Mexi-Lasagna

I haven't really been keeping up with my "pantry meals," because they've been sort of boring...spaghetti....chicken noodle soup....  BUT, tonight I made a YUMMY meal that I feel I need to share.  I read a recipe for Mexican Lasagna, but I didn't write it down.  So, tonight, I just decided to make due with what I had.  So, here's what I had...

1 package of Meal Starters "crumbles"

1 jar salsa

1 can refried beans

1 package Cottage Cheese

lasanga noodles

shredded mexi and cheddar cheese

Let me start by reminding you I'm a 95% vegetarian...(I do still eat a little dairy and our very own farm fresh, vegetarian fed, laid-in-my-barn eggs)...but my kids aren't, so I have to find the medium for our meals, but I had to fix and eat something that the kids would eat too, I was just VERY light on the cheese.  You can easily substitute ground beef for the veggie "meat".  Also, I don't usually follow a "recipe" per se.  I usually just wing it.  Whatever looks and tastes good goes in. 

I don't like precooking lasagna noodles and I read once to just soak them in hot water while you are fixing everything else, so that's what I did.  Just dropped them in a pitcher of hot water while everything else was cooking. 

Then I threw the Meal Starters, the salsa and the refried beans in a large pot and heated it all up.  After it was hot, I took it off the stove and added the cottage cheese.  I decided to make two 8x8's instead of one 9x13, so I had to break my noodles so that they would fit in the pans.  I just started assembling the lasagna pans like usual...meat, noodles, meat, cheese, noodles, meat, cheese, noodles, meat & cheese.  I covered with foil, baked at 350 for 30 minutes, removed the foil and baked for another 5 minutes or so.  This is what I ended up with...

 

I knew I was up against the wall when it came to the kids actually eating it...neither one really likes lasagna and I had to convince them that this wouldn't taste like any other lasagna they'd EVER tasted considering it was Mexican.  Here's what I got!

Look at that clean plate!!!!

They ate it!  Although Kaden got distracted by the camera and his fell off his fork mid-bite, he ate it!  It was very good and so, so easy!  And, the good news is I have half of one pan left for work lunches next week and...are you reading this Joe?...one for Joe to take back to work with him after the weekend!  

I hope everyone tries this recipe.  You can totally adjust it to your taste.  If you do try it, let me know via comment how yours turned out!

NLN