Mexican Lasagna

Lasagna is one of our favorite comfort foods so we make both Beef Lasagna and this version for a bit of a variety. The amount of ingredients provide enough for 4 dishes to freeze with one to cook the day of assembly. Portion size will depend on your individual preference.

We find the Mexican lasagna recipe appealing given all the spices, refried beans and of course, cheese!

Ingredients

Uncooked over ready lasagna noodles
1.5 lbs lean ground beef
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 package of taco seasoning mix*
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups water
2 ½ cups picante sauce
2 cups sour cream
2 (2 ounce) cans sliced black olives
1 large package shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 large package shredded Cheddar cheese

* may need a second package depending on personal taste.

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F (175 degrees C)
2. In a large bowl, combine beef, beans, oregano, cumin and garlic powder.
3. Place 4 uncooked noodles in bottom of a 9×13 inch pan. Spread half of beef mixture over noodles. Top with 4 noodles. Spread with remaining mixture, and top with remaining noodles.
4. In a medium bowl, mix water and picante sauce. Pour evenly over layers. Cover tightly with foil.
5. Bake 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, or until noodles are tender.
6. Blend sour cream and olives in a medium bowl. Spoon over lasagna, and top with Jack and Cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered until cheese melts, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Preparation Tip: Using oven ready lasagna noodles is great convenient option. We recommend not draining any liquid from the ingredients. This will allow the noodles to absorb the liquid so they soften. Add a couple of tablespoon of water during the preparation. Otherwise the lasagna noodles may be a bit dry.