Mexican Lasagna
Mexican Lasagna
Although not a real dish in Mexico I have borrowed the name from a similar presentation from “Monica’s Aca y Alla” restaurant in Dallas. The owner, a transplant from Mexico, provides me with a bit of cover to call this dish what it is.
Although it would appear complicated if you use bottled salsa and marinara, canned beans, and frozen corn, the only cooking involved is making the bechamel and placing the whole thing in the oven for a bit.
5 large corn of flour tortillas
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1, 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup salsa verde, a tomatillo salsa, best from the bottle
1 cup marinara, preferably with a little spice to it, divided into two portions
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
6 oz of grated mixed cheeses, cheddar, queso quesadilla, jack, and or asadero
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a sauce pan over medium heat add the butter and allow to slowly melt. Add the flour and stir to mix the ingredients into a roux. Allow the mixture to cook while stirring for about 2 minutes.
Add the milk to the roux and using a whisk stir constantly until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.
In a medium bowl add the salsa verde and 1/2 of the milk mixture. Whisk to combine. In a second medium bowl add the 1/2 cup of the marinara and the remaining milk mixture and whisk to combine.
You can either use a round casserole or a square casserole for layering the lasagna. If using a square casserole you will need to cut the tortillas in half and place the straight edges up against the sides, leaving a bit of a gap in the layer. Make sure to alternate gaps as you add layers.
In the bottom of the casserole add 1/4 cup of the marinara. Add the layer of tortilla. Add 1/2 of the salsa verde/milk mixture on top of the tortilla. Add 1/4 each of the corn, the beans, and the chicken. Sprinkle about 1/5 of the cheese over the top. Add the second layer of tortillas. Add 1/2 of the marinara/milk mixture on top of the tortilla. Once again add 1/4 each of the corn, the beans, and the chicken and sprinkle with cheese. Alternate the salsa verde/milk and marinara/milk mixtures for the next two layers using the corn, bean, chicken and cheese as above. Top the lasagna with 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Cover with foil or parchment paper and place in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the cover and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes to brown the cheese on the top. Remove from the oven, cover once again, and allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
This makes 4 rather hefty portions for dinner.