Mexican Lasagna

The inspiration for this recipe comes from the Healthy Tipping Point blog, but it's fair to say it's mostly my own.  

Brown ground meat, I choose turkey.  I seasoned it with garlic salt, cumin, paprika and cilantro.  Mix in 8oz can of tomato paste thoroughly.  Then add fresh diced tomato (1 - 2), or just use one (15oz) can of diced.    

Spread the meat layer in the bottom of a casserole dish, then layer with tortilla shells.  

Next Layer is 2 cans of re-fried beans.   I chose a combination of re-fried black and pinto.   

Another layer of tortillas.

Next layer is Mexican rice, which you can create however you chose.  I've made Mexican rice a few different ways, but in this case I just deglazed the same pan I cooked the meat in with about 1/2 cup water and sauteed in a red pepper.  Later added 2 cups cooked rice (1 cup uncooked).  A pretty basic version.  I then topped everything with a sprinkle of cheese.  Then bake at 350 to 375 degrees until cheese is melted, about 20 mins.  

  

This dish got a gold star from the boyfriend and was super delicious.  This version made a huge volume, so perfect for leftovers during the week.