Mexican Lasagna

I've been trying to change the way my family eats.  This is by no means easy.  I have a rotation of meals that have been successful for a long time. Finding and trying new recipes isn't always the easiest thing when you work full time and have three young children.  My absence on the blog is mostly because I am trying to find worthwhile recipes that are healthy and easy.  Easy being the most important feature.

This dish was a hit with my family.  I've made it a few times.  I prefer it to be made with ground chicken because I can still taste it despite the seasonings; the turkey seemed to take on the flavor of the seasoning.  But, I have added almost any vegetable that I had in my house-I've used corn, zucchini, kale, onions. You name it, I've thrown it into the skillet.  The first few times I tried cooking this layered dish, I used regular tortillas since I had them on hand; but now, I am trying to increase our whole grains.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound of ground turkey or chicken
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T chili powder
• 2 T cumin
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 16 ounces salsa 
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 cup diced squash
• 1 cup chopped eggplant
• 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed (or fresh)
• 1 cup red pepper, diced
• 6 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 cup shredded cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup Feta cheese, divided

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Add olive oil to large skillet, Over medium-high heat, throw garlic, cumin, chili powder, and ground chicken or turkey.
3. Add vegetables, beans, and salsa. Heat through (about 5-6 minutes).
4. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish. Place first 2 tortillas. Top with meat mixture and 1/3 of cheeses.
5. Repeat.  
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes until cheese is bubbly. 

Difficulty: Medium-lots of chopping

Time: 20 minute prep , 35 minutes baking time

Source: adapted from Schall Fitness

Salsa Chicken Tortilla Bake

While I love leftovers, my family is not always as excited as I am to see the same dish.  One of my favorite recipes is Salsa Chicken; it's a regular in my monthly meal rotations.  I try to change it up by serving it one day with pasta and the next with quinoa...my family is not fooled.  When I saw a recipe calling for chicken, salsa, and tortillas, I made it the next day; after my family enjoyed it; I thought I could make recipe much easier on myself by using my crock pot leftovers (I even threw in the extra quinoa and mixed it up).  It was a quick hit with my family; the kids loved being able to pick up the wedges and dip into additional salsa.  No one realized it was yesterday's chicken.

Salsa Chicken ingredients; add tortillas and cheese for Day 2!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 10-inch flour tortillas
• Shredded salsa chicken (leftovers)
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• Garnish-sour cream, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place one tortilla in the bottom of a lightly greased 2-quart round casserole dish; set aside.
2. Spoon 1/3 of leftovers over tortilla in the dish, top with 1/4 cup cheese; repeat layering, ending with last tortilla.
3. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; cover with aluminum foil.  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly; uncover for the final 5 minutes.
4. Cut into wedges and serve. 

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 10 minute prep, 35 minutes baking time

Source: inspired by Gooseberry Patch's Weeknight Dinners