There aren’t enough words to describe the love that I have for Mexican food, and even more so since I began eating gluten-free. It’s the perfect gluten-free cuisine: easy to prepare, naturally free of gluten, and super versatile.
I try to make Mexican food once a week and the more practice I get, the more I realize how many different options there are and how utterly customizable this food is.
Since we all know how to make the typical taco, I’ve decided to share with you a couple of my favorite non-traditional Mexican recipes. These are a huge hit with my husband (who can blame him for getting tired of brown rice pasta?), are easy to make and are so, so delicious.
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The first recipe, Mexican lasagna, is a fun break from the traditional Mexican fare. My recipe has been modified and perfected over the years and is now the perfect combination of ground beef, cheese and salsa. It is easily customized so feel free to play around, replacing black beans for refried beans, tofu crumbles for ground beef, or the cheese selection for whatever you like best.
I serve this with guacamole and sour cream on the side.
Gluten-Free Mexican Lasagna
Ingredients:
1 lb. of ground beef
Olive oil to drizzle in pan
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups of salsa
1 can refried beans
1 envelope taco seasoning
6 corn tortillas (10 inch)
1 container cottage cheese
1 cup Mexican cheese blend
1 can (6 oz) sliced black olives
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large skillet, add oil, meat, paprika, cumin, chilli powder and salt. Brown meat in olive oil over medium heat for around 5 minutes, and drain.
2. Return meat to skillet, add the onions, salsa, refried beans and taco seasoning. Mix well.
3. Spread ? of meat mixture in greased 13×9 baking dish, followed by 2 tortillas, ? of cottage cheese and ? of cheese blend. Repeat layers.
4. Bake covered for 50 minutes or until cooked through.
5. Garnish with olives and cilantro.
The second recipe, Gluten-Free Green Chile Chicken Casserole, I discovered while searching for easy casserole recipes. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to combine my two easy dinner loves: casseroles and Mexican food. Make sure to double up on this cheesy casserole recipe. If you only make one, you won’t have leftovers!
Gluten-Free Green Chile Chicken Casserole
Note: This recipe is based on what you can find at Gluten-Free Easily. It’s delicious and makes 6 servings.
Ingredients:
3 boneless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
Garlic powder to taste
Onion powder to taste
Black pepper to taste
1 small container of sour cream
8 ounces (2 cups) of shredded cheddar cheese (I usually use either Colby Jack or a Mexican cheese blend instead of cheddar.)
1-2 cans of green chiles, drained (I alternatively prefer 1-2 packages of fresh green chiles, chopped.)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9×13 baking dish.
3. Place halved chicken breasts side by side in the baking dish.
4. Sprinkle chicken breasts with garlic salt, onion powder and black pepper.
5. In a large bowl, mix together the sour cream, cheese and chiles, and spread over the chicken breasts, making sure to get all of the mix since this will make just enough to cover the chicken (I use a spatula which makes this step easier).
6. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the chicken is done.
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