The Suburbanatrix

I found a few green onions ready to harvest from the garden today (yea, yea!!), and since we hadn’t had it in a while, decided to make a vegetarian verde version of the standard beef southwestern lasagna. It can easily be made with meat by adding 2 cups of cooked shredded chicken or pork to the sauce while it’s simmering, but I like the tangy, cheesy, veggie version just as much. Go figure!

Ingredients:

• 1 16oz container of cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 green onions, white and green parts sliced
• 1 white or yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced or pushed through a garlic press
• 1 jar verde salsa, or small (15oz) can of verde enchilada sauce
• 1 can of diced tomatoes with chilies
• 1 small can of diced green chilies or 3 roasted and peeled Anaheim chilies, diced
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 cup corn kernels
• 12 corn tortillas
• 3 1/2 cups cheddar and Monterey jack cheese

Heat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, beat the egg then stir in your cottage cheese and green onions

Set aside.

In a large frying pan, heat up the olive oil.  Once it starts to shimmer, add in the onion and cook until it’s softened, about 5-7 minutes.  Then add in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more, until aromatic. Don’t brown your garlic!!!

Once the garlic starts to smell good (heh), add in your verde sauce, diced tomatoes, chilies, cumin, and salt.  If you’re using meat, this is when it would be added as well.

Stir and simmer for 10-15 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly and the flavors to combine.

Get out a 9×13 inch pan and spray lightly with cooking spray.  Scoop and spread out about 1 cup of  the sauce.

Top with 6 corn tortillas,

then layer on half of the cottage cheese mixture.  It’s easiest to dollop a spoonful onto each tortilla, and then spread.

Next, sprinkle on 1/3 of the shredded cheese…

and then half of the corn.

Looking GOOD!!!

Repeat layers starting with the sauce again. Put it right on top of the corn…

Once you get to the sauce for the last time, top with the remaining shredded cheese.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum and bake for another 25 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Let cool for at least 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving to allow the layers and cheese to settle. IF YOU DARE!

BWWWAAAAHHHAAAHHHH!!!