Enchilada Lasagna

I LOVE making enchiladas. Correction: I love EATING enchiladas. I really don't mind making them either, but sometimes I just get a little frustrated filling each shell individually with enchilada stuffing. It seems like I always overstuff the first couple, and then I don't have enough when I get to the end. Or, I understuff at first and then overcompensate on those last two. It's very hard to make them even. Soooo...what if we could make enchiladas without the work of stuffing each one???

Let me introduce you to...Enchilada Lasagna.

Note: If you are using long-cooking brown rice in this dish, go ahead and start the rice before preparing the sauce. Whatever type you use, prepare one cup dry rice (yields 2 cups cooked).

To make the enchilada sauce...
Heat 2 T canola oil over medium heat. In a small bowl combine 2 T flour, 2 T chili powder, and 2 tsp cumin. Stir flour mixture into hot oil and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. After one minute, stir in 1 can tomato sauce and 2 cups water. Remember, the more slowly you add the liquids, the more quickly the sauce will thicken.

While the sauce simmers, brown one pound of lean ground meat in a large pot (I used venison). To the browned meat, add one can of black beans, one can of pinto beans, one cup of corn (fresh, frozen, or canned), and two cups of cooked brown rice. You may want to add some salt and pepper at this point as well.

Then layer away.
1. Spread a little sauce on the bottom of a casserole.
2. Make a single layer of corn or flour tortillas (I used whole wheat flour tortillas. Flour tortillas get very soft, while corn tortillas would be a little sturdier).
3. Scoop out some filling (beef/beans/rice/corn mixture) and make a layer on top of the tortillas.
4. Sprinkle cheese on top of the meat.
5. Pour some sauce over everything, and start the next set of layers!

Save a little sauce to pour over everything right before you put it in the oven...400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.

Tortillas + Stuffing + Cheese + Sauce - Work = Enchilada Lasagna


Enjoy!