Sarahs Mexican Lasagna Food

MEXICAN LASAGNE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, slipping in a cookie sheet at the same time.
• For the sauce: Heat the oil in a saucepan on the stove and fry the onion, bell pepper and chiles. Add the salt and cook gently for 15 minutes, and once soft, add the chopped cilantro stalks.
• Add the canned tomatoes then rinse the cans out with water and add this too. Spoon in the ketchup and let things come to a simmer, leaving the sauce (or salsa in keeping with the Mexican mojo) to cook while you get on with preparing the filling- about 10 minutes.
• For the filling: Mix the drained beans and canned corn in a bowl. Add most of the grated cheese, reserving some to sprinkle on the top at the end, and mix together.
• Start to assemble the lasagne by spooning about a third of the salsa into the bottom of your ovenproof dish and smear it about, then layer on 2 tortillas so that they cover the sauce overlapping slightly, like a Venn diagram.
• Add a third of the beans and cheese mixture covering the tortillas, and then about a quarter of the remaining salsa and another 2 tortillas.
• Repeat with another third of beans and cheese, and more salsa before layering on another 2 tortillas.
• Finally, add the last layer of beans and cheese, nearly all of the remaining salsa and cover with the last 2 tortillas. Spread the very last bit of salsa over the tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes, and let it rest for a good 10 to 15 minutes before slicing like a pizza, and eat with the avocado salsa.
• Halve the avocados, remove the pits, and then, using the tip of a sharp knife, cut lines down the flesh of each half, about a 1/4-inch apart and then the same across. Turn the avocado halves inside out, or otherwise release the pale green cubes into a bowl, then tumble in the scallion, chopped jalepenos, salt to taste, lime juice and most of the cilantro and toss gently to mix. Taste to see if any more salt is needed before scattering with the remaining cilantro and taking to the table.

MEXICAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Brown turkey, drain (if necessary).
• Add seasoning packet, onion, tomato sauce and salsa.
• Simmer 5-7 minutes.
• Combine cottage cheese and egg in small bowl.
• Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.
• Assemble lasagna in the following order: 1/2 meat mixture, 1/2 tortillas, 1/2 cottage cheese mixture, 1/2 cheese, repeat.
• Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
• Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

LASAGNE

Steps:

• First, make the béchamel sauce. Put the milk, onion, bay leaves and cloves into a large saucepan and bring very gently just up to the boil. Turn off the heat and set aside for 1 hr to infuse.
• For the meat sauce, put the oil, celery, onion, carrot, garlic and pancetta in another large saucepan. Gently cook together until the veg is soft but not coloured.
• Tip in the beef and pork mince, the milk and chopped tomatoes. Using a wooden spoon, stir together and break up and mash the lumps of mince against the sides of the pan. When the mince is mostly broken down, stir in all the herbs, the stock cubes and the red wine, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hr, stirring occasionally to stop the bottom catching.
• Uncover and gently simmer for another 30 mins-1 hr until the meat is tender and saucy. Taste and season.
• To finish the béchamel sauce, strain the milk through a fine sieve into one or two jugs. Melt the butter in the same pan then, using a wooden spoon, mix in the flour and cook for 2 mins.
• Stir in the strained milk, a little at a time - the mix will thicken at first to a doughy paste, but keep going, adding milk gradually to avoid lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly (if you have lumps, give it a quick whisk). Gently bubble for a few minutes until thickened. Season with salt, pepper and a good grating of nutmeg.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Spread a spoonful of the meat sauce over the base of a roughly 3.5-litre baking dish. Cover with a single layer of dried pasta sheets, snapping them to fit if needed, then top with a quarter of the béchamel. Spoon over a third of the meat sauce and scatter over a little of the parmesan.
• Repeat the layers - pasta, béchamel, meat and parmesan - two more times to use all the meat sauce. Add a final layer of pasta, the last of the béchamel and remaining parmesan. Sit the dish on a baking tray to catch spills and bake for 1 hr until bubbling, browned and crisp on top.

SARAH'S CHICKEN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until done. Rinse, and drain. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, saute green pepper and onions in butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in undiluted soup, milk, mushrooms, pasteurized cheese, pimento, and basil.
• Place half of the noodles in 13 x 7 x 2 inch baking dish. Layer with half of the cream sauce, 1/2 cottage cheese, 1/2 diced chicken, and 1/2 Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes.

RACHAEL RAY'S MEXICAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• TO COOK THE FILLING: 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.
• ASSEMBLE LASAGNA: 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.
• *NOTE* - I omit the last step and offer the chopped scallions, chopped tomatoes, salsa and sour cream on the side as additional toppings.

SARAH'S AMAZING VEGETARIAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet until shimmering.
• Add onion, eggplant, and mushrooms to skillet. Cook for 15 minutes, or until all ingredients are soft.
• Add carrot, wine, parsley, tomato sauce, and whole tomatoes to skillet. Break up tomatoes with the back of a spoon.
• Add oregano, parsley, and basil to the sauce.
• Simmer sauce uncovered for about an hour and a half, or until thick.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease the bottom of a 9 x 13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
• Spread about 1/4 of the sauce in the bottom of the pan. (About 1 1/4 cups).
• Layer 4 of the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce.
• Dot the noodles with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese.
• Spread 1 cup of the mozzarella over the ricotta and noodles.
• Spread 1/2 cups of the Parmesan over the mozzarella.
• Repeat steps 7-11 two more times.
• Spread the last of the sauce over the Parmesan, and then spread the last of the Parmesan and mozzarella over the sauce to prevent it from burning.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until hot and bubbling.