Of course, I really don't care for how long it takes to put together a good lasagna. Yeah, I know I am a from-scratch martyr, but it just tastes so good.
This lasagna has a more Mexican food vibe with black beans, corn, green chilies and tomatoes. The upside is it is not only a tasty twist, but it cuts down on prep time significantly. Yippee! Just let the can opener do most of the work.
This was my first time trying no-boil noodles. Okay, they did save me time, but I would prefer to roll them out myself. Have you tried these? No boiling or prep needed at all. Just place them in the dish and bake as normal. Since I am pregnant I have been trying to find ways to simplify our nightly meals.
Despite what I would like, sometimes I don't have time to do it all. Luckily this meal doesn't sacrifice on the flavor.
Mexican Lasagna
You Will Need:
- 1 box of no-boil lasagna noodles
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 1 can Rotel
- 1 can corn
- 1 can black beans
- 2 c. Monterey Jack Cheese and Colby Jack, shredded
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. oregano
- 1 (15 oz.) container of ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 green onions, sliced
- Handful of black olives, sliced
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a 9x12 baking dish, spread a little tomato sauce to just cover the bottom so the noodles are wet and won't stick.
Start with your first layer of no-boil noodles in the pan. One box has enough noodles to cover a 9x12 pan, but just enough so don't overlap unless you need to.
Combine the Rotel, black beans, corn, cumin, and salt in a bowl. Mix them together. This will be the filling for the lasagna.
In another bowl, mix up the ricotta cheese, egg, garlic powder and oregano. Give it a good mix until well incorporated. This will be the ricotta layer.
On your noodles spread half the ricotta mixture, then top with 1/2 the filling and sprinkle on 1/3 cup of grated cheese.
Repeat the layering process with more noodles, the remaining ricotta and remaining filling. Top with a bit more cheese and add your final layer of noodles. I spread just a little tomato sauce on top so the top layer of noodles would be soft then topped with the remaining cheese, green onions and olives.
Bake for about 30-40 minutes, covered with aluminum foil, until the cheese is melted and the lasagna is heated through.
Enjoy!
