Mexican Lasagna

OK, so I'm TOTALLY behind in posting this recipe, but you'll get the recipe and review all in one post...

With last week being FULL of appointments, errands and birthday celebration plans (for Princess and my Dad), I was a little leery of trying a new recipe on my family, but here it is:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tsps ground cumin
• 2 tsps chili powder
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 jalapeno chopped
• 3 8-inch corn tortillas
• 1 16 oz can refried beans
• 1 1/2 C shredded Cheddar
• 3/4 C sliced black olives
• 1/2 C salsa
• 6 TBSP sour cream

Directions:

• brown and drain ground beef. Add onion, cumin, chili powder and pepper. Cook until onion is tender (about 5 minutes).
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Combine egg, ricotta, and jalpeno in a small bowl and mix well.
• Layer 1 tortilla, refried beans, beef mixture, 2nd tortilla, cheese mixture, 3rd tortilla and shredded cheese in a round casserole.
• Cover tightly with foil, and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover, return to oven and bake another 10 minutes.
• Remove and sprinkle olives over top. Top each wedge serving with salsa and sour cream.

Review -

First off, do NOT use canned jalapenos - they are much too spicy and wet...although perhaps, drained they wouldn't be so bad. Same with the olives (although I should have realized it!!!). Second - finding 8 inch corn tortillas in my town was a bit difficult...I think that they add a great flavor, BUT, if you can't find the right size, double the recipe and use a 13 x 9 baking dish.

Other than that, I was a little unimpressed to be honest.

The textures and flavors together did not leave me desirous of making this again. The ricotta mix was too...crumbly.

Perhaps it is because I am used my family's secret recipe for "real" lasagna...it is nicely sauced and flavored, but the cheese mixture is firm.

You could maybe get away with using ground turkey instead of beef, or perhaps using a Cheddar/Jack blend to change the flavor a bit...

All in all, I don't think I'll be using this recipe again.

If you choose to, I wish you happy eating, and hopefully your family will enjoy it and you can make it again and again.