Freeze Now, Nosh Later! [Mexican Pizza Lasagna Remix]

Recipe testing is pretty much my favorite thing in the world! Other than zumba... and spinning.. and sleeping... eating... painting... and... I guess I have a lot of favorites =) Due to my fun little situation, the 2-4 serving meals that I typically post are consumed by yours truly, minus the human garbage disposal pilot. With the sheer number of dishes I whip up each week, the abundant leftovers will surely sprout legs and terrorize the neighborhood if I dont find a way to keep them safe. I didnt actually own legit freezer containers until the folks at Glad and the Foodbuzz Tastemakers program sent me a box full of Glad FreezerWare goodies to try out. Hello perfection! I needed these. Im head over heels addicted to mozzarella ball soup so, naturally, my first plan of action was to chop up a block of mozzarella into cubes and freeze them for future mozz ball assembly. I love that these containers are crack resistant and BPA-free. Normally I wont let my soups even *touch* a plastic container out of fear of BPA leaching into my food -- but b/c these babies are safe I decided to whip up a giant bowl of tomato soup to join my "balls" in the freezer. Viola! Rainy day lunch is served frozen! Then something happened. I got a little freezer crazy. I started soaking/cooking batches of black beans and lentils and wound up revisiting some old friends. I told each of them, respectively, that they were my favorite and theyd really should hook up. I mean, theyd get along famously, right? It had all the makings of a steamy romance. as usual, I was right =) Mexican Pizza Lasagna Remix (makes 4 scrumptious servings) whats in it? 1 1/2 cups black beans - cooked, drained, and rinsed 1 1/2 cups lentils - cooked, drained, and rinsed 1 can of vegetarian refried beans, or 16oz 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, plus 1/4-1/2 cup for topping later 4 Tbsp of Mrs. Renfros green salsa (or salsa verde) 5-6 small corn tortillas a drizzle or two of taco sauce (this is where those leftover packets come in handy!) diced/sliced jalapenos, fresh or pickled grated cheese (I grate a few cheddar/mozzarella string cheeses - yum!) sometimes I get feisty alternate drizzles of red and green enchilada sauce between the layers. heav. en. ly. seasoning blend 1/2-1 tsp dried cilantro 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp of salt, plus a little extra to taste a pinch or two of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, for heat-seekers fresh tasty toppings shredded romaine or spring mix lettuce greek yogurt (my favorite!) or sour cream chopped green onions fresh, ripe tomatoes fresh or pickled peppers guacamole salsa This plate-licking remix of my mexican pizza lasagna and makes approximately 3 cups of yummy bean filling, youll only need around 2 cups for this recipe so freeze the leftover cup for easy tacos or nachos! While were at it, you could even pile it on top of a savory sweet potato *swoon* get cooking! Preheat oven to 350F. On the stovetop, combine refried beans, black beans, and lentils in a pot or deep skillet on medium-low heat. I make my beans from scratch and divide them between the fridge and freezer for easy meals throughout the week. Feel free to follow suit or used canned when needed! Add seasoning blend (see recipe) and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. My standard protocol is to dip a tortilla chip (or three!) in the pot and taste test. Mmmmm! Next, rep a bake-able glass bowl or casserole dish with a thin layer of sauce to prevent sticking. With a tortilla in one hand an a butter knife in the other, spread a thick layer of beans onto the corn tortilla. Top with green salsa a drizzle of enchilada sauce, and then place inside your baking bowl or dish. This will be your first layer. Feel free to cheese it up between layers if youre a fan. Repeat this step for the next two layers. This not only makes fabulous (freeze-able!) leftovers but is a great way to use up leftovers you may have creeping around in your fridge! Each layer will be more of the same until you reach the final tortilla. On top of your last later, drizzle enchilada sauce, taco sauce, and a nice thick layer of grated cheese. Jalapenos too if youre feeling feisty! I typically bake the dish (20-30 minutes), snag a slice or two to devour immediately and freeze the leftovers. You can absolutely freeze the entire thing before baking though, and then just defrost for an easy dinner later on. When it comes time to plate your creation -- pretty it up with a splash of color! Add diced tomatoes, jalapenos, green onions and all your favorite toppings. A dollop of sour cream (or my personal favorite, greek yogurt!) takes this baby to the next level. Man I love this dish! And the fact that theres a batch waiting for me in m freezer right now makes me ridiculously happy. Hello TV dinner upgrade! Thanks Glad! the moral of the story: Cooking several meals at once and saving the leftovers to nosh all week (or month!) long is, without a doubt, the best strategy for me. Without P around to devour all my meals and experiments, its oh-so-easy to be lured into a life of cereal and PB J. Having meals prepped and frozen gives me the edge I need to eat balanced and stay healthy. Hopefully it can benefit you too! So whats your favorite freezer-friendly meal? Do you pre-prep meals for the week? Hop on over to www.facebook.com/GLAD to share your freezer meals and youll be entered to win some pretty sweet prizes.