Mexican Beef Lasagna Made With Cottage Cheese

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by Robin

This is only the second time I've made this easy healthy Mexican Lasagna for less than 5 dozen folks.

Ed's been asking me to make it for awhile now and this week I was given a package of corn tortillas.  So, as a Father's Day gift, (along with his Han Solo in Carbonite and Millennium Falcon ice cube trays), Ed's finally getting his wish.

I started making this yummy meal for the English School Lunch Program that I started 10 years ago at work.

Once a week me and a Peer Worker or two would make lunch for about 60 people.  This group included mothers, their children, teachers and volunteers.  This Mexican Lasagne quickly became one of their favourites.

This easy healthy Mexican lasagna recipe is healthier – it's evolved over the years I've been making it.   I've made my usual changes to it:

• I've made it lazier.
• I've added more veggies.
• I've cut the fat down.
• I've gotten rid of a bunch of the sodium.

Here's the recipe…

Easy Healthy Mexican Lasagna

Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Oil
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 2 lb Ground beef
• 1 package Taco Seasoning, low salt (or try our DIY Taco Seasoning Packet recipe – here)
• Salt, to taste (I left it out of this one)
• 2 tsp Garlic, minced
• 1 cup Tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cans Pasta sauce
• 1/2 cup Green chilies, diced (I used canned, drained then diced)
• 500 g (approximately 2 cups) Cottage cheese
• 2 Eggs
• 8 Corn tortillas (Corn is vastly superior to flour here: flour tortillas turn to a gluey, mush in this.)
• 2.5 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Easy Healthy Mexican Lasagna Steps:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Prepare vegetables.

In a large pan over medium-high heat cook onion until translucent.  Add ground beef and cook until brown.  Pour off fat.

Add taco seasoning, salt (if you must), tomatoes and chilies.

Add pasta sauce.  Mix well.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl mix cottage cheese and eggs.

(Try to imagine how hard it was for me to not add a smile to this photo…)

Cut tortillas in half (this will help them to fit in the pan better).

 In a 9X13 inch baking dish, layer as below:

Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture.

Put 4 tortillas on top.

 Spread 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture.

Add 1/2 of the grated cheese.

 Repeat all four layers again.

 Bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares.  (This will help the squares keep their shape.)

 Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp Oil
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 2 lb Ground beef
• 1 package Taco Seasoning, low salt (or try our DIY Taco Seasoning Packet recipe – here)
• Salt, to taste (I left it out of this one)
• 2 tsp Garlic, minced
• 1 cup Tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cans Pasta sauce
• 1/2 cup Green chilies, diced (I used canned, drained then diced)
• 500 g (approximately 2 cups) Cottage cheese
• 2 Eggs
• 8 Corn tortillas (Corn is vastly superior to flour here: flour tortillas turn to a gluey, mush in this.)
• 2.5 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare vegetables.
2. In a large pan over medium-high heat cook onion until translucent. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Pour off fat.
3. Add taco seasoning, salt (if you must), tomatoes and chilies.
4. Add pasta sauce. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. In a small bowl mix cottage cheese and eggs.
6. Cut tortillas in half (this will help them to fit in the pan better).
7. In a 9X13 inch baking dish, layer as below • Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture. • Put 4 tortillas on top. • Spread 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture. • Add 1/2 of the grated cheese. • Repeat all four layers again.
8. Bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
9. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares. (This will help the squares keep their shape.)
10. Enjoy!

Sadly, this meal's not in regular rotation on our Meal Plan Master List.  I'd like it to be.

It's a bit frustrating: there's a whole mess of meals that dozens of people associate with me, but two people, in particular, won't have anything to do with.  Two bossy, important, little people.  You know the ones: the kids.

Today we're giving it another kick at the can (which is really important to get kids to try new foods: repeated exposures). I've got my fingers crossed that this delicious dish can get some regular rotation soon.

If not, Ed and I have a whole pan to ourselves.  Which is not such a bad thing either.

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Source: https://www.frugalfamilytimes.com/2012/06/recipe-mexican-lasagne/

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