4cupsFiesta blend shredded cheeseor Colby Jack or Cheddar Jack
Instructions
In medium skillet, brown ground beef together with salt and dry minced onions over medium-high heat until beef is no longer pink.
Drain fat. Sprinkle taco seasoning over meat and add 1/2 cup water. Simmer until sauce thickens.
Turn off heat. Add in black beans, corn, refried beans and salsa, and mix to combine. Set aside.
Prepare a 9x13 aluminum pan or baking dish (or half size steam table tray, aluminum cake pan or roasting dish, etc.) by spraying liberally with non-stick cooking spray.
Pour in half of the tomato sauce and spread it over the bottom of the pan.
Layer two tortillas on top of the sauce, covering as much of the pan as you can.
Add half of your meat mixture and gently spread over the tortilla layer.
Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese over the meat layer.
Repeat one more layer of tortillas, meat mixture and shredded cheese (1 cup).
Place your remaining two tortillas and then pour in the remaining tomato sauce and carefully spread it over the tortillas.
Top with the last 2 cups of shredded cheese.
To freeze:
Cover dish, label and date, and then place into freezer to freeze. Will keep up to six months.
To heat:
Remove frozen Mexican Lasagna from freezer and place in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Bake COVERED at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes, then UNCOVERED for 15 more minutes. If your cheese has not melted enough, you can broil for 2-3 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.
For meal prep or freezer lunches:
Skip the freezing step and go right to baking the Mexican Lasagna. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Place into refrigerator for several hours (this will make it easier to cut and portion). Once chilled, cut into individual portions and place them into containers for meal prep or for freezing. Cover, label, date and freeze until needed. To reheat, microwave for 1-2 minutes from thawed, or from frozen, microwave 2 minutes on 50% power and 2 minutes full power.
Notes
My family is not keen on spicy or hot foods, so I make this with tomato sauce. However, if you'd like to take it to the next level, replace the tomato sauce with enchilada sauce! You can also sub out your favorite cheese blend if you can't find a Fiesta or Mexican-style blend at your local store.