Mexican Lasagna

My sister-in-law Sophie and I have the entire day off (we both take turning pulling weight at the clinic), so we’re just hanging out out and relaxing.  I find that one of the weirdest aspects of owning a small business is we only get random days off, not necessarily Saturdays and Sundays.  But a Tuesday on the couch?  Not so bad at all.

If it wasn’t for my time off, I wouldn’t have created this delicious recipe!  Feast your eyes on Mexican Lasagna.

To me, this recipe is the quintessential Healthy Tipping Point recipe because 1) it’s simple; 2) there are only four ingredients; and 3) it’s kind of weird (like Pancake Truffles or Stuffed {Potato Skin} Shells).  I hate long and complex recipes!  I need something that I can throw together fast.

This Mexican Lasagna is ridiculously delicious – but you really can’t go wrong when combining refried beans and cheese.  And you could easily make this recipe larger (or pile the corn tortillas higher!) with a few simple modifications.

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients (for four small servings; I had two for lunch):

• 8 small corn tortillas
• 3/4 can mild salsa
• 1 can refried beans
• 4 slices of sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease a small 8 by 8 casserole dish.  Spoon 1/4 of the can of salsa on the bottom.
• Slice 4 of the corn tortillas in half and arrange them into the casserole dish.  Try to cover the entire bottom without overlapping (cut to fit).
• Scoop out 1/2 the can of refried beans on top of the tortillas. Spread evenly.  Top with 1/4 can salsa.
• Cover beans and salsa with slices of the 4 remaining tortillas.
• Top second layer of tortillas with rest of refried beans and salsa (save some salsa for the top).  Lay the cheese on top so the dish is completely covered.
• Bake for 15 minutes and then broil on low under cheese browns (keep on eye on it!).
• Slice into quarters, top with a dollop of salsa, and serve.

Couldn’t find my small casserole dish (where could it be hiding?!) so I used the old ‘aluminum foil barrier’ trick and it worked just fine.

I stashed what’s left in the fridge…

Hopefully it will survive the rest of the day – I suspect heated leftovers will be amazing!