Taco Lasagna

There’s nothing we love more around here than some authentic Mexican food, but Italian food comes in as a close second. This recipe combines tacos and lasagna, and while I’m not claiming that it’s authentic to either region, it’s incredibly tasty!

Total Prep Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes | Servings: 12 | Pre-heat Oven: 400*F

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
16 oz taco sauce
1 cans (15 oz each) crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
15 oz refried beans
16 oz cottage cheese (or sour cream, your preference!)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 box oven-ready lasagna noodles

Steps

1) In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until it’s browned (about 8-10 minutes). Add the taco seasoning, taco sauce, crushed tomatoes, and water. Cook until it’s simmering, then stir in the refried beans until they’re completely incorporated. Remove from heat.

2) In a medium bowl, combine cottage cheese (or sour cream, if you’re using it instead), corn, and 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.

3) In the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan, spread 2 cups of the meat sauce. Lay 3 uncooked lasagna noodles side by side and then top with another 2 cups of sauce.

4) Layer 1 1/2 cups of the cottage cheese (or sour cream) mixture, followed by 3 more lasagna noodles and 2 more cups of sauce. Repeat this step 2 more times and then cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.

5) Uncover carefully and top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. Bake an additional 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. You can garnish this dish with ranch dressing, tomatoes, cilantro, more cheese - whatever you’d like! Be sure to refrigerate your leftovers.