Mexican Lasagna

Happy hump day!  I apologize for my slight absentee this week.  Monday night was my first night back to yoga class since the car accident.  Tuesday, I wanted to sit down and blog, but would have failed on the photograph because the camera battery was all out of juice.  Guess it's just been one of those weeks.  And you know when it's been one of those weeks, I'm always glad to have a make ahead dish ready to go into the oven when I get home.  That way, I can relax a little while things are bubbling away in the oven. 

This Mexican Lasagna does just the trick.  It is simple to make ahead and is ready when you need it.  And, I think it might even be pretty kid friendly.  Cheesy, chicken, enchilada-like goodness; what kid doesn't like that?

Mexican Lasagna
(adapted from Weight Watchers)

Non-stick cooking spray
1 lb. shredded, cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz. can corn, rinsed and drained
2 4 oz. cans diced green chilies
2 cups fat-free sour cream
8 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons taco seasoning (I used Penzey's)
4 cups (roughly 2 cans) of enchilada sauce
2 cups 2% cheddar cheese
18 medium corn tortillas

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a lasagna pan with cooking spray.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, mix your chicken, black beans, corn, green chilies, sour cream, cream cheese, and taco seasoning together until combined.  Set aside.  Ladle and evenly spread one cup of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of your lasagna pan.  Arrange 6 tortillas in the bottom of the pan, overlapping pieces to cover the surface.  Top the tortillas with half of the chicken mixture.  Top chicken mixture with 1 more cup enchilada sauce and 1 cup cheese.  Layer 6 more tortillas on top of the sauce and cheese.  Spread the remainder of the chicken mixture, top with 1 more cup sauce.  Layer the remaining tortillas.  Ladle and spread the last cup of the enchilada sauce and sprinkle the remaining cheese.  Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.  Let stand for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. 

I made my lasagna ahead of time, covered it, and stored it in the refrigerator.  When I was ready to bake it, I covered the dish with foil and stuck it in the oven while the oven was pre-heating so I was not sticking a cold glass dish into a hot oven.  If you do make and store the dish before baking, make sure you either stick it in the oven while it is pre-heating or let the dish stand at room temperature for a good 30-40 minutes before sticking it in a hot oven.