Mexican Lasagne - Third Time a Charm!

[Kitchen2u]

Hey there...just sharing...

I tried this recipe EXACTLY as listed. Family thought it was a bit blaw (using jarred, dry cilantro).

Tried it with FRESH cilantro...still blaw.

Third time was a charm...

Used:
Fresh cilantro,

used more cheese,

added 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of Southwestern Seasoning (sprinkle over the chicken layer) and

SUBSTITUTED GREEN Chile Enchilada Sauce (medium, not mild) . . .

EXCELLENT!!!

I will not be offering the red sauce recipe, only the green since it was a MAJOR hit with my best critics!

 

[kam]

Thanks for the info! Good to know.

I think I will try this with the Green Enchilada Sauce (I made Chicken Enchiladas this past weekend and DH preferred the Green Sauce over the Red Sauce.)

But, I am curious as to how this would taste without the Cilantro since DH & both dislike it.

Maybe adding the SW seasoning will cause the ommission of the cilantro to be less noticeable!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I posted about the green sauce on another thread.

This recipe is very much like one I've made for years - only I've always made it with green sauce.

 

[crystalscookingnow]

sounds yummy!

 

[Chefgirl2]

Hmmm...i'll have to try it.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I made it exactly to directions but at first left off the garnish of cilantro. It was GREAT but we all agreed that it needed more so we added the garnish of cilantro and it was perfect!!

 

[turtle15]

I made it as is with fresh cilantro and I really liked it!

 

[cookingwith_tara]

OMGoodness! I can't wait to try this one!

 

[pampermejolene]

Wow Ginny, that's dedication! Usually if I try a recipe and it's not a hit it goes! Good for you and thanks for the info!

 

[heat123]

I love GREEN sauce over red but DH prefers red, so I will make the 1st batch with red and the next time, green and see which I like better!

 

[mpkegley]

I tried it using the red too and thought it was blaw. Thanks for the suggestion of the green sauce, but not sure if hubby will be too thrilled at trying it again. I will have to give it a little time.

 

[janetupnorth]

We had this Saturday, both the red and green version at our cluster's spring kick-off.The green sauce version won hands down!!!! I loved it.I tried the red sauce version and it was kind of blah...

 

[heat123]

1st attempt!
Feedback from tonights dinner.... everyone loved it! I added pressed garlic and chipotle to the cream cheese mix and it smelled dynamo! Then added 4cups of cheese and added southwest seasoning to the chix. YUMO, said my family, including my parents and brother and SIL. NOTE: DH is very picky and not fond of anything "new" but he really liked this! Two thumbs up! Thanks for the tips everyone!

 

[KimoMakano]

I made this for my office today.
I followed the recipe exactly and it was okay.
It seemed pretty soupy though, especially around the edges.
Also I noticed it sort of mounded in the middle because of the overlap of tortillas and that left the ends thinner. I think next time I might try breaking the tortillas in half so I can spread them out a little more evenly.

 

[ChefPaulaB]

I had this at our Spring Regional Meeting and wasn't overly impressed. It has potential, but it definitely needs a kick! Maybe the green sauce will do it, didn't know there was that big a difference in the flavors. I also, prefer flour tortillas to corn, so I would change that, and I would have to precook the onion, don't like any crunch to my onion. Also, I think an addition of salsa would be good. But maybe just adding the chipotle and/or Southwest and the green would help. I talked to a host about it last night and told her what my preferred changes would be after tasting it, but not everyone has the same tastes, some people like bland. Personally, if it's mexican it needs kick, in my world. Can't wait to try it my way.

 

[BettieC]

I made this tonight, and like it, but definitey have to tweak it next time.

I was surprised that I found it to be a bit bland as well. I can't tolerate heat, and thought it could use a kick....lol. So maybe cook the chicken with some SW. I would saute the onions a bit. I really didn't like the crunch of the onions.

More cheese! I love cheese...lol.

All in all, it was tasty, but needs a few changes.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I had this at our Spring Regional Meeting and wasn't overly impressed. It has potential, but it definitely needs a kick! Maybe the green sauce will do it, didn't know there was that big a difference in the flavors. I also, prefer flour tortillas to corn, so I would change that, and I would have to precook the onion, don't like any crunch to my onion. Also, I think an addition of salsa would be good. But maybe just adding the chipotle and/or Southwest and the green would help. I talked to a host about it last night and told her what my preferred changes would be after tasting it, but not everyone has the same tastes, some people like bland. Personally, if it's mexican it needs kick, in my world. Can't wait to try it my way.

