Fajita Lasagna

Confused by the recipe title? Fajita seasoning mix adds a Mexican twist to this Italian favorite. Your family will shout "Ole" when they taste this fusion lasagna!

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (1 pound) bag frozen stir-fry bell peppers and onions, thawed
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (1.4 ounce) package fajita seasoning mix
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles, each about 6 to 8 inches long and 3 inches wide
• 3 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese (12 ounces)
• 1 (2 1/4 ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
• Guacamole, if desired
• Old El Paso Thick 'n Chunky salsa, if desired
• Sour cream, if desired

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray bottom and sides of a rectangular baking dish, 13 x 9 x 2 inches, with cooking spray.
2. Drain thawed bell pepper mixture on several layers of paper towels; set aside.
3. Cook beef in a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain.
4. Stir in tomato sauce and seasoning mix; heat to boiling. Spread 1/2 cup sauce mixture in baking dish. Arrange 4 noodles crosswise, slightly overlapping, on sauce. Spread 1 1/2 cups sauce over noodles, completely covering noodles. Spread pepper mixture evenly over sauce; sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese.
5. Arrange 4 noodles crosswise, slightly overlapping, on cheese. Spread about 1 1/2 cups sauce over noodles, completely covering noodles. Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese and the olives over sauce. Arrange 4 noodles crosswise, slightly overlapping, on olives. Spread remaining sauce over noodles, completely covering noodles. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.
6. Spray piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover baking dish with cooking spray. Tightly cover baking dish with foil, sprayed side down.
7. Bake for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
8. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.
9. Serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

Notes

We're using ground beef in this recipe instead of the usual steak found in fajitas so the lasagna will be easier to cut. When we tested this recipe using slices of steak, we found that cutting the lasagna into serving pieces was difficult.

Nutrition

Per serving: Calories 465 (Calories from Fat 215 ); Total Fat 24g (Saturated Fat 13g); Cholesterol 75mg; Sodium 1030mg; Total Carbohydrate 40g (Dietary Fiber 6g); Protein 28g

Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 36%; Vitamin C 40%; Calcium 34%; Iron 38%

Exchanges: 2 1/2 Starch; 3 Medium-Fat Meat; 1 Fat

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: Betty Crocker