Mexican Lasagna with Cactus

Name: Mexican Lasagna with Cactus
Prep time: 1 h 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Italian, European
Ingredients: 794 grams enchilada sauce, divided; 2 kilograms packages flour tortillas, cut in half - divided; 2 kilograms ground beef; 907 grams packages shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend, divided; 680 grams packages queso fresco (Mexican cheese), thinly sliced - divided; 907 grams fat-free refried beans; 2 envelopes taco seasoning mix; 454 grams nopalitos (sliced cactus), drained - divided

You can never have too many main course recipes, so give Mexican Lasagna with Cactus a try. This recipe covers 35% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. One portion of this dish contains approximately 53g of protein, 51g of fat, and a total of 953 calories. This recipe serves 16. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes. This recipe is typical of Mediterranean cuisine. Head to the store and pick up enchilada sauce, refried beans, nopalitos, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the flour tortillas you could follow this main course with the Cinnamon Sugar Crisps as a dessert.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a large disposable aluminum roasting pan with cooking spray.

Ingredients you will need

Cooking Spray

Equipment you will use

Roasting Pan

Oven

Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking the meat into crumbles as it browns, 10 to 12 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Ground Beef

Meat

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Drain excess grease and stir in taco seasoning and half the enchilada sauce. Reserve remaining enchilada sauce for later use. Bring beef mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Set meat aside.

Ingredients you will need

Enchilada Sauce

Taco Seasoning Mix

Beef

Meat

Layer one package of tortillas into the bottom of the prepared aluminum roasting pan and spread refried beans evenly in a layer over the tortillas. Arrange 1 more package of halved tortillas over the beans, and top with slices of queso fresco.

Ingredients you will need

Refried Beans

Queso Fresco

Tortilla

Spread

Beans

Equipment you will use

Roasting Pan

Spread 1 package of reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend over queso fresco slices.

Ingredients you will need

Mexican Cheese

Queso Fresco

Spread

Lay half the sliced nopalitos in a criss-cross pattern over the shredded cheese.

Ingredients you will need

Shredded Cheese

Top nopalito layer with 1 more package of tortillas and spread beef mixture over the tortillas; top with remaining package of tortillas. Finish casserole with remaining enchilada sauce and remaining 1 package cheese blend. Top the cheese with remaining nopalito slices arranged in a criss-cross pattern.

Ingredients you will need

Enchilada Sauce

Tortilla

Cheese

Spread

Beef

Bake in the preheated oven until casserole is bubbling and the cheese topping is melted and starting to brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Cheese

Equipment you will use

Oven

Serve in squares.

Equipment

Roasting Pan

Oven

Frying Pan

Ingredients

Servings:

794grams

enchilada sauce, divided 2kilograms

packages flour tortillas, cut in half - divided 2kilograms

ground beef 907grams

packages shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend, divided 680grams

packages queso fresco (Mexican cheese), thinly sliced - divided 907grams

fat-free refried beans 2envelopes

taco seasoning mix 454grams

nopalitos (sliced cactus), drained - divided

Recommended wine: Chianti, Trebbiano, Verdicchio

Italian on the menu? Try pairing with Chianti, Trebbiano, and Verdicchio. Italians know food and they know wine. Trebbiano and Verdicchio are Italian white wines that pair well with fish and white meat, while Chianti is a great Italian red for heavier, bolder dishes. You could try Piccini Chianti Classico. Reviewers quite like it with a 4.6 out of 5 star rating and a price of about 10 dollars per bottle.