Mexican Lasagna

When I first spotted this recipe I didn't think it would be that good or that much different than regular lasagna. I just figured if I'm going to make lasagna, I'll make regular lasagna. I was wrong...this recipe is definitely worth making. I am so glad I tried this. This recipe far outranks any other Mexican dish I have tried in the past, and it will be what I turn to from now on. This one would even impress guests! And no, this is not too spicy...I fed it to the kids and they liked it!

*You will need a deep dish 9x13 lasagna pan for this. A typical Pyrex 9x13 is too shallow.

*I once made this with elbow pasta and called it taco mac.  It was delish!  Just cook the pasta separate and toss everything together in a large bowl and transfer to your baking dish.

Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
dash of ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, white or yellow
1 (6 ounce) can olives, chopped (I just eyeballed this amount - I love black olives!)
12 no-boil flat lasagna noodles (I love the Barilla brand)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream, light or regular
8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a deep dish 9X13-inch lasagna pan and set aside.

In a large 12-inch skillet, brown the ground beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the grease. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste. Stir to combine well and cook for about a minute. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, cayenne, oregano and salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Add the black beans, corn and olives. Mix well and heat through, about 5 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer four noodles over the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the sauce over the noodles. Dollop 1/3 of the sour cream and 1/3 of the cream cheese (just pinch off small chunks and toss them on top) across the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheeses. Repeat the layers two more times until all the ingredients are used.

Cover the lasagna with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes more, until the lasagna is hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into and serving.

**I prepared mine the night before. I removed mine from the oven 30 minutes before baking, and then baked for 45-60 minutes. I broiled the top (to melt the cheese) a bit at the end (about three minutes).