It's funny, because mine was really good (and I like lots of flavor!) - but there were 4-5 versions of it there, so I wonder if it had to do with the type of sauce used, or if whoever made the one I had used more spices???

 

[Kitchen Diva]

Thanks for the info! Good to know.

I think I will try this with the Green Enchilada Sauce (I made Chicken Enchiladas this past weekend and DH preferred the Green Sauce over the Red Sauce.)

But, I am curious as to how this would taste without the Cilantro since DH & both dislike it.

Maybe adding the SW seasoning will cause the ommission of the cilantro to be less noticeable!

I dislike cilantro so much that I wrote a poem about it.

 

[ChefPaulaB]

It's funny, because mine was really good (and I like lots of flavor!) - but there were 4-5 versions of it there, so I wonder if it had to do with the type of sauce used, or if whoever made the one I had used more spices???

I wondered about that too... I guess I assumed that since they were making it for that demo that they'd make it as is and not add to it... but who knows. I know that my main dislike was the corn tortillas (I just don't like them) and the crunch of the onion. The rest I could live with... But, you're probably right, it depends on who makes it...

 

[esavvymom]

So here is MY review:

Following Kitchen2U's advice some-

I used FRESH Cilantro (which I would have done anyway). I picked up the wrong sauce at the store, but fortunately, had 2 (10 oz) cans of enchilada sauce in my pantry- one green and one red- both mild.
I used a Neufchatel cream cheese, so that may have dropped a FEW fat grams- haven't checked with my WW recipe builder to see yet though.
I diced up some leftover chicken from a previous meal.

I used about 1 cup more of the Monterey Jack Cheese- 2 cups was stirred into the cheese mix instead of 1.5 cups, and 1 cup put on top at the end instead of 1/2 cup.

OH MY GOODNESS!! IT IS SO GOOD! Even my son liked it. The mild sauce made it just barely spicy- which was perfect for me. I don't know if because it was mixed red and green, if that helped versus just all red, but it was fabulous. My DH isn't home yet- but I know he will love this recipe. And it gave me a great way to use up some corn tortillas that I had left from a failed attempt at making my own taco shells!

The recipe is very easy. I wasn't sure at first why they used the small scoop on the cheese mixture, but after doing it- I realized, it did make it easier to spread around in smaller amounts, versus trying to do it with a spatula. I think also, using the 20 oz of sauce, versus the 28 oz- it wasn't too saucy/runny...which I thought was perfect.

OH- and the cream cheese/jack cheese/cilantro mix you make up, tastes excellent straight off the spoon! I scraped the bowl. It would make a great cream cheese dip for chips or veggies or something. :thumbup:

So if you haven't tried the new Mexican Chicken Lasagna, and you like Mexican or enchiladas- try this recipe!:chef:

 

[AZPampered Chef]

I made this recipe tonight, and the only alterations were to spice the chicken breasts with SW and Chipotle seasonings before cooking, and adding more cheese (combo sharp cheddar and MJ)

It was a hit in my family. I will make this one again!

 

[letscook04]

I am really disappointed that it did not turn out all that good!! I not a fan of it! :thumbdown:

 

[Jessamary]

I am really disappointed that it did not turn out all that good!! I not a fan of it! :thumbdown:

I feel the same way, but I think we had too much cilantro in it. I had my husband aka "Above-Average Man" make it with no help from me. He really liked it, but also said there was too much cilantro in it.

My boys (6, 3) wouldn't touch it. The baby (20 months) LOVED it. Which really makes me wonder!

I will try it again, though.

 

[Grandmarita]

I finally made this Monday night. Of course, I doctored the ingredients to use what I had
purchased by mistake. i.e. Multigrain tacos rather than corn; mild wal-mart salsa, mixed with about 4 oz. red enchilada sauce; Mexican shredded cheese rather than Monterey jack; extra creamed cheese 12 oz. rather than 8 oz. It was fabulous but my mouth was on FIRE. I used dried cilantro and am blaming the heat on that. I took the remainer to our Cluster meeting tonight and everyone who tried it did not experience the HEAT I did last night. So, I had another serving and it was calmed down enough to have a second taste. I will definitely make this again, and use basil or parsley rather than the cilantro.
I will continue to use the salsa for the texture and volume it gives.

