Yo Quiero Lasagna

Mexican Food.

I think everyone loves some form of it.

Whether you love chili rellenos so much that like us you grow your own poblano peppers,

or you just like a bag of Santitos Tortilla Chips and a jar of Pace Salsa,

this is an ethnic cuisine we've all grown to embrace.

And these little amigos love a good cheesy mess of spice,
so when they were elementary school starving poquitos,
I came up with the following as a quick way to get a satisfying
Mexican style feast on the table.
Now my lazy invention is a family favorite.
This recipe is so easy, you can put together your own custom version easily.
We're partial to a vegetarian dish, but you can add shredded chicken, last night's

leftover pork chops, or sauteed ground beef to make the carnivores
in your life ecstatic.
Gather the following ingredients:

Mexican Lasagna

1 large jar of salsa; judge the heat for yourself. We use mild for Mom and have hot sauce handy

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 package of 8" flour tortillas

2 cans or 12 ounces of frozen Mexicali corn

16 ounces of Mexican 4 cheese shredded blend

2 cans of green chilis, drained (don't be scared, they're tasty, not hot) 

2 cans of pitted black olives, sliced

1 box of Goya yellow rice, prepared according to the recipe

1 large can of vegetarian refried beans (you'll never even miss the lard, I swear)

Sour cream, 1 large tomato, chopped and lettuce to serve. Grab some guacamole if you're so inclined

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Got the rice cooked?

Good, let's make dinner.

Nab a 13x9 inch glass baking dish and spritz it liberally with cooking spray.
Mix the salsa and taco seasoning in a bowl with 1 cup of water.

Ladel and spread a little of the sauce on the bottom of the dish.

Layer over that with flour tortillas, tearing one to fill in any gaps.
Don't be obsessive, this is easy.
You won't even need the recipe next time.

Spoon the rice over the tortillas and spread it out level.

Sprinkle a layer of cheese over this, then some sauce,
and then another layer of tortillas.

Add the refried beans next, pressing it flat with a fork.

Dump (official chef term) the corn on top of that.
Note the careful measuring and delicate technique thus far.
Note I said "thus."
Sprinkle this with more cheese...

...and then more tortillas...

...and THEN more sauce.
This is slightly out of the usual order for a reason, I assure you.

Top the sauce with the remaining cheese.

Sprinkle the olives, then the green chilis, over the top of the whole mess
and pop it in the oven for 35 minutes until it's gooey and bubbly.
While you're waiting, slice up some watermelon as a great counterpoint,
and go ahead...

 ...make a couple of Mockaritas while you're at it.

Those of you who aren't on a med cocktail can even add tequila,
but you'll never miss it.
Now serve up your delicioso concoction, light the candles, slap on some Flamenco music, and
have a little fiesta with the family.
Repeat after me:
OLE'!