Mexican Lasagna

MEXICAN LASAGNA

I couldn't think of anything to make today, so I turned to Matt. He first asked me to make lasagna. Then he asked if I could make a Mexican lasagna. I remembered seeing this recipe on Pioneer Woman's site and decided today would be the perfect day to whip this up.

We both LOVED this. The flavor was on point and it tasted like something you'd get at a fancy restaurant! Best part is, we'll have plenty of leftovers for a few days! I'm not complaining! I halved the recipe and baked it in my deep ceramic lasagna pan.

MEXICAN LASAGNA
(adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks)

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups unprepared rice
3-4 cups chicken broth
2-4 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, pressed
1 can black beans, undrained
taco seasoning (or chili powder, paprika and cumin)
1 ½ lb. ground sirloin
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa verde
8-12 small flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
8 oz. enchilada sauce
1 can corn, drained
sour cream and cilantro, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the rice according to package directions with chicken broth in place of the water. In a large skillet, melt a half tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, onion and garlic to the pan and sauté until onion is tender. Add in chili powder (approx. 1 ½ tablespoons), paprika and cumin (approx. ¾ tablespoon of each), to taste. Stir to combine. Add the can of beans and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add cooked rice. Stir to mix well.

In the now empty skillet, brown the ground sirloin. Mix with chili powder (approx. 1 ½ tablespoons), paprika and cumin (approx. ¾ tablespoon of each) and salt to taste, as well as 2 oz. of water to create the taco beef.

To assemble the lasagna, pour half of the jar of salsa verde in an even layer over the bottom of a casserole dish. Layer evenly with flour tortillas to cover. Spread approximately half of the rice mixture evenly over the tortillas. Sprinkle with a layer of shredded Mexican cheese. Add another layer of flour tortillas. Pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce over the tortillas. Spread taco beef evenly over the enchilada sauce. Layer one can of corn over the beef. Top with the remaining rice mixture in an even layer. Spread the remaining salsa verde evenly over the rice, and sprinkle with a layer of shredded cheese to finish.

Bake at 375° for 25-35 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and begins to brown a bit. Allow to sit 10 minutes before serving. Top individual servings with sour cream and fresh cilantro, for garnish.

Mac & Cheese

This is my favorite Macaroni & Cheese recipe, and I think it's because it's so classic and simple. This is a recipe that my friend, Jenny, gave to me a while back. I believe she may have found it in her Betty Crocker cookbook, but I'm not 100% sure.

The Mac & Cheese was so creamy and smooth and paired well with the Parm Pork Chops.

Enjoy!

MAC & CHEESE

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (7 ounces)

1 stick of butter cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (8 ounces) (we used extra sharp)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni as directed.While macaroni is cooking, melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.

Drain macaroni. Gently stir into cheese sauce. Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Cheesy au Gratin Potatoes

These potatoes were so yummy! I've never made scalloped potatoes, outside of the kind in a box. They were a big hit and didn't leave much in the way over leftovers. I will definitely make these again!

CHEESY AU GRATIN POTATOES (Betty Crocker)


INGREDIENTS:
6 medium boiling or baking potatoes (2 lb)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded natural sharp Cheddar cheese (8 oz)
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs (any flavor)
Paprika



DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 375ºF.

Scrub potatoes but do not peel. Cut into 1/8-inch slices to measure about 4 cups.



Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion in butter about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly; remove from heat.

Stir in milk and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.

Spread potatoes in ungreased 1 1/2-quart casserole. Pour cheese sauce over potatoes.



Bake uncovered 1 hour. Mix remaining cheese and the bread crumbs; sprinkle over potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake uncovered 15 to 20 minutes longer or until top is brown and bubbly.