This lasagne is a great midweek dinner to enjoy with friends. During my time at university, I often made this dish, as it’s packed with all the classic ingredients served with fajitas but with the added bonus of being made in one dish. Minimise washing up while maximising flavour. You can easily substitute tofu or aubergine (eggplant) for the chicken to make a vegetarian alternative.
Serves 3–4
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 red (bell) peppers, chopped into bite-size chunks
- 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size chunks
- 1 x 30-g (1-oz) sachet fajita seasoning mix (whichever flavour and heat level you prefer)
- 1 x 400-g (14-oz) can chopped tomatoes
- 1 x 400-g (14-oz) can refried beans
- 3–4 large tortilla wraps (depending on size)
- 150ml (5 ½ fl oz) sour cream
- 200g (7oz) tomato salsa
- 150g (5 ½ oz) Cheddar cheese or other mature hard cheese, grated (shredded)
- 2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled and sliced lengthways
Method
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the chicken to the pan along with the fajita seasoning mix. Stir to combine and cook for a further 3 minutes or until the chicken is browned. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, then rinse the can with around 100ml (3½fl oz) cold water and add this to the pan. Simmer for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened.
- Put the refried beans into a small saucepan and warm them over a low heat, adding a splash of cold water to loosen them. The beans do not need to be piping hot as they’ll be going in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/390°F/gas 6.
- Take a 20-cm (8-inch) round ovenproof dish or one that matches the size of your tortillas. Cover the base of the dish with the first tortilla. Spread 2–3 tablespoons of the sour cream over the tortilla, then half of the chicken before topping with half of the refried beans. Dollop 2 heaped tablespoons of the tomato salsa over the beans, then scatter 50g of cheese. Repeat these layers once more. Finish with a third tortilla wrap. Cover with the remaining sour cream, salsa and cheese.
- Bake in the hot oven for 30–40 minutes or until piping hot all the way through and the cheese is gooey and melted. If the cheese is already browning but the lasagne isn’t yet piping hot, cover the top with kitchen foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove the dish from the oven and allow the lasagne to cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with the sliced avocado.
Images and text from Between the Sheets by Sarah Wordie, photography by Steve Painter. Murdoch Books. RRP $37.99
