Sunday, February 21, 2010

Mexican Lasagna Pie

To prep and cook: 15 minutes
To bake: 20-25 minutes
Serves: 6 to 8

Now, here’s one clever and downright simple dish. I wish I could take credit for it, but this recipe has made the circuit. The only trick is to find corn tortillas the same size as your glass pie pan. And actually, that’s no trick either—you can always cut to fit. I use a 10-inch pie pan, but a 9-incher works well, too. With it’s Mexican flavors, the “lasagna” is comforting.

I discovered that substituting reduced-fat sour cream and fat-free refried beans does not reduce the flavor, so I’m all for using them.
Vegetable oil cooking spray for misting the skillet 1 pound ground beef round (see Tip)
1 jar (12 ounces) chunky salsa 6 corn tortillas (10 inches each)
1 can (16 ounces) refried beans, fat free if possible
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream 1 package (8 ounces; 2 cups)
pre-shredded Mexican-style four-cheese blend
Chopped fresh tomato and chopped scallions, for garnish (optional)
Tip: I enjoy cooking with lean ground beef because for most recipes it isn’t necessary to fuss with draining off the fat. But should you have a fattier beef, brown it, then rinse it in a colander under running hot water. Return it to the skillet, stir in the salsa, and continue with the recipe.
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Mist a large skillet with vegetable oil cooking spray, and place over medium-high heat. Crumble in the ground beef and cook, stirring and breaking up the lumps with a wooden spoon, until the beef browns all over and is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in 1⁄2 cup of the salsa. Set the beef mixture aside.

3. Spread the remaining salsa in the bottom of a 10-inch glass pie pan. Top it with 3 of the tortillas. Spread half of the beans over the tortillas, then half of the meat mixture, then 1⁄2 cup of the sour cream, then 1 cup of the cheese. Top with the remaining 3 tortillas and repeat the layers, ending with all but 1⁄4 cup of the remaining cheese. Cover the pie pan loosely with aluminum foil.

4. Bake the “lasagna” until it is hot throughout and the cheese has melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the “lasagna” from the oven, let it rest for 5 minutes, then cut it into wedges or spoon servings onto plates, garnished with the remaining 1⁄4 cup cheese and the chopped tomato and scallions, if desired.