Mexican Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 ground beef
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 16 oz container Ricotta or cottage cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 can black beans (roughly 1 1/2 c. cooked beans, if using dry)
- 1 jar salsa
- 6 - 8 flour tortillas, cut in half
- 1 1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Combine the ground beef and onion in a skillet and cook until browned. Drain. Stir in seasonings and 1/4 c. water. Bring water to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Cool.
- In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta or cottage cheese with the egg.
- Pour some salsa in a 13 x 9 casserole dish. Layer some of the tortillas on top. Spread on a thin layer of the ricotta or cottage cheese mixture. Sprinkle some of the meat on top, then some of the beans followed by another thin layer of salsa. Repeat layering until done, ending with the salsa. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking an additional 5 minutes, until cheese is fully melted.
Notes
Please excuse the cut up orange plastic plate. The kids get upset if I don’t use pictures from their servings every so often.
Now for some variations we love:
- Omit the ricotta/cottage cheese and egg. Swap out the black beans for refried beans. Spread on tortillas when you would the ricotta mixture.
- Use corn tortillas or even tortilla chips in place of the flour tortillas.
- Omit the ricotta/cottage cheese and egg. Sprinkle each layer with additional shredded cheese.
- Use taco sauce in place of the salsa.
- Add a layer of corn.
- Substitute the meat, beans and salsa with a batch of Mexican Chicken & Black Bean Filling.