How to Make Healthy Mexican Lasagna

Here's a recipe for Mexican lasagna. It's lower in fat, high in fiber, and full of taste!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 pound ground beef or turkey
• chopped onion to taste
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 c. salsa
• 1 can refried beans
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can enchilada sauce
• 1 can chopped green chilies
• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• whole wheat flour tortillas
• shredded mexi-blend or reduced fat cheddar cheese
• broken tortilla chips, optional

1. 
    
   browing beef, onion, and garlic

   Cook ground beef or turkey in a large skillet, over medium heat. When it is has cooked a bit, add chopped onion and minced garlic. I like to chop my onion in large pieces so I can pick them out. My husband loves onion, however!

2. 
    
   beef mixture

   When beef has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees, stir in the salsa, refried beans, enchilada sauce, green chilies, taco seasoning, and pepper. Rinse and drain the can of black beans in a colander, and add them as well. Heat this mixture through. This recipe has quite a kick to it, so if you prefer a milder dish you could omit the chilies, cut down on the taco seasoning, and purchase mild salsa.

3. 
    
   layer of whole wheat tortillas

   Spread just 1 cup of mixture onto the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Layer with two whole wheat tortillas. As you can see in the picture, when you lay two circular tortillas in a rectangle pan there will be gaps, but I just tore pieces of a tortilla to fill in those gaps. Tearing them so there is a flat edge works best; then you just line up the flat edge with the side of the pan, and the circular edge fills the gap perfectly. Using whole wheat tortillas instead of white tortillas is a great way to increase the fiber in your Mexican recipes. The tortillas, refried beans, black beans, and additional toppings such as lettuce and tomatoes make this dish a great source of fiber which will help you feel fuller longer, as well as work to lower your cholesterol!

4. 
    
   top layer of beef mixture

   Add a layer of meat mixture and cheese on top of the tortillas. Repeat with tortillas, meat, and cheese. Repeat once more with tortillas and meat. I like to leave the last layer of cheese off until later in the cooking time, to prevent browning.

5. 
    
   mexican lasagna

   Cover and bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and top with remaining cheese and broken tortilla chips, if desired. Bake another 10-15 minutes.

6. 
    
   mexican lasagna with toppings

   Serve with your favorite toppings! We like chopped romaine lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, low-fat sour cream or guacamole, black olives, etc. Enjoy! I always cut the leftovers in single-size portions and pop them in the freezer, for my husband to bring to work and reheat in the microwave. Hot, healthy lunch!

Resources

• Eat Healthy Anywhere