Friday, January 27, 2012

Freezer Cooking: Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna

I'm trying to fill our freezer with meals & baked goods for the impending arrival of Little Baby.  The dish I made today is Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna, which to me, is heaven in a casserole dish.  If you don't want it to be vegetarian, by all means, add some meat.  Conversely, if you're looking to add a meat free dish to your repertoire, this is certainly a great place to start.  I love it because it's quick, it's easy, it's a great way to use up undesirable leftovers, AND it can be frozen.  Here's how it's made:


Ingredients:
1 cup of brown rice cooked according to directions                    1 can of black beans
1 cup of diced green peppers                                                         1 can of corn
1 c diced onion                                                                              4-6 tortillas
1/2 can of El Pato                                                                          shredded cheese
1 can of diced tomatoes with chiles, or 3 fresh tomatoes diced, or 1 cup of salsa


Spices:
1/2 T of Cayenne Pepper                            1 T Cumin (not pictured)
1 T of Chili Powder                                     1T Garlic Powder or several cloves of garlic



Saute veggies & spices


Rinse & drain corn & beans.  Mix in salsa, peppers, onions, rice, & El Pato & thoroughly incorporate.  


If you intend to freeze the lasagna & don't have a disposable pan, line the pan with foil going both ways.  Lay down a tortilla.

Cover with veggie/rice mixture.  Then cover with a layer of cheese.  


Layer again with an additional tortilla.   (I took this opportunity to use up tortillas that had broken & would have otherwise wound up in the trash.  Yeah saved food!)  Repeat process until all of the veggie mix is used & cover the top with another layer of cheese. 


 If you plan on freezing, cook the lasagna for 10 minutes at 325°, allow to cool, wrap & freeze.  If not, place lasagna in the oven at 325° for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted/brown. Garnish with sour cream & enjoy! 

6 comments:

  1. What is "El Pato?" (I mean, okay, I speak a little Spanish, so it means "The Duck" LOL but I've never seen that little yellow can in my whole life!)

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    1. El Pato is a spicy Mexican tomato sauce. I used to buy it (when we lived in Indiana) at Kroger, but now I buy it in the Mexican food section at Walmart. It is super spicy & SUPER delicious. My husband discovered it while living in California & I am ever so thankful he introduced it to me! ;)

      http://www.amazon.com/Pato-Mexican-Style-Tomato-Sauce/dp/B0000U1OGE

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    2. Aha - that explains it. My husband is Cuban - NO spicy LOL just plain ol tomato sauce and LOTS of it. :D

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  2. Yum!!! I will definitely make this soon!
    Thanks for sharing :)
    xo

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  3. Why do you precook if planning to freeze?

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  4. Nelle, I guess I precook because I was following a recipe that said I should precook. Please share if you've tried it without precooking, I'd love to skip a step!

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