Mexi-Lasagna

This meal is a Vossen original; meaning I had ingredients for tacos but didn't feel like making tacos, so made up this casserole/hotdish/mexi-lasagna creation instead. Considering that I was talking on the phone while throwing these ingredients together, I think it turned out pretty good. I love the cream cheese added to the taco meat. We served this with chips, sour cream and guacamole and we ended up dipping our chips in the hotdish too. It was super easy to make and I made it early in the day and put it in the fridge so all I had to do at dinner time was pull it out and bake. I found these frozen herb cubes at Costco the other day - they are awesome! I bought a pack of basil, cilantro, garlic and parsley cubes and I think they will be handy to have in my freezer for times that I don't have fresh herbs on hand. See my picture below of my new find. : )

Mexi-Lasagna

1 lb ground beef
salt & pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 frozen garlic cubes)
2 tsp cilantro, minced (or 2 frozen cilantro cubes)
4 oz cream cheese
1 pkg taco seasoning
2/3 c water
1/3 c Ortega taco sauce
2 large whole wheat flour tortillas
1 c monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 1/2 c cheddar cheese, shredded
3-4 Tbls black olives, sliced
green onion, chopped (optional)
sour cream (for topping)



Frozen garlic & cilantro - super convenient!

In a large pan, brown ground beef and drain excess grease. Add salt/pepper, garlic and cilantro to the beef and cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add cream cheese, taco seasoning, water and taco sauce. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until mixture thickens. In a round casserole pan, spray with Pam cooking spray and place 1 of the large tortillas in the bottom of the pan. Spoon half of the meat mixture on the tortilla and then sprinkle half of the cheese on top of it. Add the next layer (1 tortilla, 1/2 the meat, 1/2 of the cheese). Top with black olives and bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes. Top with green onion if using. Serve topped with sour cream and/or guacamole.