Southwestern Tortilla Lasagna

Southwestern Tortilla Lasagna

I made some Chilli the other day, and as usual ended up having more leftovers than expected.  Without proper planning, and since all stores are closed on Sundays in Germany you have to get a bit creative if you forgot to get groceries the day ahead.

Staring at our otherwise empty fridge I a bag of cheddar cheese slices! In the pantry a pack of Tortillas Wraps. An avocado! That should help me convince my wife that I've made the effort to meet the healthy nutrition quota.

So what to do? Not sure I've ever seen it done anywhere else. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. 

But then I said, well, let's throw 'em together and see what manner of some cheesy gooey goodness might come from it. 

You're welcome to use fresh or leftover Chilli (like I did) and cheese mix of your choice! 

For the time challenged, works with canned per-made Chilli as well! Perfect for big family and group dinners!

Simple Chilli Recipe:

• 500 g Ground Beef (lean, extra-lean, mixed, your call.)
• 1 can of Kidney Beans (if you're using dried then take care to soak overnight)
• 1 small can of sweet corn kernels
• Two large Onions, diced
• 2 stalks of Celery, diced
• 2 Carrots, diced
• 2 Green Peppers, diced
• 2 cloves or garlic, minced
• 1 tsp each of ground cumin and coriander
• 1 can of tomato paste
• 1 tsp of Worchestershire Sauce
• Chicken Stock

Tortilla Lasagna Ingredients:

• Shredded, grated or sliced Cheeses of your choice! Cheddar? Mozzarella? Parmesan? Go for it!
• Tortilla Wraps (corn or wheat)
• Avocado sliced, for garnish. I mean, nutrition. Yes.

Cooking Instructions:

Chilli:

1. Brown ground meat in medium pot over medium-high heat
2. Remove and set browned ground meat aside
3. In same pot saute' diced onions, celery and green peppers
4. Add minced garlic, ground cumin and ground coriander
5. Stir in tomato paste, add a little water and let simmer for 10 minutes
6. Add back in browned ground meat, stir in some water to cover
7. Cover and let simmer to slow boil for about 45 minutes
8. Taste and season as required
9. Let cool to room temperature before constructing lasagna

Tortilla Lasagna:

1. Layer tortilla wrap in equally sized pie dish
2. Add Chilli layer
3. Add Cheese
4. Repeat until pie dish is full!
5. Decorate final layer with Avocado slices, sprinkle one last round of cheese
6. Bake in oven at 180 'C/350 'F for about 20 minutes or top layer is golden brown

I'd let it sit to cool a bit before you cut in. But then dig in and enjoy!