MEXICAN LASAGNA

I first had this Mexican Lasagna at a singles ward activity in college. I had never had anything like it before, and it was love at first taste. The sauce is made up of tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, corn, chicken, bell peppers, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, and mexican spices. Then you alternate it with layers of lasagna noodles, shredded cheeses, and a sour cream/cream cheese mixture. Trust me when I say this recipe is a winner!

Mexican Lasagna
yields: one 9×13 casserole dish

Ingredients

• 1 (15 oz.) can and 1 (8 oz.) can mexican tomato sauce
• 2 cups cooked chicken (about 2 chicken breasts), chopped
• 1 (15 oz.) can of corn, drained
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
• 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 (16 oz.) container sour cream
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, slightly softened
• 6-8 lasagna noodles (either oven ready or precooked if they aren’t oven ready)
• 1 (8 oz.) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers
• 1 (8 oz.) package shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. If you aren’t using oven-ready noodles, cook your noodles according to package directions and set aside.
2. Cook chicken and chop into small pieces.
3. In a large dutch oven or pot, combine tomato sauces, chicken, corn, beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, chili powder, and salt and heat until bubbling.
4. In a medium-sized bowl, combine sour cream and cream cheese. Set aside.
5. Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9×13 in pan.
6. Spoon roughly 1/3 of your sauce mixture onto the bottom of your pan to coat the pan and then top with 3-4 lasagna noodles.
7. Spread half of your sour cream mixture over the noodles and top with another 1/3 of the sauce.
8. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 of each package of your shredded cheeses.
9. Top with remaining lasagna noodles, the rest of your sour cream/cream cheese mixture, the last 1/3 of your sauce, and the rest of the shredded cheeses.
10. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. If the cheese starts to brown before the lasagna is done cooking, you can cover it with foil while it finishes cooking.
11. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.
12. Serve with salsa, chips, lime wedges, and guacamole.