Lasagnchilada

I thought I’d make enchiladas, but the only corn tortillas I found at Stuff-Mart were little ones, like six or eight inches in diameter. It seemed like a lot of work to actually roll a bunch of them up with stuff and line them up in the pan.



So I ripped them up and laid them in the pan in an overlapping layer, as if they were lasagna noodles. The result: Lasagnchilada!



Dice two medium onions and sauté until translucent
Add
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1 28 oz can enchilada sauce
1 28 oz can Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 tablespoon powdered chipotle
1 tablespoon powdered cumin



Bring sauce to a simmer. Then tear up the corn tortillas and make a layer in the casserole dish; pour a layer of sauce over them.

Then add a sprinkling of browned ground beef, or better yet, Ground Meatless. Or, in this case, the Morningstar Farms version of Ground Meatless. It’s a casserole, trust me, you’ll never know it wasn’t really meat, except you won’t get that disgusting orange grease floating on top when it’s done.

Then sprinkle shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and maybe some sharp cheddar shreds if you have them. I used about a pound of Jack and maybe a quarter pound of Wisconsin Sharp by the time I was finished.



Another layer of tortilla shreds, another ladling of sauce, another sprinkle of ground meatless...Once you have the basic principle down, you can continue at your own pace until you’re out of ingredients or room in the casserole dish.

Top with jalapenos if desired. Bake at 350º for 45 minutes.

It turned out great. A dollop of sour cream at serving is a nice touch, too.




I think I now understand one of the reasons I'm a sucker for that Jeff Goldbloom movie, Mr. Frost. The one they show on late night TV every time I happen to be watching late night TV. Where he's the devil come in human form to prove the limits of rational thought. Anyway, in the beginning of the flick, when he's about to confess to a cop that he's killed more people than Ted Bundy, he takes a Polaroid of this cake or pie or whatever he'd just made. He offers a bite to the cop, who refuses, then dumps it in the trash, explaining he loves to cook but has no appetite.




He just wants the picture. Well, I eat what I kill, but the camera has definitely become a kitchen utensil these days.