Recipe - Mexican Lasagna
Makes 4 Servings
- 5 whole wheat lasagna noodles, pre-cooked
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 can (16 oz.) fat free refried beans
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tub (16 oz.) fresh salsa
- 1/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded reduced fat mozzarella
Garnish with fat free or low fat sour cream, sliced black olives, guacamole and fresh cilantro.
Cook lasagna noodles according to the package directions. While the noodles are cooking, saute the onions with the ground beef in a separate pan. Cook until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear. Drain the meat mixture and then add the refried beans, oregano, cumin, and garlic powder to the meat and onions, stirring until well blended and warmed through. Remove from heat and set aside.
Spray a glass 9x5 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cut about 2-1/2 - 3 inches off each lasagna noodle so that the noodles fit inside the loaf pan. Lay two long noodles, side by side in the bottom of the dish. Spread 1/3 of the meat mixture over the noodles. Add the next layer of noodles using the pieces you cut off and one long noodle and repeat with another layer of the meat. Finish off the pan with another layer of noodles and meat and then top it all off with the whole container of fresh salsa.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, covered with aluminum foil. Remove the lasagna from the oven and sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Return the dish to the oven and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, uncovered, or just until the cheese has melted.
Wait 5 minutes before cutting and serve with the garnishes I suggested above.
I think it's really important to use fresh salsa in this dish as jarred salsa is way too salty and the fresh salsa just has a much better taste. If you decide to use ready to bake lasagna noodles, you will need to mix one cup of water with the salsa before you pour it over the whole thing so that the noodles have more liquid to soak up. You will also need to increase the cooking time to 45-55 minutes.
A 3x5 card version of this recipe can be found here.