What's with me and baking all of a sudden? First quiche (hi, Lorna!) and now a lasagna. Oh, right. It's the kind of cooking where I can start and then go play
WoW. I've been on a bit of a Mexican kick recently and you know my penchant for
fusion foods, so this meal fit in nicely. I've never made a lasagna before (and, arguably, I still haven't); this dish is lasagna-like in its preparation. That is, it's alternating layers of meat and veggies, a grain-based intermediary, and cheese. We just swapped the meat and veggies for Mexican-spiced chicken, black beans, and corn. The grain (usually pasta) for flour tortillas. And the cheese for, um, cheese.
To begin, start grilling two pounds of ground chicken (that's a lot of ground chicken) in a large skillet. Season the chicken with chili powder and cumin - to give it that Mexican smell and flavor - and add chopped red onions. Brown the meat for at least five minutes and then add your diced tomatoes, black beans, and corn. Heat this for another two or three minutes, making sure your chicken is well-cooked. The recipe calls for a shallow lasagna pan, but the one I ended up using was really just too large. It doesn't need to be deep, but it's better not to use one so voluminous (you'll see it took a lot of tortillas to cover from corner to corner). Coat the bottom with a little olive oil and then start spooning on your meat (half for two layers). Over the meat add a layer of tortillas - maybe quartered or halved to be more manageable. Over the tortillas add a sprinkling (about a cup) of shredded Cheddar or some other Mexican variety (I still had some left over from the
fajita-tortilla soup). Repeat a second time, then bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 425. It really is best eaten hot, so invite friends. Fork through the tortillas and use them to spoon up the chicken. Who needs Taco Bell anyway?
The ingredients for Food Network's
Mexican Lasagna are:
- two pounds of ground chicken
- two tablespoons of chili powder
- two teaspoons of ground cumin
- half a red onion, chopped
- a 15-ounce can of black beans
- a 14-ounce cup of fire-roasted tomatoes
- a cup of corn kernels
- eight (8-inch) flour tortillas (less is OK if cooking in a small pan)
- two cups of shredded cheeses (your Mexican favorite)
To begin, start grilling two pounds of ground chicken (that's a lot of ground chicken) in a large skillet. Season the chicken with chili powder and cumin - to give it that Mexican smell and flavor - and add chopped red onions. Brown the meat for at least five minutes and then add your diced tomatoes, black beans, and corn. Heat this for another two or three minutes, making sure your chicken is well-cooked. The recipe calls for a shallow lasagna pan, but the one I ended up using was really just too large. It doesn't need to be deep, but it's better not to use one so voluminous (you'll see it took a lot of tortillas to cover from corner to corner). Coat the bottom with a little olive oil and then start spooning on your meat (half for two layers). Over the meat add a layer of tortillas - maybe quartered or halved to be more manageable. Over the tortillas add a sprinkling (about a cup) of shredded Cheddar or some other Mexican variety (I still had some left over from the fajita-tortilla soup). Repeat a second time, then bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 425. It really is best eaten hot, so invite friends. Fork through the tortillas and use them to spoon up the chicken. Who needs Taco Bell anyway?
The ingredients for Food Network's Mexican Lasagna are:
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