.



Another nifty tip I have for you is shredding chicken. No longer do I stand for forever shredding chicken with a fork. Thanks to the world wide web I learned I could use my handy stand mixer to shred my chicken. While it is still hot from the slow cooker or if you are boiling/poaching chicken for another recipe, simply toss it in your stand mixer and slowly start the mixer. In less than 2 minutes you will have perfectly shredded chicken. Wha-la!

   

Ingredients

• 4 split chicken breasts or 2 whole (frozen or thawed)
• 2 oz taco seasoning or 4 Tbsp
• 2 cans black beans, drained
• 2 cans corn, drained or frozen equivalent 
• 2 cans chicken broth (15oz)
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes (26oz)
• 1 can fire roasted salsa style diced tomatoes (15oz)
• Garlic salt to taste
• 2 cups Mexican cheese
• *optional* 5 corn tortillas 

  

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UTENSILS YOU NEED:

• Slow Cooker
• Can Opener
• Measuring Spoons
• Large Slotted Stirring Spoon
• Ladle
• Stand-up Mixer
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Directions 

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1. Place chicken breast on bottom of crock pot. 
2. Top with taco seasonings.                         
3. Add drained can corn, drained can black beans, all canned tomatoes, and chicken broth.                                                                    
4. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. 
5. Once cooked, remove chicken and shred by hand with forks or use the above tip and shred chicken in your stand-up mixer. 
6. Return shredded chicken to slow cooker and stir well. 
7. If you want tortilla chips then preheat oven to 375
8. Cut tortillas into 1/4 inch strips and bake on center rack for 20 minutes
9. Serve up your Chicken Tortilla Soup with baked tortilla chips or my personal favorite a handful of Mexican cheese.                                                                                   

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