One of my very first attempts at cooking a meal was Mexican Lasagna. It was the first time I had invited multiple people to dinner and served an entire meal, complete with sides, beverages, and dessert. It turned out great, not just as a first attempt but as a good dish in general, so much so that I have made it several times when feeding a crowd for the first time.
Every time, though, I never managed to take any pictures. I have also updated the recipe as I have grown as a cook. This most recent version is from an anniversary dinner I cooked for James, his parents, and his brothers. So here, for the first time, is my version of the recipe with pictures!
Mexican Lasagna
adapted from Southern Cooking
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt, divided
1 lb ground beef
1 (16 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup picante sauce
1 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 (24 oz) container low-fat small-curd cottage cheese
2 large eggs
1 tsp dried oregano
12 (5 inch) corn tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 375F and coat a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large skillet, heat oil using medium heat. Saute onions and garlic in 1/2 tsp of salt for 3-5 minutes, until softened. Add ground beef to skillet, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Add chili powder, cumin, and remaining 1/2 tsp of salt and stir until spices are evenly distributed in beef mixture. Add corn, tomato sauce, and picante sauce; bring liquid to a simmer. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, eggs, oregano and garlic salt.
Arrange tortillas on bottom and up sides of the prepared baking dish. Spoon half of meat mixture over tortillas; top with cottage cheese mixture. Arrange remaining tortillas over cheese mixture; top with remaining meat mixture.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Serving suggestions: serve with a side of mexican rice and toppings such as sour cream, onions, peppers and blue corn tortilla chips.
July 28th, 2011 at 2:50 am
By the look of this you have certainly matured as a cook. It goes to show that basic recipes, when cooked well, can please a multitude!