“Mexican Lasagna”
Twelve Small Corn Tortillas
1 1/2 Pounds Of 80/20 Ground Beef
A Cup Of Chicken Stock
Two Tablespoons Of Tomato Paste
A Whole Jalapeno Pepper
A Tablespoon Of Red Onion Left Whole
Two Unpeeled Garlic Cloves
A Whole Red Bell Pepper
The Juice Of 1/2 Lime
A Teaspoon Of Chipotle Pepper Powder, Divided
1 1/2 Teaspoons Of Paprika, Divided
1 1/2 Teaspoons Of Cumin, Divided
1/2 Teaspoon Of Dried Oregano
Four Teaspoons Of Salt, Divided
1/4 Teaspoon Of Black Pepper
Two Cups Of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Two Teaspoons Of Olive Oil
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Rub the jalapeno pepper, garlic, and the red onion with olive oil and sprinkle these vegetables with salt and black pepper. Wrap these vegetables in aluminum foil. Rub the red bell pepper with olive oil. Place the red bell pepper and the wrapped vegetables on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the skin of the red bell pepper turns dark brown. Remove the vegetables from the oven and let them cool.
Into a skillet, add the ground beef, a teaspoon of salt, a 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle pepper powder, a 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, and a 1/2 teaspoon of cumin. Cook on medium high heat while stirring. Try to break up the ground meat into small pieces. When the meat is browned, drain it in a colander to remove the excess fat.
Remove the stem from the jalapeno pepper. Remove the stem and the seeds from the red bell pepper. Squeeze the cooked flesh out of the garlic skin and remove the outer layer of the red onion. Into a blender, add the jalapeno pepper, the red bell pepper, the garlic flesh, the red onion, the chicken stock, the tomato paste, the lime juice, 3/4 teaspoon of chipotle pepper powder, a teaspoon of paprika, a teaspoon of cumin, the oregano, and three teaspoons of salt. Blend the mixture until smooth. Taste and add more salt and/or chipotle pepper powder, if desired. Place this sauce in a shallow bowl.
Wrap the corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes so that the tortillas become pliable.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.
Dip a tortilla in the sauce to coat lightly on both sides. Put approximately two tablespoons of the ground beef in the middle of the tortilla. Gently roll the tortilla up like a cigar being careful not to break it. Place the filled tortilla in the greased casserole dish seam side down. Continue this process until all of the tortillas are filled.
Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the filled tortillas. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Serve with your favorite salsa and/or guacamole.