Mexican Lasagna

This was the perfect combination for me and my husband: he loves Mexican food and I love lasagna. Perfecto! My dad and step-mom were up in our area and ate this too and had absolutely no complaints from anyone. I also had ZERO leftovers because my dad liked it so much he wanted to take the rest home with him! This was the last littl piece and I am surprised I remembered to snap a picture of it! If you are a fan of Mexican food then this is definitely something worth trying. It was very different from the usual enchilada's, burrito's, etc. I liked it but would have loved it even more if I could have figured out how to make the corn tortillas more soft and easier to cut through. Maybe next time I will cook them a little?? I dunno.

Mexican Lasagna

Adapted from Joelen's Culinary Adventures

10-12 corn tortillas

1 lb ground beef (or chorizo if you are feeling spicy)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

1 tbsp taco seasoning

salt and pepper, to taste

2 cans refried pinto beans (28 oz)

1 tub ricotta cheese

1 egg

2 cups mexican shredded cheese blend

1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz)

1 jar salsa (16 oz)

sliced gree onions, for garnishing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sauce pan on medium-high heat, brown your meat. Once cooked through add the garlic and onion. Stir and cook until softened. Add salt, pepper and taco seasoning and mix well. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a small bowl, combine ricotta and egg. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Lightly grease a 9x13 glass baking dish. Place a layer of 4 corn tortillas on the bottom (the edges may overlap which is fine). Then layer as follows: 1/2 refried beans, 1/2 ricotta mixture, 1/2 beef mixture, 1/2 shredded mexican cheese, 1 can diced tomatoes. Add another layer of 6 corn tortillas. Then repeat next layer topping with salsa instead of diced tomatoes and extra cheese on top of that.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Allow to cool about 5-10 minutes out of the oven. Garnish with green onion and serve warm.