Southwestern Chile Lasagna Recipes

SOUTHWEST LASAGNA

Steps:

• Place cookie sheet or foil in oven on rack below middle oven rack; heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• Cook lasagna noodles as directed on package; drain. Rinse with cold water to cool; drain well.
• Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, cook ground beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in taco seasoning mix and water. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until thickened.
• In small bowl, mix ricotta cheese, chiles and eggs.
• Stir pasta sauce, beans, corn and cumin into beef mixture. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly heated.
• To assemble lasagna, arrange 3 cooked noodles in bottom of baking dish. Spoon and spread 1/3 of ricotta mixture over noodles; top with 1/3 each of beef mixture and cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times, reserving last 1/3 of cheese.
• Place baking dish on middle oven rack; bake 25 minutes. Sprinkle with reserved cheese; bake 15 to 25 minutes longer or until lasagna is bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Cut into squares.

CRISPY SOUTHWESTERN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a large non-stick skillet, cook the meat over medium heat until done, and drain any excess liquid.
• Add the tomatoes and juice, green chilies, chili powder, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper; set aside.
• In a small bowl, blend the egg whites and cottage cheese well; set aside.
• In a 13x9x2-inch non-stick baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray, place six quartered tortillas.
• Layer all the corn, half the meat mixture, half the cheese, four quartered tortillas, then all of the cottage cheee mixture, the remaining half of the meat mixture, and the remaining four quartered tortillas, and top with the remaining cheese.
• Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve.

SOUTHWESTERN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cut each tortilla into 2 or 3 pieces; set aside.
• Brown ground beef in a large skillet until crumbly; drain fat.
• Add seasonings, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and green chiles to the skillet; stir and bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes.
• Combine cottage cheese, egg, and 1 1/3 cups of the shredded cheese in a separate bowl.
• In a lightly greased 9x13" baking pan, spread (in layers) half of the meat mixture, then half of the tortilla pieces, and then half of the cheese mixture; repeat the layers, ending with cheese mixture; sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup shredded cheese and sliced olives over top.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly around edges; remove from oven and let stand 5-10 minutes before cutting into serving portions.
• NOTE: The cottage cheese may be left unpureed or may be replaced with a cup of ricotta cheese.

SOUTHWESTERN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat, crumbling beef, until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in next 8 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Drain macaroni; stir into beef mixture., Preheat oven to 375°. Transfer macaroni mixture to 2 greased 2-qt. baking dishes. Top with cheese and jalapenos. Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake until bubbly and heated through, about 10 minutes longer. Serve 1 casserole. Cool the second; cover and freeze up to 3 months., To use frozen casserole: Thaw in refrigerator 8 hours. Preheat oven to 375°. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°, 20-25 minutes.

SOUTHWESTERN CHILE LASAGNA

Steps:

• For the chili:.
• Dice the medium onion.
• Cook in a 8qt. pot over medium heat.
• Dice 2 cloves garlic and add to onions.
• Add ground beef and cook until browned.
• Drain out most of the fat.
• Add the remaining ingredients for the chili. Simmer on stove for several hours or until all the flavors have come together.
• For the rice:.
• Rinse rice to remove excess starch. Add to pot with the chicken stock.
• Bring to boil, cover, and reduce to simmer until all the stock has been absorbed.
• Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat.
• Add 1 cup diced onion, Rotel, and 1 clove minced garlic. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir together.
• Cook until onion and garlic are tender.
• Add to tomato mixture to the rice by fluffing with a fork until it is evenly incorporated.
• For the lasagna (I made an 8x4" lasagna):.
• Ladle a thin layer of the chili on the bottom of your pan.
• Trim the rounded edges off the tortillas and cut into strips. Create a layer of tortilla strips in the pan.
• Scoop about 1-2 cups rice and spread in even layer over tortillas.
• Spread about 2 cups chili over rice.
• Sprinkle to cover with cheese.
• Repeat until you are within 1/2" of the top of your pan. Leave the cheese as the last later.
• Sprinkle with cilantro.
• Spray aluminum foil with non-stick spray and bake in a 350°F oven for about 1/2 hour. Remove foil and cook until cheese is melted, browned, and bubbly.