Recipe #2 - Taylor's Mexican Lasagna

Browning the meat

2.5 out of 5 stars

Tonight was Taylor's first recipe she completed on her own.  I offered minor direction and supervision.  She surprised me in her abilities.  I will let her tell you about her experience in her own words.  Here is the recipe she used:

Mexican Lasagna

1 lb lean ground beef (we substituted ground turkey)
1 16oz fat-free refried beans
2 tsp oregano (we substituted Italian seasoning)


Adding the beans

 1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
9 uncooked lasagna noodles (we boiled ours to reduce baking time)
1 16oz jar salsa
2 c. water (we eliminated this due to already cooking the noodles)
2 c. reduced fat sour cream
1 small can sliced black olives
1 c. shredded Mexican-blend cheese
1/2 c. thinly sliced green onions



Cutting the green onions

 In a nonstick skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  Add the refried beans, oregano, cumin and garlic powder; heat through.

Place three noodles in a 9x13 baking dish coated with cooking spray; cover with half the meat mixture.  Repeat layers.  Top with remaining noodles.  Combine salsa and water; pour over noodles.

 Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until the noodles are tender.  Spread with sour cream.  Sprinkle with olives, cheese and onions.


Construction is serious business





What did I think? I did not like this recipe.  Taylor did a great job making it, but the spices added an odd flavor.  It was also very bland.  The critic did not like the beans in it and we both decided we would omit them if we made this recipe again.  Taylor and I discussed how we could make it better, but I'm not sure we will try.

What did Taylor think?
I thought this recipe was awesome. I do have to admit though if it was Italian Sausage Soup vs. Mexican Lasagna, Italian Sausage Soup would win. I thought it had way to many refried beans than I would have liked. My dad so dubbed "The Critic" and my mom said that it wasn't the way I cooked it ,but just the recipe in general. Well, I am  self- proclaiming myself "Critic #2" and i thought that the recipe was great.