Mexican Lasagna Verde Food

MEXICAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• SOAK NOODLES: Place lasagna noodles in the bottom of a long pan. Pour hot tap water over the noodles until they are submerged. Let them soak while you prep the filling - at least 30 minutes. Agitate the noodles with your hands occasionally to prevent them from sticking together.
• PREP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a deep 9X13-inch pan; set aside. Whisk together the flour and all Meat Filling seasonings (through cayenne pepper); set aside.
• COOK BEEF: Brown beef and onions in a Dutch oven or very large skillet until almost cooked through. Sprinkle in flour/seasonings mixture and cook for two minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the tomato paste and garlic and cook for one minute.
• FILLING INGREDIENTS: Stir in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, green chiles, cocoa powder, sugar and cinnamon. Bring the sauce to a simmer and continue to simmer, stirring often, until thickened, 10-15 minutes. After the sauce has thickened, stir in beans, corn, olives and apple cider vinegar then remove from heat.
• CREAMY FILLING: Meanwhile, whisk all of the Creamy Filling ingredients together in a medium bowl, set aside. Combine cheeses in a separate bowl; set aside.
• ASSEMBLE: Spread 1 cup of meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan (layer will be thin). Place 4 noodles lengthwise and part of a 5th noodle on top to cover. Spread ¾ cup Cream Filling evenly over top followed 1 cup combined cheeses. Repeat layers using two cups meat mixture, 4+ noodles, 3/4 Creamy Filling and 1 cup cheeses two more times for a total of 3 complete layers. To finish, top with remaining meat sauce followed by remaining cheese.
• BAKE: Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 20 more minutes or until the cheese is melted and casserole is heated through. Remove pan from oven and let stand 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh tomatoes, olives, avocados, cilantro and sour cream if desired.

MEXICAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - twice around the pan. Add chicken and season with chili powder, cumin, and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add taco sauce or stewed or fire roasted tomatoes. Add black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2 to 3 minutes then season with salt, to your taste.
• Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining extra-virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon oil. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat and beans, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese again. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Top with the scallions and serve.

LASAGNA VERDE

Steps:

• Assemble lasagna: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a greased 12 x 7 (2-quart) casserole dish, lay down a lasagna sheet, cutting to fit if necessary; spread 1 cup of Besciamella on top. Add another layer of pasta, then evenly spread 3/4 cup Pistachio Pesto on top, followed by 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmigiano. Repeat layering 2 more times for a total of 6 pasta layers. Finish with a final layer of pasta, 1 cup Besciamella, 1/2 cup Parmigiano, and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake, 25 minutes. Remove foil, then back another 10 minutes until top if golden brown. Let cool 15 minutes before plating. Garnish each serving with freshly cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of Parmigiano.
• In a food processor, add pistachios; pulse a few times to roughly chop. Use a chef's knife to roughly chop arugula, chives, basil, and parsley (a few stems are okay); add to the food processor. (It will seem like a lot of herbs, but just pack them down.) Add Parmigiano, along with a pinch of chile flakes and salt. Process on high speed, adding lemon juice and oil in a steady stream. (Turn off the motor to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary while processing.) Season to taste with salt. Makes 2 1/2-3 cups. (Store in airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days).
• In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, begin to melt butter. Meanwhile, roughly slice shallot and add to the butter, along with bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns. Once butter is bubbly, sprinkle in flour and stir constantly until the raw flour is cooked and smells nutty, 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; then slowly add milk while stirring constantly until mixture starts to thicken, 2-3 minutes. Besciamella is done when it coats the back of a spoon. Add nutmeg and season generously with salt to taste. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Remove Besciamella from heat and strain into the bowl; it should be the consistency of thick batter. (Stir in a few tablespoons water if it's too thick.) Cover the surface of the sauce with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming until assembly time. Makes 5½-6 cups. (Make ahead and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; bring to room temperature before using.)
• Lasagna sheets: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add enough salt to make it taste like the sea. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with ice water and set aside. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Parcook the lasagna sheets one at a time, in boiling water, for 60 seconds, then transfer to the ice bath for 15 seconds. Place parcooked sheet on the sheet pan and pat dry with a paper towel. Cover with a layer of parchment paper and repeat, creating a stack of sheets, each patted dry and separated by a layer of parchment.(Note: If using dried lasagna, cook according to manufacturer's instructions.)

