Mexican Lasagna

My Adventurous Daughter and I love to eat at this burrito place.  You get to pick and choose the ingredients you want in your burrito.  I usually choose chicken, black beans, tomatoes, green onions and cheese.  There is something magical about that combination of flavors.  So, when I ran across this recipe for Mexican Lasagna, I adapted it to include these flavors and it worked!  Delicious!  You can use ground beef or ground turkey, but I had some leftover grilled chicken so that's what I used.  Use what you have on hand.  Who wants to go do extra grocery shopping?  Cooking should be easy and stress-free!

MEXICAN LASAGNA

12 corn tortillas (soft taco size)
1 lb ground beef or turkey (or 2 cups diced cooked chicken)
1/2 pkg taco seasoning
2 cups shredded cheese (Cheddar or Jack, I used Colby Jack)
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes
1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
3 or 4 green onions, chopped

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 8x11 baking dish.

Brown the ground beef and drain the grease.  Add the taco seasoning and mix well.  If using leftover cooked chicken, dice it up then warm it in a skillet.  Add the taco seasoning and mix well.


Layer the greased dish with 6 corn tortillas.

Spread the seasoned meat on top of the tortillas.

Spread the rinsed and drained beans on top of the meat.

Sprinkle on the green onions.

Top with HALF of the cheese.

Layer the final 6 tortillas on top of the cheese.

In a medium bowl, mix the soup and tomatoes.

Pour this mixture over the tortillas.

Spread to cover the tortillas completely.

Top with remaining cheese.

I put the baking dish on a sheet pan just in case it bubbled over (I really hate cleaning the oven).

Bake for 35 minutes.

See how the layers on the side kind of look like lasagna?

Let this sit and cool for 15 minutes before you cut into it.  Seriously.  It's gonna smell fantastic and you're not gonna want to wait but trust me, wait.  Let it set up.  Otherwise you'll just have a big gloppy mess on your hands.  It's worth the wait.  It's cheesy and creamy and has that great corn flavor from the tortillas.  Just delicious!

Feel free to garnish it with a little chopped cilantro if you like (I didn't have any on hand or I would have) or even a few more chopped green onions.  You can serve it with sour cream and salsa on the side.  Whatever you like.  This makes 12 servings, six if you've got big eaters.  It would be very easy to double the recipe and make two.  You could let one cool down completely, then wrap it up in foil and freeze it for later.  It's always nice to have something in the freezer when you don't feel like cooking.  Especially something this tasty!  Enjoy!

Butter Cream Frosting

OK, kitchen confession time:  I admit that I use boxed cake mixes.  They are quick and easy.  Someone else has done all the measuring of the dry ingredients!  I do doctor them up with extras, however.  I add an extra egg, extracts, use milk instead of water, etc.  They work for me and they're tasty.  But, I really hate that gross frosting in a can!  You know, the stuff they sell right next to the cake mixes?  Yuck!  It tastes like the plastic container it comes in.  Ugh!  No thank you!  Frosting should be creamy, decadent and, most importantly, delicious!  When you bake a cake it's usually for a celebration.  Go the extra mile and make real frosting.  It's easier than you think.

This recipe is very versatile.  You can make almost any flavor out of it.  And I have.  Regular butter cream, chocolate, vanilla, almond, peanut butter, just to name a few.  I'll give you the basic recipe, then tell you how you can modify it to change flavors.

Also, this recipe is called "Butter"cream, not margarine cream or partially hydrogenated soybean oil cream.  Butter is what makes it taste fantastic.  Unless you have serious health reasons, please don't use anything but real butter.

To soften the butter, leave it out on the counter until it comes to room temperature.

This recipe yields about 4 cups of frosting.

BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

2 sticks unsalted REAL butter, softened (no substitutes!)
8 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup - 3/4 cup milk

In a large bowl, cream butter with a mixer (that just means mix it until it's very smooth and a little lighter and fluffier).

Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla on low at first (so it doesn't fly across your kitchen) then on medium.

Add in 1/2 cup milk and mix to incorporate.  If it's not creamy enough, add a little more milk.  Keep adding milk until it reaches your desired consistency.  You may not use it all.  It should be creamy and spreadable, not too thick, not too thin.

That's it.  I told you it was easy.


Now, the variations you can make to change flavors:

CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM - substitute 1/2 cup cocoa powder for 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar.

