Red and Green Mexican Lasagna

We’re feeling so festive at Chez Sweet Pea, even our dinner is cooking up red and green.  I created this version of Mexican lasagna for a holiday dish that fits in perfectly with your schedule this time of year: It's easy, versatile (you can alter it to your taste or to use the items you have on hand), fairly quick to assemble and can be made ahead of time.  Oh, and did I mention it is super tasty, too?

I love cooking southwestern foods because you can make a dish healthful without it tasting like health food. If you don’t tend to think of this type of food for kids, I challenge you to try this recipe. It is not spicy--just full of flavor and good stuff like black beans, corn, roasted red peppers and tomatoes.

Lastly, this recipe can easily be made vegetarian. Just replace the chicken with beans.

Red and Green Mexican Lasagna

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons cocoa powder (optional)
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
One 15 oz can of no-salt added corn
One 15 oz can of black beans
2 cups of cooked chicken (or pork or beef)
¼ cup flour
1 cup chicken broth (or alternatively, if you wish to keep it vegetarian, vegetable broth)
4 oz reduced fat cream cheese
6-9 whole wheat tortillas (depends on the size)
One 15 oz can of diced tomatoes with green chilis
½ cup of roasted red peppers, diced*
One 12 oz jar of salsa verde
One 4.25 oz can of diced green chilis (optional)
1 cup shredded cheddar

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the oregano, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, cocoa powder and cayenne. Stir well. Add the corn, black beans, and chicken and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the flour and stir well.  Add the chicken broth and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the cream cheese. Stir well until it is melted and fully incorporated.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Spray a 9 x 13 glass dish with cooking spray. Lay 2-3 tortillas, so they are covering the bottom (you may have to break one up to ensure full, even coverage.  Spread 1/3 of the diced tomatoes and red peppers on top:

Cover with ½ of the black bean and chicken mixture, then spread 1/3 of the salsa verde and green chilis on top. Repeat. Finish by laying 2-3 tortillas and then using the extra toppings to look like this:

Finish with the shredded cheddar cheese.

Cook at 375 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.

If you wish to bake it later in the day or the next day, cover with foil and pop it into your fridge.  Once you are ready to cook, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and pop it into the oven, covered. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook an additional 20-30 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.

*You can buy roasted red pepper in a jar, or you can take a whole red pepper and cut in half and remove the seeds. Flatten, skin side up and put it under a broiler until the skin is black. Wrap in foil for about 10 minutes, remove the skin, and voila, roasted red peppers!

A tasty way to celebrate the holidays,

SPC