Mexican Skillet Lasagna

This recipe for Mexican Skillet Lasagna from The Dinner Plan by Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion is an easy way to make Dinner Time = Happy Time. It’s a hearty, beefy, cheesy, saucy dish inspired by the version of Mexican food that most of us grew up eating. Less authentic, more nostalgic. While I haven’t tried making this gluten-free, I imagine you could easily swap out the flour tortillas for corn, making it so. One note is that in the recipe below I have doubled the spices from the original version. I thought that it needed the boost. You could also add a can of diced green chiles with the crushed tomatoes if you are into that sort of thing. Enjoy!

Mexican Skillet Lasagna

Mexican Skillet Lasagna

Ingredients

  • 4 8-inch flour tortillas or 6 smaller ones
  • 1 Tbls olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1.25 lbs ground beef I used 90% lean
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
  • 1 8-oz pkg cream cheese room temperature
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced, optional
  • sour cream, hot sauce, fresh lime optional, for serving

Instructions

  • In a large high-sided saute pan with a 3-quart capacity and a lid, toast the tortillas over medium-low-heat one at a time until lightly browned, about 45 seconds per side. Transfer them to a cutting board and cut into strips about 10inch wide. Set aside.
  • Add oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occassionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the beef, cumin, chili powder and cayenne. Season with sat and pepper and cook, stirring often and breaking up the meat, until the beef is browned, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes, then fill the empty can about one-third with water, swish it around, and stir it into the meat sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and check the seasonings (it should taste a little salty).
  • Lay half of the reserved tortilla strips evenly across the pan, pushing them under the sauce with the back of a wooden spoon.
  • Scatter half of the chedder cheese on top, then lay the remaining tortilla strips evenly across the pan, pushing them under the sauce again.
  • Cover the pan and gently simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 8 minutes.
  • Dollup the cream cheese over the lasagna and submerge it into the sauce. Scatter remaining cheddar cheese on top and gently simmer, covered, until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Let the lasagna rest, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, then top with scallions, if you like, before serving with sour cream, hot sauce and fresh limes, optional.