I feel I am careering about like some giddy traveller with air miles to spare here. The thing is I cook instead of travelling – a kitchen rather than armchair tourist – and since the former is less tiring than the latter, it stands to reason that I can cover more ground. Still, the notion of a Mexican lasagne might seem a fantastic voyage too far: so let me just say this is just a shorthand to imply Mexican-inspired ingredients piled up in lasagne-like fashion. In place of pasta layers, there are soft flour tortillas and in between them a riotous assembly of tomato, chilli, corn and cheese. I like to make a last-minute avocado salsa, which is no more really than a kind of unmushed guacamole, but it’s an embellishment rather than a necessity. If you can totter towards the oven without spilling it, you’re halfway there; but I do advise you to put it on a cookie sheet or sheet pan as you preheat to catch any drips that might fall later. And talking of later, one of the joys of this is that it reheats, by the slice, so wonderfully on the days that follow. So do think about cooking this even when you don’t have so many to feed first time around.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 33 min |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Inactive: | 13 min |
| Cook: | 55 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon garlic flavoured oil
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 green chiles, chopped, with seeds
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro stalks
- 2 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, plus 1 2/3 cups water to rinse out empty cans
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 1/4 cups drained canned corn, from about 1 1/2 (15-ounce cans)
- 2 1/2 cups grated mature goats Cheddar, or cheese of your choice
- 8 soft flour tortillas (approximately 10-inch diameter)
- Avocado Salsa, for serving, recipe follows
- 2 avocados
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons chopped green jalepenos from a jar or can
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, slipping in a cookie sheet at the same time.
- For the sauce: Heat the oil in a saucepan on the stove and fry the onion, bell pepper and chiles. Add the salt and cook gently for 15 minutes, and once soft, add the chopped cilantro stalks.
- Add the canned tomatoes then rinse the cans out with water and add this too. Spoon in the ketchup and let things come to a simmer, leaving the sauce (or salsa in keeping with the Mexican mojo) to cook while you get on with preparing the filling- about 10 minutes.
- For the filling: Mix the drained beans and canned corn in a bowl. Add most of the grated cheese, reserving some to sprinkle on the top at the end, and mix together.
- Start to assemble the lasagne by spooning about a third of the salsa into the bottom of your ovenproof dish and smear it about, then layer on 2 tortillas so that they cover the sauce overlapping slightly, like a Venn diagram.
- Add a third of the beans and cheese mixture covering the tortillas, and then about a quarter of the remaining salsa and another 2 tortillas.
- Repeat with another third of beans and cheese, and more salsa before layering on another 2 tortillas.
- Finally, add the last layer of beans and cheese, nearly all of the remaining salsa and cover with the last 2 tortillas. Spread the very last bit of salsa over the tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes, and let it rest for a good 10 to 15 minutes before slicing like a pizza, and eat with the avocado salsa.
- Halve the avocados, remove the pits, and then, using the tip of a sharp knife, cut lines down the flesh of each half, about a 1/4-inch apart and then the same across. Turn the avocado halves inside out, or otherwise release the pale green cubes into a bowl, then tumble in the scallion, chopped jalepenos, salt to taste, lime juice and most of the cilantro and toss gently to mix. Taste to see if any more salt is needed before scattering with the remaining cilantro and taking to the table.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 572 |
| Total Fat | 28 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 61 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 14 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Protein | 23 g |
| Cholesterol | 42 mg |
| Sodium | 1076 mg |
Reviews
This was excellent….although the only thing is I may try to make it in a regular rectangular baking dish as to help with a messy baking. I can’t think how this would affect it any. It was kinda weird making it in a pie dish as the food was stacking higher than the sides of the pan. All I had was a glass pyrex dish. It worked, but certainly understand the point of the baking sheet under it. My husband and kids loved this, so its on the menu now. Thanks for such a great recipe!!!!!!
i love the TV show, amazing, i love all your recipes, when you open the Fridge at night is my favorite, always laughing because i do the same, LOL, Thanks for all the recipes, very nice Show.
This was a great, tasty meal that you can whip up fast. I used salsa from Costco instead of the sauce, and added sour cream, taco seasoning, and shredded rotisserie chicken to the layers (I combined this recipe with the one from Robin Miller: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robin-miller/mexican-lasagna-recipe/index.html). It was not watery or mushy at all! My husband loved the flavors and the “heat” of the salsa.
Great recipe! I added some cumin to the sauce and like other reviewers, less water. I used jalepenos, because it was what I had. I added dollops of cream cheese made with part greek yogurt. Very flavorful and easy! Great leftovers for later.
I made this last night for some friends who are vegetarians. This was a wonderful dish, very flavorful, colorful, and festive! I would definitely make this again.
Made this last night for the first time and our guests really enjoyed the flavors. Simple to make. I followed someone else’s suggestion and reduced the amount of water, I used only about 1/2 can water it turned out delicious. Next time will try it with mexican chorizo sausage for even more mexican flavor.
I’d make it again.
Soooooo yummy!!! It sounded interesting & we love Mexican food so I attempted. I would have given it 5 stars; however, it came out very watery. So, we very carefully drained water once we took out of oven. The 1 2/3 cups water that recipe calls for is a bit much. It didn’t reduce down at all while simmering. So, next time I will reduce the amount. Also, to make healthier, I used spinach tortillas & I actually only used 6 and not 8. I suppose I didn’t ration out evenly between layers, but it came out delicious. Using reduced fat cheese is just as good. Oh, and I made chopped chicken with taco seasoning & interspersed it into the layers with the salsa. A definite keeper!! Topped with avocado salsa & low fat sour cream… Mmmm.
I didn’t have goat cheese on hand so substituted cheddar, and cooked the chili pepper on the side. The dish was still surprisingly tasty – we loved it. My husband commented it would be good with chicken in it – but I thought the dish was very good as is. I baked it in a round aluminum skillet and served it in same. Wonderful!
Nom,Nom,Nom We loved it. I added hamburger with taco seasoning to the corn and beans. Will make it again for our next family gathering.