Mexican Lasagna, an enchilada pie by any other name.......

I made enchilada pie, or Mexican lasagna as I call it, tonight for dinner. I like to make it up ahead of time and let it set in the fridge for an hour or so before baking it. The sauce is easy enough, you can use a can (we've ALL done it) or you can make an easy, homemade sauce. Here's the recipe for mine.

Pat's Enchilada Sauce

1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
4T good olive oil
1t cumin
1t coriander
1T lemon juice
1T chili powder
1t cayenne pepper
2 (15 oz) cans of tomatoes

In a skillet (I prefer cast iron) saute the onions in the olive oil until they start to caramelize. Add the garlic, cook 3 more minutes. Add all of the seasonings and cook for 2 more minutes. Scrape into the bowl of a food processor or into a blender. Return the skillet to the heat. Add the lemon juice and the juice from the canned tomatoes. De-glaze the pan and then pour into the processor with the onion/spice mixture. Add the tomatoes and process the whole thing until smooooothe. Pour back into the skillet and simmer for 10-15 minutes until it starts to thicken.


Okay, so now for the pie. You are going to need the following ingredients:

2 cups shredded cheddar/monteray jack/ pepper jack cheese
1 pound of ground beef
1 recipe of sauce (see above)
1 recipe of Refried Beans  These are Ellie Krieger's beans....awesome!
1 package of Corn tortillas, NOT FLOUR TORTILLAS
Enough oil for frying the tortillas.

Put oil in a skillet and fry the tortillas until they are crispy and browned. Brown the ground beef, drain, and add a little of the enchilada sauce to moisten. In a casserole dish, pour enough sauce to coat the bottom of the dish. Layer tortillas until the bottom is covered. Add half the refried beans, then 1/3 the cheese. Place another layer of  tortillas on top, moisten with sauce, add the ground beef and 1/3 of cheese. Place another tortilla on top, moisten with sauce, add the remaining beans. Top with the final tortilla, cover generously with sauce and top with the remaining cheese. Put it in the fridge for a couple of hours. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated through. The edges should bubble and the cheese should color.

I'll take a picture when it comes out of the oven.

Peace
Pat