 

[pamperedchef07]

Some of us consultants in my area got together and made this. A few things we would change is a little less sauce, we used more cheese anyways, less onion, and I thought it needed more cilantro but I LOVE cilantro. My husband thought it need salt. My son (3yr) took 2 bites and wanted nothing to do with it. Otherwise, it was good, and I love the idea of anything in the microwave that takes less time to cook and not heat up your house.

 

[Triciascucina]

I made the dish last night and it was a hit. We did not have corn tortillas so we used 6 Whole wheat tortilla fajita style and only two 10 ounce cans of the sauce. Used fresh cilantro. I thought of adding garlic and southwest mix to chicken next time. DH said too many onions. We served it with rice and Mexican corn. I will be doing this again at my next show.

 

[mommyford]

I made this at my last show. Tweaked it a little. I did use the green sauce. I sprinkled Southwestern Seasoning to the chicken, added 1 garlic clove to cream cheese mix, added olives to the layers. Then I had them top off with sour cream with the ead.

 

[chefshawna]

I finally made this Monday night. Of course, I doctored the ingredients to use what I had
purchased by mistake. i.e. Multigrain tacos rather than corn; mild wal-mart salsa, mixed with about 4 oz. red enchilada sauce; Mexican shredded cheese rather than Monterey jack; extra creamed cheese 12 oz. rather than 8 oz. It was fabulous but my mouth was on FIRE. I used dried cilantro and am blaming the heat on that. I took the remainer to our Cluster meeting tonight and everyone who tried it did not experience the HEAT I did last night. So, I had another serving and it was calmed down enough to have a second taste. I will definitely make this again, and use basil or parsley rather than the cilantro.
I will continue to use the salsa for the texture and volume it gives.

Cilantro...spicy?? I've never thought of cilantro as being spicy, did you have mild red sauce. Maybe the spice was from the sauce, salsa or the mexican cheese, I know that cheese has some spices on it. I think of cilantro as being more minty and fresh than spicy, maybe I'm wrong!

Do you think this would be good with flour tortillas instead of corn?? I do not like corn tortillas at all!!

 

[chefann]

Do you think this would be good with flour tortillas instead of corn?? I do not like corn tortillas at all!!

Flour tortillas would (in my opinion) create a gluey mess. The corn tortillas are a little heartier and hold up better in the sauce.

 

[pampchefrhondab]

I made this at my show last Sunday. I cooked the chicken in the DCB before the guests arrived. I sprinkled the Southwestern Seasoning over the chicken before I cooked it so when the guests arrived they smelled it. Everyone said, "It smells so good." I then used the Salad Choppers to cut up the chicken. This sells so many of them!

I did everything else as the recipe calls for. I thought we could have used a little less enchilada sauce, but maybe if it sat longer it would have soaked up more. Everyone was hungry!

I thought the taste was great! I usually don't eat at my shows, but I never had a chance to make the recipe before the show. This was the third one with this group of women so the host offered me some since she knew I hadn't tried it!

 

[straitfan]

OMIGOSH! I was soooo looking forward to trying this recipe and made it last night..
YUCK!!!
The only variation from the recipe was using dried minced onion b/c of fresh for DH. I got the polite "you don't have to make this again" from him, and DS wouldn't have anything to do with it after one bite. The more I ate the worse I thought it was. We're having fridge issues right now, so I didn't even save the leftovers. And I bought a whole bunch of the recipe cards for this one!

 

[babywings76]

The first time I made this I used 1/2 green sauce, 1/2 red. I thought it was great with flavor. Second time I just used the green sauce and since my FC was dirty I just chopped up the onion with my knife. The onions were a little crunchy still and they were larger pieces than when I used my FC, but the overall flavor was good. Different than the first time. I think I like the 1/2 and 1/2 flavor the best. The only negative thing my DH had to say was that the edge pieces didn't have enough tortillas, and the middle pieces had too thick of a layer. So I think next time, I will break up the pieces a little to make the layers more even. But I'm not sure how to dip them in the sauce if they are broken... would just drizzling the sauce on them be good enough?

 

[Jessamary]

I tried it again after I was at our Spring Kickoff and tasted what it's supposed to taste like. I love it! We definitely added too much cilantro and onion, and not NEARLY enough chicken the first time.

This is something I will definitely make again! Oh, and the kids liked it this time, too. (Though a 21 month-old with two helpings makes for an...aromatic...diaper situation!)

 

[gailz2]

I decided to look up this link after I just made the lasagne -- pretty much according to recipe.

