Perhaps the best loved comfort food is taken up a notch with a no-boil noodle trick making it all the easier to prepare. In addition changing the flavors to feature spicy Mexican seasonings brings an welcome surprise to any dinner table or football party!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Servings 12servings (or more depending on size cut)
1/2cupcanned or freshly chopped Roasted Green Chilies, skinned/seeded chopped (Hatch Chilies recommended)
½poundLean (95% fat free) Ground Beef
¾poundfresh ground Chorizo SausageMexican Chorizo not Spanish Chorizo
1 15-ounce canBlack Beans, drained and rinsed
125.5-ounce jarFire Roasted Tomato Sauce
1cupMedium-heat Salsa
1teaspoonground Cumin
1teaspoonRed Pepper Flakes
½teaspoonKosher Salt
½teaspoonground Black Pepper
115-ounce containerRicotta Cheese
2 ½cupsMexican Cheese blend
1 ¼cupSharp Cheddar Cheese
1/3cuphot water
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large skillet heat the oil over high heat and add onions. Stir while cooking until onions are translucent.
Add the chopped green or Hatch Chilies; sauté two minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-high and add the ground beef and chorizo sausage. Using a spatula break up meat into smaller pieces while sautéing. Cook until no red or raw pieces of meat are left.
Add the black beans; stir to combine.
Pour in the tomato sauce, salsa, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir to fully combine and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Assembling the Mexican Lasagna
Spoon one third of the sauce mixture into the bottom of 13 x 9 x 3 inch baking pan. Spread to evenly cover the bottom of the baking dish.
On top of the sauce, place four uncooked lasagna noodles (there will be space between them). Note: I place three noodles lengthwise and break the fourth to fit horizontally in the spot between the end of the other noodles and edge of the baking dish.
Spread half of the ricotta cheese on the noodles (will be thin coverage). Sprinkle evenly with 1 ¼ cups Mexican Cheese blend.
Spread another 1/3 of the sauce on top of the cheese and repeat Steps 2 and 3 above.
Place last four noodles on top of layered lasagna and cover with the remaining one third of the sauce.
Gently pour the 1/3 cup hot water around the inside edges of the baking dish (between the noodles and inside edge of the baking dish).
Cooking the Lasagna
Cover tightly with two pieces of heavy duty foil. Bake for 50 minutes.
Remove the lasagna from oven and remove the foil. Cover with 1 ¼ cups cheddar cheese and place back in the oven to cook uncovered an additional 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
*Chilies can vary incredibly in heat from mild to very hot! Always taste a bit of the chile to determine the heat level to adjust the recipe accordingly. Wash hands thoroughly when working with chilies, do not touch eyes or any mucus membranes; wear vinyl gloves if available.If Hatch chilies are not available, substitute home roasted Anaheim chilies or canned green chilies.Mexican Cheese Blend: purchased from the dairy department with other packaged grated cheeses, or home grated combination of cheddar, Monterey Jack and Colby cheeses.