LEMON BUTTER CREAM - substitute lemon juice for milk and add 1 tsp grated lemon zest.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING - substitute 1 cup creamy peanut butter for the butter.

ALMOND BUTTER CREAM - substitute almond extract for the vanilla.

PEPPERMINT BUTTER CREAM - substitute peppermint extract for vanilla.

You can tint the frosting any color you like just by adding a little food coloring.



This is my go-to frosting recipe.  It's easy, delicious and always a hit.  Here is a pic of my Pickiest Eater Ever Son's birthday cake.  He just turned 16 and asked for Chocolate Butter Cream frosting on his cake.  He loves it.

Rich, decadent and creamy, the perfect frosting!  If you've never made homemade frosting, please try this recipe.  It's as simple as turning on a mixer and so delicious you'll kick yourself for ever buying that plastic can!

Pecan Praline Pie

Pecan Pralines are like little drops of heaven right here on earth.  These delicious, creamy, sweet confections are what dreams are made of, for me at least.  As a kid, these were my favorite candy (still are, as a matter of fact).  Most kids couldn't wait to get a Snickers or a bag of M&Ms in their Trick or Treat bag, I was hoping my neighbor made Pralines.  Because, candy-making in Louisiana is tricky business (no pun intended).  Halloween is almost the only time of year that the humidity level is low enough to successfully make these beauties.  I am no candy maker.  I've tried, many times, but it's just not my strong suit.  However, this pie recipe, is so easy to make and tastes just like a Pecan Praline!  I'm not sure if finding this pie recipe is the best thing ever or the worst (because I could eat the whole thing by myself).

PECAN PRALINE PIE

1 (9 inch) pie shell
5 1/2 TBS unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (pack it down in the measuring cup)
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans (plus more for garnish)
1 (5 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
1 3/4 cups cold milk
1 (8oz) carton Cool Whip, thawed (or whip your own heavy cream but this was quicker)


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Bake empty pie shell for 5 minutes.  I like to put it on a baking sheet to make it easier to handle.

Before:

After:

Meanwhile, melt butter and sugar in a small saucepan.  Add chopped pecans.

After baking the pie shell for 5 minutes, pour the melted butter mixture into it and bake it for 5 minutes more.

Then, let it cool.

While the pie is cooling, whisk together the vanilla pudding mix and cold milk for 5 minutes or until thickened.

Once it is thickened, remove 1 cup of the pudding to another bowl.  Add HALF of the Cool Whip to the 1 cup of pudding and gently fold it together.

Now you should have the original pudding mixture and a lightened, fluffier version.

When the pie is completely cooled, pour the original pudding mixture into the pie shell and spread to cover.

Next, pour the Cool Whip/pudding mixture over the top and spread to cover.

Chill the pie thoroughly in the fridge (at least 1 hour) before slicing.

Slice and garnish with extra Cool Whip and chopped pecans, if desired (I desire!).

There is a layer of "candy" baked onto the bottom of the pie (see it in the photo above).  It, along with the creaminess of the pudding layers combine to give you the flavor of a praline!  It is out of this world good!  My Mama and Daddy absolutely loved it!  I served it to them with a cup of Dark Roast Community Coffee (A Louisiana favorite).  That is pretty much Louisiana in a nut shell (again, no pun intended) good times with family, good food and a good cup of coffee!

Baked Bow Ties

With an Old School Italian Husband to cook for, I have no shortage of pasta recipes.  It's a stereotype, I know, but nonetheless true.  He loves pasta.  This particular pasta recipe is one of my favorites.  It's easy, filling and delicious.  Best of all, everyone in the family loves it.  No picky eater problems.  Ahh, peace at suppertime.  It's a rare thing of beauty.

BAKED BOW TIES

1 lb bow tie pasta, cooked to al dente
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt/pepper to taste
1 (24oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup water
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese


Cook pasta to al dente (with a little bite left to it because it's going to finish in the oven).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large skillet, brown ground beef and pork with the onions and garlic over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

Drain excess grease.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add water and sauce.  Stir well.

Add the hot, cooked pasta and stir well.

Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.  Pour pasta mixture into baking dish.

Top with shredded mozzarella (I use whole milk mozzarella cut into small cubes) and Parmesan cheese.

Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes until it's bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Like I said, this recipe is easy and so yummy.  Comfort food goodness.  You could lighten it up by using ground turkey, whole wheat pasta and low fat cheese.  Or just go whole hog like I did.  Why not?