Pregnancy Craving: Enchilada Lasagna

Everyone knows that you can have some crazy pregnancy cravings when growing a tiny human. With Emmett I ate a quesadilla with jalapeños at least once a week and with Attley foods either sounded good or they didn’t.  Pregnancy number three has been a combo of both. After the nausea and queasiness of the first trimester, I developed the craving for enchiladas. I am not sure if I had ever had enchiladas prior to this pregnancy and I definitely had never made them!

Well, since about 14 weeks, I have pretty much made enchiladas at least once a week and have created a enchilada recipe that I think is easy, versatile, and yummy. My favorite thing about this recipe is that almost every week I have had to slightly tweak it due to the ingredients that I had on hand since I am the mom that is always missing at least ONE ingredient--even after a grocery run. It’s how this recipe went from being enchiladas to being enchilada lasagna (less tortillas and faster to assemble). :) However, the basics of this recipe are easy and you can modify almost all of it based off of any food allergies or restrictions you have in your household.

Before I share the ingredients and instructions on how I make it, I want to stress that I am laid back in the kitchen and tend to “fly by the seat of my pants” as the saying goes so the ingredients and instructions will be more relaxed than a professional food blogger. However, I hope you enjoy it all the same :)

Ingredients

Ground Beef (at least one pound)

1 Small Onion (we buy onions in bulk, chop them up, and freeze them to use as needed. I put about 2 handfuls into this recipe)

Corn (1 cup frozen or 1 can)

Black beans (1 can)

1 small can Green Chilies

1 Bell Pepper (have also used mini peppers)

Tortillas (any kind/brand you prefer)

2 cans Enchilada Sauce (Market Pantry is my preferred brand-- I tried a Mexican brand and did not like it at all)

Shredded Cheese

Additional side Ingredients you may want: sour cream, salsa, siracha, or tabsco

Set oven to 375 degrees

Taco Seasoning for the Ground Beef/Veggie Mixture

1 tbsp Chilli Powder

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp cumin

½ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

Salt and pepper to your preference

Directions:

Chop bell pepper and onion (or any veggies you want to cook with your meat).

Add meat, onions, and pepper to pan and cook on medium heat. Stirring occasionally to break up big chunks of meat

Add taco seasoning into meat/veggie mixture

While meat is cooking, rinse beans and corn and set aside. Spray enchilada dish with cooking spray and lay at least two tortillas on the bottom of the pan, sprinkle with desired amount of cheese (I do about a handful)

Once meat is fully cooked, open the can of green chillies and pour them into the meat and veggie mixture. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat and add the corn and beans. Stir in pan until well combined and bring to lasagna station.

Set up your lasagna station by having the enchilada pan, meat/veggie mixture, cheese, tortillas, and enchilada sauce all in one area. Scoop half of the meat/veggie mixture into the enchilada pan and spread out evenly. Sprinkle desired amount of cheese on top and then add two more tortillas on top. Pour one can of enchilada sauce over the first layer. Next sprinkle more cheese, add remaining meat/veggie mixture and spread evenly. Sprinkle desired amount of cheese and add two more tortillas on top. Finally pour the second can of enchilada sauce over the top and add more cheese.

Put in the oven for 30ish minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted on top.

That is it! Now the important question is will your littles eat it?!? I have no idea. Emmett is not a huge fan but he will eat the required amount in order for him to get a treat after dinner. Some weeks Attley eats it like it’s her favorite dish and other weeks it ends up on the floor. But the important piece is that baby bean enjoys it each week and we always have enough leftover that it is at least two dinners during the week which is a huge win in my book!

Enjoy!