Mexican Lasagna with Photos

In December of 2006 I posted this recipe on my site and pointed out that I really wanted to make sure everyone knew they could improvise! Mixture of ground beef and/or turkey or even tofu! And the chilies? Leave them out... add more... what do YOU like?


Mexican Lasagna

1 lb. Ground Beef (try a turkey, tofu - mixture!)
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 t seasoned salt
1 can diced tomatoes or about 1 cup fresh diced (I have also used habanero pepper diced tomatoes! Hot and spicy and oh so good!)
15 oz. can tomato sauce ( or 2 - 8 oz.)
1 - 4 oz. can green chilies (leave out if you use habanero pepper Rotel tomatoes or you can use jalapenos too if you like)
1 c ricotta or cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
10 flour tortillas
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese

Cook the ground beef and drain. Add taco seasoning, seasoned salt, tomatoes, tomato sauce and chilies. Mix and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Mix the ricotta cheese and eggs in a bowl. Preheat your oven to 350. Spread half of the meat mixture in a 9X13 pan. Rip your flour tortillas in half and lay about 5 of them down on top of the meat mixture to cover, overlapping if necessary. Spread half of the cheese mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle with half of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers. Bake uncovered about 20-30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes to 'set up' before slicing into squares. Serve with salsa and sour cream if desired.

Layer the tortillas

Lay the flat side of the flour tortillas against the flat side of the pan

Use whatever mixture of cheese that you and your family like!
Cheddar and Monterey Jack is a great mixture!

Fudge by any other name would taste as sweet

When it comes to fudge recipes you'll find hundreds of variations on basically the same thing. I've also noticed that some very popular named fudge (like Mamie Eisenhower's) can be any number of recipes and someone tacked the name on it even though you can have 20 different recipes that all have the same claim to fame.

I think basically what it comes down to finding a fudge recipe you like and make it no matter what it's called. This particular recipe is a mixture of traditional and modern as it uses the traditional evaporated milk and granulated white sugar, but also adds the German's chocolate bar and marshmallow creme. For someone who doesn't regularly care for chocolate, even I can't resist a cube of traditional fudge with nuts in it! YUM!




Mamie Eisenhower's Fudge

4-1/2 c sugar
1/4 t salt
4 T butter
1 can evaporated milk (regular sized, not tiny)
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
12 oz. German's semi-sweet chocolate (bar)
1 jar marshmallow creme
2 cups chopped nuts

Boil sugar, butter, milk and salt for 6 minutes, start timing after mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips and German's chocolate, and marshmallow cream. Beat until everything is melted. Stir in nuts. Pour into a buttered 9x13 pan and let cool for at least 3 hours to set up. If you cover it, will will stay pliable and moist, but most people tend to like their fudge to dry out a little, in that case, store it uncovered or loosely covered.

Bacon Crisps

Some readers might be surprised to know that I don't watch TV food shows. I don't mean that I don't watch 'many' or 'only sometimes'. I mean, I do not watch food shows. Period. I don't, because I don't watch any television. I used to watch them... but I quit watching TV in the Fall of 1998 and haven't bothered with it since.

I don't live in a cave though, and I've obviously seen bits and pieces of shows when I'm shopping in a store, or are at other peoples homes, or even when I go downstairs to our Family Room and the tv in the basement is on. My kids actually don't watch tv either, but once in a great while my youngest daughter will have a crime investigation or decorating show on and so... I have seen Paul Deen once. She was using her hands to mix something in a bowl (meatloaf?) and I smiled. Finally! A REAL cook. Not one of the fake froo-froo chefs who have assistants do all their dirty work, never touch the food without a foot long wood spoon between them and the food item and she actually said something to the effect of 'that's why God gave her hands!'.

I knew when I saw the ingredients in this recipe that I would love it... and then I saw it was from Paula. *Big grin*


Paula Deen's Bacon Crisps

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 sleeve buttery rectangular crackers (recommended: Waverly Wafers)
1 pound sliced bacon cut in 1/2

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Place 1 teaspoon of the cheese on each cracker and wrap tightly with a strip of bacon. Place the wrapped crackers on a broiler rack on a baking sheet and put the baking sheets on the oven rack. Bake for 2 hours, or until the bacon is done. Do not turn. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot or at room temperature

Cook's note: You can also bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes if you're in a hurry!

Coconut Cream Pie

In the Spring, especially just before Easter, I always start to crave coconut. I've never noticed it before until I was thinking about it this morning. I start to make homemade almond joy candies, and imagine big triple layer coconut cakes and coconut cookies.... This recipe for a coconut pie is a 'quick and simple' country recipe that is listed in quite a few of my old church fundraising cookbooks from the 50's - 80's. I call it a 'country' pie because of the self rising flour and lack of garnish. It's just a quick, filling coconut pie for family. Nothing pretentious about it.

Coconut Cream Pie

4 eggs
1/2 c self rising flour
1 1/3 c sugar
1/2 stick butter, soft
2 c milk
1 t vanilla
1 8 oz. bag of flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, beat all ingredients together, put in a greased 10" pie pan and bake for 45 min. Remove and let cool for 1 hour so it can 'set up' and then refrigerate for 2-6 hours before serving.

Scandinavian Almond Bars

I don't know if my Scandinavian heritage is showing through or if it's just a personal choice, but when I choose a cookie or bar I'm more likely to go for 'almond' and 'pastry' than I am for anything chocolate or overly sweet. Even as a child I was drawn more to these types of things. Something that would have been perfect with a cup of coffee... had I been a coffee drinker at 8. (Ha ha ha). You can get 3-4 dozen out of this recipe after they are cut into strips.

Scandinavian Almond Bars


1 3/4 c flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 c butter
1 c granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 t almond extract
Milk
1/2 c sliced almonds
1 c sifted powdered sugar
1/4 t almond extract
4 t milk


Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. In a large mixing bowl beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and the 1/2 tsp of almond extract and beat well. Add the flour mixture and beat until dough forms as soft ball. Divide the dough into four equal portions.

Roll each portion into a 12 inch long 'log'. Place 2 of the logs 4-5 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Gently use a rolling pin to flatten the logs to a 3 inch wide bar. Repeat with the remaining rolls. Brush each flattened log with a little milk and sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Bake in 325 degree oven for 12-14 minutes or until edges are lightly golden in color. While still warm, cut crosswise diagonally into 1" strips. Cool completely on a wire rack. Stir together the powdered sugar the 1/4 tsp almond extract and enough of the milk to make icing a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over the cooled bars.