Mexican Lasagna

I was in the mood for Mexican today, and since I hadn’t made one in a while, I decided on Mexican lasagna.  This is not your typical Mexican lasagna – it’s full of black beans, corn and fresh salsa. This freshness works well with the taco sauce coated chicken and cheese so you’re left with a very balanced dish.  I slow cooked my chicken and shred it, but if you used a rotisserie chicken (Mojo flavor, maybe?) or made the chicken ahead of time, the rest of this dish is pretty simple and could certainly be week-night worthy.  I paired it with my Spanish Rice and it was the perfect compliment.  Since I slow cooked my chicken in stock and seasoning, I felt really smart because I saved it and was able to make the rice with it (I love when that sort of thing happens!). The recipe below ended up being enough for two casseroles, so I put the extra one in the freezer.  The second one was a little smaller than the one we ate tonight. All three of my boys loved this and I, especially, am really looking forward to eating the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Mexican Lasagna
Recipe will make 2 casseroles – see below for pictures

3 chicken breasts, shredded (recipe below)
Salt and pepper
16 oz. taco sauce (I used Ortega)
2 14.5-oz. cans black beans, drained (not rinsed)
1 14.5-oz. can corn, drained (or 2 ears fresh corn)
16 oz. fresh salsa (I used Publix deli medium salsa)
4 oz. can of green chills, drained
9 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.) Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Add about 8 ozs of taco sauce and mix until chicken is evenly coated. Set aside.
3.) In a bowl, combine black beans, corn, salsa and chilis. Set aside.
4.) Spray the casserole dish(es) with olive oil and then add the remaining taco sauce to the bottom of the dish(es). Cut tortillas in half (or quarters) so that they will fit along the bottom of the casserole(s).
5.) Layer the casserole as follows: tortillas, chicken, bean/corn/salsa, cheese. Repeat one more time, ending with more cheese than the first layer.
6.) Bake for about 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the sides are bubbly.

This was the second casserole.

To prevent freezer burn, I always wrap my casseroles with plastic wrap first (making sure there is a perfect seal around the perimeter of the casserole dish) and then cover with aluminum foil. I then write what it is and when it was prepared, because I would totally forget if I didn’t.

Update **Simple Mexican Shredded Chicken**

Boil chicken breast and shred with a fork. Stir in 1 tbsp of Taco Seasoning per chicken breast.

Mexican Shredded Chicken

3 chicken breasts
4 ozs. taco sauce
3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper

1.) Place all ingredients in a dutch oven. Cover and place in a 250 degree oven. Cook for 3 to 4 hours.
2.) Remove chicken from broth and shred the chicken with a fork and knife.