CORN AND POBLANO LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add 2/3 of the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Mix in the corn and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and thyme. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes for the flavors to incorporate. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and cook for 1 minute. Mix in the zucchini and poblano strips and cook for 5 minutes for the flavors to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat.
• Spread about 1/4 of the corn mixture over the bottom of an 11 by 8-inch baking dish. Cover with a layer of 3 lasagna sheets. Spread 1/4 of the poblano mixture and 1/4 of the cheese over the pasta. Repeat the layering 3 more times. Cover with foil.
• Bake until the pasta is cooked and tender, about 50 minutes. Remove the foil and turn up the oven temperature to broil. Broil until golden brown and bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

VERDE CHICKEN MEXICAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Mix chicken, sour cream, black beans, salsa, corn, cilantro, and spices in a large bowl. Taste and adjust to seasonings to your preference.
• Cut tortillas in half with kitchen shears. In a 9x13 inch dish, scoop 1/3 of the chicken mixture into the bottom of the pan. Spread evenly.
• Place one layer of cut tortillas (about 4 tortillas) on chicken mixture to cover. Top with 1/3 of the amount of shredded cheese.
• Repeat with chicken mixture, tortillas, shredded cheese two more times. There should be 3 layers total.
• Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and casserole is warmed through.
• Serve with sour cream and additional chopped cilantro.

POSOLE MEXICAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Place rack in oven in middle of oven and heat broiler or place oven on 400 degrees F.
• Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan, in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and crumble up as it browns. While pork browns, season the meat with cumin, coriander and salt and pepper. Once browned evenly, stir in hominy and reduce heat to simmer.
• While meat cooks heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a sauce pot, add onions, garlic and peppers, season with salt and pepper and saute until softened 5 to 6 minutes. Place tomatillos and cilantro or parsley in food processor and process until almost smooth. Pour into onion and garlic mixture and simmer to mellow, 5 to 6 minutes more. Replace the processor bowl. Pit and scoop the avocado flesh into the processor, add the lime zest and juice. Add the honey, puree until smooth and season with a little salt. Stir the avocado mixture into the green sauce and remove from heat.
• Char all of the tortillas over an open flame or in dry hot skillet.
• In a baking dish layer sauce, tortilla, meat, cheese, tortilla, sauce, meat, cheese, etc. End with a layer of tortilla, sauce and finally cheese. Place baking dish in the oven and bake for 4 to 5 minutes until bubbly and cheese is brown. Pass sour cream at the table.

MEXICAN LASAGNA VERDE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce in bottom of dish.
• Arrange 4 tortillas in bottom of dish (tear and overlap as necessary, to completely cover bottom.) Top with one-third each of the chicken, tomatoes, red onion, green chiles and cheese; drizzle with 1/3 cup of the remaining enchilada sauce.
• Arrange 3 tortillas over enchilada sauce (tear and overlap as necessary, to make new layer). Press down slightly. Top with one-third each of the chicken, tomatoes, red onion, green chiles and cheese; drizzle with 1/3 cup of the remaining enchilada sauce. Repeat to use up remaining tortillas and other ingredients.
• Bake uncovered about 40 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

MEXICAN CHICKEN LASAGNA WITH SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place a pan on a lower rack to catch any drippings.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna in the boiling water until pliable, about 3 minutes. Drain.
• Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute chicken and onion in the hot oil until chicken is browned and no longer pink and onion is soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Combine cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1/2 of the Cheddar cheese, and eggs in a bowl. Mix and add enough water for mixture to be soft and moist, but not runny (a little more wet than cottage cheese alone). Combine spaghetti sauce, salsa, green chiles, and cooked chicken mixture in another bowl. Stir.
• Create layers of chicken mixture, noodles, and cheese mixture in a 9x13-inch baking pan. Top with remaining Cheddar cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake continue to bake until bubbling and cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes. Top with cilantro.

VERDE MEXICAN CHICKEN "LASAGNA"

Steps:

• Chop cilantro. Soften cream cheese. Microwave on HIGH 30-45 seconds or until very soft. Mix cilantro into cream cheese, add Cumin.
• Put 2/3 cup of the enchilada sauce over bottom of small casserole pan (8x8 or so).
• Pour remaining enchilada sauce into a large shallow bowl for dipping.
• To assemble lasagna, dip four tortillas into enchilada sauce in bowl and arrange over sauce in casserole dish, overlapping as necessary. Scoop half of the cream cheese mixture over tortillas, dropping by teaspoon evenly arranged.
• Top with half of the chicken, onion, corn, spinach, green chilis and cheese.
• Repeat layers one time. (see below).
• Dip remaining four tortillas into sauce and arrange over top layer. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over lasagna and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese.
• Microwave, covered, on HIGH 12-15 minutes or until center is hot. Let stand 5 minutes.
• Layers from bottom up:.
• Sauce, Tortillas (dipped), Cream Cheese/Cilantro, Onion, Chicken, Corn, Spinach, Green Chili's, Cheese.
• REPEAT.
• Yield: 4-6 servings.