TexMex Lasagna

I had some cooked pork in the fridge and needed to use it. I noticed some tortillas in the freezer and enchilada sauce on the shelf so thought I was in business. So this really isn't lasagna but a casserole made with layers of tortillas, meat in sauce, and cheese. It does sound a lot like a lasagna to me.

12 fresh corn tortillas 6" dia.
2 cups cooked pork or chicken, shredded
1 28 oz can El Torito Enchilada sauce, Fire Roasted Tomato
1 cup roasted red pepper, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
2 Tablespoons oil

Saute the onions and garlic in the oil until translucent. Add the chopped red peppers and heat through. Add the meat and enough of the enchilada sauce to make the mixture moist.

Tear or cut the tortillas into four or six pieces each. Layer about half of them on the bottom of a baking pan. The tortillas should completely cover the bottom of the pan. Spread the meat mixture over the tortillas and then add a layer of kidney beans. Take about one half the remaining sauce and spread over the beans then add a layer of 1 cup of the grated cheese. Add another layer from the remaining tortillas, the remainder of the sauce and the remainder of the cheese.

Bake for about 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven, or until it is heated through and the cheese on top is hot and bubbly.

Notes: tearing or cutting the tortillas makes it much easier to remove servings from the pan. I use a fairly thick corn tortilla. A flour tortilla is probably too thin for this and the corn taste is what I wanted. I had some red and blue corn tortillas, which added visually to the dish. I used a 9 x 9 pan but it was real full, maybe a 13 x 9 is better. If you use a larger pan, you may need more sauce to complete the layers. The sauce I use is difficult for me to obtain but I like it and stock up when I find it. I am sure another enchilada sauce can be used as a substitute. I found mine at a Big Lots store. The 28 oz can was 69 cents. Believe it or not, the smaller can was 99 cents (go figure?)

Recipe by Dave Hendricks