Mexican Lasagna

1. Stage

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Drain and discard the excess grease. Stir in the refried beans, chopped green chiles, taco seasoning and hot salsa.

2. Stage

Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish. Layer one-third of the uncooked noodles into the dish. Using a rubber spatula, drop one-third of the meat mixture in dollops onto the noodles. (The mixture is thick, so it will be challenging to spread it evenly. Don't worry about making it too perfect; it will spread out as the dish bakes.) Sprinkle with 1 cup of the shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese. Repeat the layers twice. In a small bowl, stir together the mild salsa and the water. Pour the mixture over top of the lasagna. Editor’s Tip: The moisture from the watered-down salsa will cook the lasagna noodles as the dish bakes. If you substitute precooked noodles, skip the added water.

3. Stage

Tightly cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for one hour or until heated through. Remove the foil. Spoon sour cream onto the lasagna. Top it with sliced olives, chopped green onions and, if desired, chopped tomato. Add the remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, for five minutes. Let the Mexican Lasagna stand for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting. Editor’s Tip: After baking, there may be more liquid in the pan than you're used to with lasagna. That’s OK! The pasta noodles will absorb most of the liquid as the casserole sits. If some liquid is left over, ladle the super-flavorful liquid onto the lasagna slices when serving.