Mexican Lasagna

Let your lasagna go Mexican by layering ground beef and sausage with corn tortillas, tomatoes, green chiles, enchilada sauce, and cheese. It's a convenient weeknight dinner that the kids will love as much as the grownups.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound ground mild pork sausage
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 (15-ounce) can jalapeno ranch-style pinto beans, drained
• 2/3 cup canned diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of celery soup
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 9 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 medium avocado, chopped

Directions:

1. Cook sausage and ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in beans and next 5 ingredients; cook until thoroughly heated.
2. Stir together soups and enchilada sauce in a saucepan; cook until thoroughly heated.
3. Spoon one-third of sauce onto bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish; top with 3 tortillas. Spoon half of beef mixture and one-third of sauce over tortillas; sprinkle with half of Cheddar cheese. Top with 3 tortillas; repeat layers ending with tortillas. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese and next 3 ingredients.
4. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Top with avocado.

Southern Living
DECEMBER 2001