I used 2 10-ounce cans of red enchilada sauce (thought I only needed one, luckily had one in my cupboard, 28 ounces would be too much for me). One can definitely wasn't enough, and 2 cans was just about right. I didn't have enough fresh cilantro, so used some cilantro paste with it (available in salad aisle at large grocery store). It came out wonderful! I used the small corn tortillas, and did cut them into halves. There were only 10 in my pkg., not 12, but it was perfect.

DH and I both agreed it could use a little more zip (as we do like spicy things). Next time I'll try the green enchilada sauce. The cheese amount wasn't bad, but I would add more for myself. I also used the 1/3 less fat cc and it was wonderful. I didn't notice any crunchiness with the onions -- perhaps I diced them up finer in my food chopper.

I'd make it again, and I think I'd also try it with some roast beef or pork!! A bit of sour cream on the side might be tasty as well, with a bit of fresh chives to sprinkle on the sc.

 

[wadesgirl]

For those who don't like regular corn tortillas try white corn ones. I like the flavor of those much better!

 

[amycheryl]

I made this and did not care for it as well. I think I'll try half green, half red sauce next time and more cheese with the SW seasoning on the chicken. Just wondering if anyone has tried with corn tortillas versus flour tortillas to know for sure if flour would be "gluey" as one person put it. I definitely prefer flour, but don't want another mess-up. Any ideas?

 

[amycheryl]

Oh, and I agree- cilantro shouldn't have caused it to be spicy. Maybe the brand of salsa or enchilada sauce?? I personally think Wal-Mart's salsa tends to be on the spicy side...

 

[baychef]

Hated this too. Another consultant suggested the flour tortillas which I would like better. I hate the taste of corn tortillas.

I did make this as a request at a party. The host purchased flour tortillas and bought jalepeno cheese instead. It was a huge hit. If I did make it again, I would make it this way. Usually I do not offer it as a recipe.

Now the Loaded Baked Potato Chowder is a HUGE hit!!!!!

 

[Patty Davis]

I make this for shows all of the time! It is a huge hit! I generally do not put as much onion or cilantro as called for, depending on the crowd. My family loves it also!

 

[amycheryl]

Okay, I made this tonight and made some changes that others suggested. (We were VERY disappointed the first time I made it, following the recipe exactly) This time, it turned out DELICIOUS!! Even my 15 month old was putting it away! My changes were:

Used 2 of the small cans of enchilada sauce- one green and one red
Used flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas
Added more Monterey Jack cheese than called for (ended up using 2 10-oz. blocks, shredded)

That's all I changed and it made a huge difference. I will definitely be making this one more often now. My hubby loved it too.

 

[MLinAZ]

I've made this with both red and green enchilada sauce and like it both ways.

I think the enchilada sauce makes a big difference - for people that don't like spicy buy a milder version, if you like spicy then buy the medium or hot. Some of the enchilada sauces have a lot of kick which would make a big difference in the "blah" factor on this!

That said, I'm always a fan of anything I can add a rub or seasoning of ours in because then people will add those to their order to duplicate the recipe, so adding in the SW seasoning or Chipotle rub would be a good idea!

 

[Suzy Englert]

Re: Mexican Lasagne - help!If I cook this recipe in the DCB is 30 minutes long enough? Do I leave the lid on the entire time? Today's host just told me last night that her microwave is not big enough to hold the DCB.

Thanks,
Suzy in Texas

 

[JAE]

Hmmm....I never saw this thread. We like the enchilada exactly the way the recipe says to make it. Maybe we're a little strange. Oh well. If my family will eat it, I'll make it over and over. And, I want to know Kacey's cilantro poem.JAE

 

[JAE]

Here's that poem. It's actually in another thread. I thought I had read it before. I love cilantro, but my family does not care for it."Cilantro, Cilantro so green and so leafy
To others you look like a cousin of ParsleyYour taste is so strong
Like pot in a bongAnd I've tried really hard to like you...I went to Chipolte
Because it is FridayAnd ordered a chicken burrito-With cilantro lime rice and little black beans
Your flavor is truly not what it seemsI dissected my meal
and I thought "what's the deal?"And was saddened by what I discovered.So many flecks of your green leafiness
Had invaded my Mexican supper.So I picked and I tossed every green piece I saw
so my burrito is now without flaw.One final note, which I feel I must makeOh, why can't you just taste like CAKE!?!?!