I’ve discovered one of those culinary mysteries of the universe. The most common I think would be the seemingly age-old discussion of why hot dogs and hot dog buns do not come in the same sized packages. But this newest enigma might be part of the new corn conspiracies: Why can you buy flour tortillas in small packages but corn tortillas only come in packages of, like, a million?! Seriously! On the plus side, having 900,000 corn tortillas does mean one has to get creative with using them all up. We’ve been eating tacos, breakfast tacos, tostadas, migas, and homemade chips for weeks.
Today’s recipe is for Texas Lasagna, which, as the title of this post implies, isn’t really lasagna at all. With corn tortilla in place of wide noodles, lovingly layered with thin-sliced vegetables and house-made enchilada sauce, you might argue it’s like an enchilada casserole–but then, that would be the point.
Texas Lasagna
–18 corn tortillas
–1 large yellow squash, sliced thinly
–1 large zucchini, sliced thinly
–1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced thinly
–1/4 cup shredded cheese
–enchilada sauce
Enchilada sauce:
–1/4 cup canola oil
–2 cloves garlic, minced
–1/2 small onion, minced
–TSP dried oregano
–TSP ancho chili powder
–TSP black pepper
–TSP cumin
–3 oz. tomato paste
–2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, diced
–1/4 cup chicken stock
Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and saute the garlic, onion, and dried spices for 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Reduce to a simmer.
Place six tortillas along the bottom of a glass oven-safe baking dish; the tortillas will overlap. Using a large spoon, spoon some of the enchilada sauce in an even layer over the tortillas. Top with a light layer of shredded cheese, using a light hand as you will want to use the bulk of the cheese on the top of the dish. Layer squash, zucchini, and sweet potato, top with the next six tortillas and repeat. Place the final six tortillas over the top and place in the oven (holding any remaining cheese).
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes to allow the vegetables to begin to get tender and the top tortillas to brown. Cover with the remaining cheese and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and gets toasty in a few spots. Remove from the oven and serve!
Dammit Jim, I’m not a doctor…
Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 8
Calories: 250 calories per serving
