Tex-Mex Lasagna

Tonight we had Tex-Mex Lasagna, which combines Mexican food with Lasagna for a very tasty dinner. It was a little bit more expensive to make due to the lean beef and all the cheeses, but would definitely be a recipe we would make again. One of the few drawbacks about the meal is the large amount of sodium in each serving at about 1,200 mg. The meal made 12 generous portions. We used mild salsa and chose Mexican cheese rather than Monterey Jack cheese. We also didn't use the green onions since our grocery store did not have any in stock this week.

Cost: $18.00 - .99 lb 92% Lean Ground Beef ($3.54), 16 oz refried beans ($0.81), 15 oz black beans ($1.38), frozen corn ($1.25), jalapeno ($0.26), 15 oz tomato sauce ($0.81), salsa ($1.59), Barilla Lasagna No Boiling ($2.45), Mexican cheese ($2.00), 2% cheddar cheese ($2.00), sour cream ($0.89), avocado ($0.99).

Prep/Total Time: 20 minutes prep, 45 minutes cook

Yield: 12 servings

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce, divided
• 2 1/2 cups salsa
• 12 no-cook lasagna noodles
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican cheese blend
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded 2 % cheddar cheese
• 1 cup (8 ounces) fat-free sour cream
• 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced

1. In a large nonstick skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the beans, corn, jalapeno, taco seasoning and 3/4 cup tomato sauce.
2. Combine salsa and remaining tomato sauce. Spread 1/4 cup into a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2 in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with four noodles (noodles will overlap slightly, half of the meat sauce, 1 cup salsa mixture, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Repeat layers. Top with the remaining noodles, salsa mixture and cheeses.
3. Cover and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until edges are bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with sour cream, avocado and onions.

Nutrition: (1 piece) 375 calories, 17.7 g fat, 9.5 g saturated fat, 66.8 mg cholesterol, 1,193 mg sodium, 27.7 g carbohydrate, 5.3 g sugar, 5.8 g fiber, 26.2 g protein.