Mexican Lasagna

For a while now I have been interested in the idea of Mexican lasagna. I just haven't seen many vegetarian versions. Tonight, I finally decided to wing it and make something up, and happily, it worked out quite well. This recipe sounds labor intensive, but it really isn't.

MEXICAN LASAGNA
-oil
-1 cup basmati rice
-1.75 cups water
-1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
-1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
-2 tsp chili powder
-2 tsp cumin
-1 tsp dried parsley
-.5 tsp garlic powder
-salt and pepper
-2 red peppers, sliced
-1 red onion, sliced
-1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
-8 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded (Cabot please, don't even bother with an impostor cheese)
-6 spinach tortillas, quartered
-8 oz. taco or enchilada sauce

-Combine rice, water, chili powder, cumin, dried parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, then on 50% power for 15 minutes. When done, stir in green chilies and tomato sauce, and set aside.
-While the rice cooks, saute the peppers and onions in oil until soft and slightly blackened.
-Oil the bottom of a large baking dish. Arrange 2 tortillas worth of tortilla quarters to cover the bottom.
-Spoon in the rice mixture, and spread evenly. Sprinkle with a bit of cheese.
-Layer 2 more tortillas worth of tortilla quarters over the rice and cheese.
-Add the black beans next, and spread them evenly. On top of the beans, put in the cooked peppers and onions. Sprinkle with some cheese.
-Layer the last of the tortilla quarters on top. Pour the taco/enchilada sauce evenly over the top. Add the rest of the cheese.
-Bake at 350 degrees for half an hour. Cover the dish with foil for the first 15 minutes, then remove the foil for the rest of the cooking time.


Overall, this dish was enjoyed by Mark, myself, and my parents. I know it sounds complicated, but truly, it is fairly easy since there isn't a ton of time-consuming prep work. It's also a very pretty dish, with the green tortillas and the red peppers and sauce. I wouldn't recommend this dish for less than 4 people since it fills up a 9x13 baking dish. I would recommend it on a night when you got stuck in a downpour after work and you feel like eating some comfort food! Trust me on that one!