Test: Tex-Mex Lasagna

Cheese was on sale the other day at the grocery store, so obviously we bought two gigantic blocks. We originally had the idea that we would make lasagna, but the idea of regular lasagna just wasn't quite making my mouth water tonight. That's when I remembered that I had a shelf full of cookbooks. I took a few off the shelf, but I didn't even have to open one, because on the back of one of them (Cooking Light: Superfast Weeknight Dinners) was a picture of Tex-Mex lasagna, and I knew that was what I wanted to make. I roughly doubled this recipe so that there would be enough for lunch tomorrow, and added ground beef. All I can say is that the result was an awesome dinner! It tasted fresh, but was also very comforting. It will definitely show up on the dinner circuit again soon.

Tex-Mex Lasagna

from Cooking Light: Superfast Weeknight Dinners

3/4 cup bottled salsa

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 (14.5oz) can no salt-added diced tomatoes

1 (8oz.) can no salt-added tomato sauce

Add: 2 tbsp. hot sauce (Louisiana or Tabasco)

Cooking spray

6 precooked lasagna noodles
Add: 1 lb. ground beef
1/2 package taco seasoning
1 cup water 

1 cup whole kernel corn 

1 (15oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups shredded cheese (Cooking light suggests pre-shredded reduced fat Mexican cheese blend)

1/4 cup chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add dried lasagna noodles. While you're cooking the noodles, brown the ground beef on medium-high. When the beef is browned, add 1/2 a package of taco seasoning and the water and simmer.

Combine first five ingredients; spread 2/3 cup sauce in bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish (I used 9x13) coated with cooking spray. Arrange 2 noodles over sauce; top with ground beef, tomato sauce, and cheese. Add another layer of noodles, then top with the corn, black beans, tomato sauce, and cheese. Add a third layer of noodles, tomato sauce, and cheese. Cover and bake at 450 for 30 minutes or until noodles are tender and sauce is bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes. Sprinkle with onions.