This is the best mexican casserole I’ve ever tasted. It’s become a favourite among my family and friends. I’ve brought it to a few friends when they’ve needed a break from cooking dinner (like after just having a baby), and everyone always wants to know the recipe.

I got the recipe from Eat, Shrink, and Be Merry, and can also be found online here.

The original recipe calls for ground chicken, but I prefer to use ground beef in this dish. I usually skip the cilantro unless I happen to have it on hand. It tastes good either way. It freezes beautifully, so I often make a double batch and freeze one for an easy meal later. You can top it with sour cream when you serve it. but honestly I almost always forget to do this and it’s still delicious. This time around when I made it, Tony had a friend over. Both Tony and his friend ate two big helpings, and the boys ate quite a bit too. I’d say it was a success!

Mexican Lasagna
Adapted from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen or canned corn
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cups your favorite tomato pasta sauce
1 cup medium salsa
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 large or 8 small whole wheat flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup green onions
1 cup light sour cream (optional)

In a large non-stick skillet, cook ground beef, onions, green pepper and garlic over medium-high heat until meat is cooked through. Break up any large pieces of beef as it cooks. Add black beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin. Stur and cook for about 2 minutes, then add pasta sauce, salsa and pepper. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Assemble lasagna by spreading 1/3 of sauce over bottom of a 9×13″ greased casserole dish. Top with half the tortillas. Cut and overlap them if necessary to fit your dish. Top with another 1/3 of sauce, then half the cheese. Top with remaining tortillas and then the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and green onions.
Cover with foil and bake at 375F for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream if desired.