Stephanie's Cooking: Mexican Lasagna

So every morning I spend about a half an hour (sometimes it's more like an hour . . . ) reading my favorite food blogs. It's really amazing to see a recipe go from ingredients and steps to a finished product and getting the notes in between from people who know what they are doing. A recipe book is a great resource, but it can be very impersonal. In consequence, I enjoy making recipes from the blogs much more than from a cookbook. This recipe is from one such blog, and a very well known blog at that. The Pioneer Woman has not once steered me wrong and I have quite a few of her recipes written in my personal cookbook. This Mexican Lasagna was one such recipe and I'm so glad I made it! It definitely earns a spot on our regular rotation (if I ever get back into a regular rotation . . . there are so many new recipes to try!)

For the record, I did change this recipe a little bit. The first thing I did was cut it in half. She wasn't kidding that it could feed an army! The second thing I did was use a boxed Spanish rice mix instead of making my own. And finally, I used roasted chicken breast instead of ground beef. I don't eat ground beef, which is why you will never see it in any recipe I make. I'll give you my recipe, and you can check out the link to see The Pioneer Woman's version.

Mexican Lasagna
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

3 Chicken breasts, roasted (directions to follow)
Taco seasoning (chili powder, paprika, and cumin)
Red pepper flakes
Box of Spanish rice mix
1 15-oz. can black beans
1 16.8-oz. jar salsa verde
flour tortillas
1-2 cups of frozen corn, cooked (or a can of corn, drained)
1 package Mexican blend cheese
1 10-oz. jar enchilada sauce
Sour cream, cilantro for garnish

To roast the chicken: Place each piece of chicken in a foil packet. Pinch the ends, but leave the top open. Pour in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and then sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Roll the top of the foil closed. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Remove from packets, shake off excess oil and shred with two forks. Prepare rice per package directions. I added red pepper flake and a little bit of taco seasoning to up the flavor. While that's cooking, drop the shredded chicken in large skillet over medium-high heat. Dump in a 1/4 cup of taco seasoning and 2/3 cup water along with a little red pepper flake. Let the water cook down, stirring occasionally.

Add black beans to the rice mixture (I forgot to do this!) and then start layering in a greased 13x9 inch pan. First, spread a layer of salsa verde. Cover with a layer of tortillas. Overlapping is okay. Spread on half of the rice mixture.