RECIPE OF THE DAY: SUPER EASY MEXICAN LASAGNA

FROM MEMBER: ISABO KELLY (aka Katrina Tipton)

Comment: My husband and I have started to create our own holiday traditions. Since I’ve had trouble eating poultry since I was pregnant and he doesn’t really like turkey, we’ve gotten creative with our “traditional” holiday meals. Instead of his—ham (Irish style, which is hard to find in the US)—we’ve gone with Mexican food. No, neither of us are Mexican. But my mom did grow up in a community full of Mexicans (in Arizona) and she had tamales as their traditional Christmas lunch, so I can at least say I’m sort of following my mother’s traditions.

But let’s be fair. I’m an extremely lazy cook. And I don’t make real Mexican food. All you lovely Mexican people out there, please don’t yell at me. I know I’m not making anything authentic. This recipe was inspired by my friend and fellow writer Kemberlee Shortland (thanks for letting me abscond with this, Kem!). Remember, all this is super easy. I prefer to eat on Christmas day. Minimal cooking is my ideal.



Super Easy Mexican Lasagna


Ingredients:

2-3 lbs Ground Sirloin Hamburger (you can use lean sirloin)
2 tbs powdered Cumin
4-6 large flour Tortillas
2-3 cups good grated cheese (I like Cheddar and Monterey Jack mixes—and get pre-graded! It’ll make your life easier. Also, use as much cheese as you like, you really can’t have enough.)
1-2 bottles Red Taco Sauce (in the US, I use Ortega Thick & Smooth Taco Sauce—get whichever heat level you like. I tend to use medium but it depends on who I’m feeding )


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Cook up ground hamburger with cumin until cooked thoroughly.

3. In a casserole dish, a glass pie tin, or any other convenient vessel that will go into the oven, layer a tortilla, some sauce, 1/3 of meat, cover with cheese, add next tortilla, more sauce, next 1/3 or meat and more cheese.

4. Make one more layer using rest of meat. Once last layer is finished, cover fully with one last tortilla, cover liberally with sauce and top with lots of cheese.

5. Put lasagna into oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese on top is thoroughly melted. (I like when the top layer of cheese gets a little brown around the edges—nothing better than crunchy melted cheese!)

6. Suggest serving with sour cream, guacamole and tortilla chips. Serves 4-6 normal people (in my family, this makes about 3 servings. )


Visit Isabo at http://www.isabokelly.com/.


Buen Provecho & Feliz Navidad.      Enjoy & Happy Holidays.