Taco Lasagna
I have been reading the book “Taco Tuesday” to my kid over and over again.
It is one of her favorite interactive books as the taco is a finger puppet, begging the reader not to eat him and to instead eat other tasty foods. Sadly for the taco, we are big fans of the tortilla, bean, corn, veggie concoction and even though Talia and I are vegetarians- we show no mercy for a bean taco.
We don’t need Tuesday as an excuse to eat tacos. We eat them any chance we get! I change up the filling all of the time, depending on the season. My mom, Donna loves this version the best though.
It is a total crowd pleaser and holds up great as leftovers. I have been making this for my clients and my friends and family for YEARS.
Don’t wait for it to be Tuesday. Make it today!
A great dinner party dish!
Taco Lasagna
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ small yellow onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon water
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon water
1 5 oz bag spinach, washed
1 1/2 cups corn kernels, fresh (from 1 to 2 ears), from 1 15-ounce can, drained, or frozen and thawed
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
6 medium-size (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican Cheese Mix
INGREDIETS:
1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick oil.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne and cook until you can smell the spices and the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and the water for 1 minute and then add the zucchini to cook until slightly brown.
3. Add the spinach and cook down, then stir in the corn and the beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the bean mixture simmer until everything is hot, about 3 minutes. Heat until the spinach has wilted and everything is well blended and hot, about 3 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or pepper as necessary.
4. Place 1 tortilla in the prepared cake pan. Spread one-sixth of the bean and vegetable mixture evenly over the tortilla, then sprinkle 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the shredded cheese evenly over the top. Repeat with 5 more layers, ending with the last of the bean mixture and shredded cheese.
5. Bake the tortilla stack until it is hot throughout and the top is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. You can run it under the broiler for extra color on top, if you wish.
6. Cut it into wedges using a sharp knife. Sprinkle the top with cilantro, if desired, and serve with sour cream or salsa or guacamole on the side, if you wish.
Do ahead: You can make this ahead of time, cover it in the fridge overnight then leave it at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before baking it.