Friends asked for quarantine recipes... Up first is Enchilada Lasagna!

ENCHILADA LASAGNA

• 15-17 small tortillas, cut into quartered strips (gluten free - use gf corn tortillas)
• 1 large can (or 2 small) beans of choice
• 2.5 lbs meat of choice, cut into cubes
• 2 medium onions
• 4 cups enchilada sauce (I will explain below how to make, I highly recommend making your own. But if you can't, use canned)
• 1 small can diced green chilies (optional)
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1/2 tbsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tbsp adobo seasoning
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Lime juice
• Salt and pepper

Optional if you can find (don't use if dairy free):

• Sour cream
• Shredded cheese

If you can't find meat at the store, use beans, diced tomatoes and canned corn or other canned veggies. Drain well first. Also consider canned meats, you'll just need more seasonings (and less salt).

If making your own sauce (again highly recommend, it's dead easy):

• 5 tablespoons neutral oil
• 2 tablespoons flour (for gluten free, use cornstarch)
• 1/4-1/2 cup chili powder (use more for more heat, be careful!)
• 3.5 cups broth of choice
• 10 ounces tomato sauce
• 5 ounces tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• Sprinkle of garlic powder
• Sprinkle of onion powder
• Sprinkle of white pepper
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

*** You can also cut the chili powder in half and skip a lot of the seasonings, and simply pulse down a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and add it with the broth. Remove half the tomato sauce if you do this.

Heat oil in a small pot. Stir in flour or cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Once bubbles form, add chili powder, whisking constantly. Keep a close eye on this or it will burn. Cook for 1-2 minutes until chili powder just starts to darken. Add broth and tomato sauce/paste. Bring to low simmer and add all seasonings. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes to reduce and thicken. Watch for splattering, the oil gets hot!

While that simmers, preheat your oven to 400F. Toss meat, onions, chilies if using and all spices and lime juice in a bowl. Pour the meat onto a foil-lined tray and bake until just cooked - 20 minutes for chicken. Remove from the oven and shred using two forks or a blender.

While the meat cooks, mix beans in a bowl with seasonings of choice - cumin, garlic, salt, pepper, whatever Mexican style seasonings you have to hand. This is optional. Set the bowl aside.

Get your desired lasagna dish ready - I used a 11 x 7 glass dish and this recipe filled it just to the top. Put some sauce down, then the tortilla strips, beans, filling, cheese if using, more tortilla strips, then more sauce. Repeat. I got three layers out of this so keep that in mind when dividing your portions. The top should end with sauce.

Place in the oven uncovered for 20-25 minutes until edges are bubbling. Top with cheese if using. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving - seriously, don't skip this step. Serve with sour cream if using.

This made 8 very large portions (I can eat a half portion and be full, my husband eats a full serving), total cost for me was about $8 but I had all of the seasonings on hand, and I make my own broth.

Let me know if you have any questions, or need ideas for substitutions.

bon appetit