Tex-Mex Lasagna

Yummy, cheesy Tex-Mex Lasagna

I know, weird right? Not tacos or enchilada casserole, but lasagna. I thought the same thing. I saw a recipe in one of my Jr. League cookbooks and it was for a Mexican Lasagna and then one in Southern Living and another in Good Housekeeping! I had never thought of this concoction and that’s unusual for me because I constantly play with food and always try new things.

SO…I looked at the recipes and they just didn’t do it for me…one was a vegetarian dish and Lord knows that would never work and another had chorizo with tomato & basil pasta sauce!…See, that’s just not right. Those flavors just don’t go together to me. So….it was on. I had to figure out a better recipe.

Now I’m a HUGE lover of my Tex-Mex food and it is readily available all over the great state of Texas… I could eat it three times a day with no problems, so this had to be good and it had to fit my taste. I played with the recipe a bit, brought out a few items I thought I might use and came up with this recipe. I might add a bit more spiciness like chipotle pepper next time to add a bit of heat, but that’s all. You will love this…it is a keeper!!!!

This Tex-Mex lasagna was SO good…it was very well seasoned, creamy and very cheesy with that great taco meat….and in case you don’t know this by now, that description is my weakness!! We had friends over for dinner and the kids, and then I had one tiny piece left that I would not part with. I shared it with Sydney the next day. I am making this again very, very soon.

Serve this with a garnish of avocado pico de Gallo, a big southwestern salad, chile con queso, tortilla chips, salsa and Micheladas…for the perfect Mexican theme. Don’t forget the music and flip flops!!!

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 11 min
Yield: 6-8
Difficulty: easy

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs ground chuck
1 can Rotel tomatoes & chiles
1 pkg no-boil lasagna noodles
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pkg dry taco seasoning
1 pkg dry enchilada seasoning
8oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup cream or half-half
1/2 cup each cilantro & scallions, chopped
2 cups cheese, grated-nacho/ Mexican/cheddar
2 cups cheese, grated- Mex melt blend or Mozzarella

Directions:

Now, I didn’t use all these ingredients, but I brought them all out thinking I might. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish. Combine the 2 different grated cheeses, reserving 1-1.5 cups for a good thick top layer.
In a large skillet fry ground beef until almost brown. Drain all grease except for a couple of tablespoons and then add onions and garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes, then add both dry mix packages, the can of Rotel and 2 cups water. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese with the cream (I used sour cream, not cream and forgot that it tends to separate when it gets too hot…so don’t do as I do…) till creamy, then stir in cilantro, scallions and 1 tsp salt.
In the casserole dish…you’re going to layer this just like lasagna…spoon a bit of sauce on the bottom, then top with lasagna noodles, then more sauce and then some grated cheese. I used the cream cheese mixture for a middle layer, then continue layering, ending with meat and then top with cheeses.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour, and then let sit for a few minutes before cutting. Dig in and get ready for a treat!
BTW, yours may not be this dark around the edges, I think I left it in a bit too long. It’s just what I do!