Fajita Lasagna

Makes: 8 servings

1 bag (1 pound) frozen stir-fry bell peppers and
    onions, thawed
1 pound lean ground beef
1 can (29 ounces) tomato sauce
1 envelope (1.4 ounces) fajita seasoning mix
12 no-boil lasagna noodles, each about 6 to 8 inches
    long and 3 inches wide
3 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese (12 ounces)
1 can (2 1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
Guacamole, if desired
Old El Paso Thick 'n Chunky salsa, if desired
Sour cream, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray bottom and sides of rectangular baking dish, 13 x 9 x 2 inches, with cooking spray. Drain thawed bell pepper mixture on several layers of paper towels; set aside.

2. Cook beef in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Stir in tomato sauce and seasoning mix; heat to boiling. Spread 1/2 cup sauce mixture in baking dish. Arrange 4 noodles crosswise, slightly overlapping, on sauce. Spread 1 1/2 cups sauce over noodles, completely covering noodles. Spread pepper mixture evenly over sauce; sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese.

3. Arrange 4 noodles crosswise, slightly overlapping, on cheese. Spread about 1 1/2 cups sauce over noodles, completely covering noodles. Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese and the olives over sauce. Arrange 4 noodles crosswise, slightly overlapping, on olives. Spread remaining sauce over noodles, completely covering noodles. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.

4. Spray piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover baking dish with cooking spray. Tightly cover baking dish with foil, sprayed side down. Bake about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. Serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

Success:
We're using ground beef in this recipe instead of the usual steak found in fajitas so the lasagna will be easier to cut. When we tested this recipe using slices of steak, we found that cutting the lasagna into serving pieces was difficult.

Did You Know...
No-boil lasagna noodles are so convenient to have on hand. Most large grocery stores now carry boxes of them right next to the regular lasagna noodles and other pastas.

Nutrition Information: 1 Serving: Calories 465 (Calories from Fat 215 ); Total Fat 24 g (Saturated Fat 13 g); Cholesterol 75 mg; Sodium 1030 mg; Total Carbohydrate 40 g (Dietary Fiber 6 g); Protein 28 g

Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 36 %; Vitamin C 40 %; Calcium 34 %; Iron 38 %

Exchanges: 2 1/2 Starch; 3 Medium-Fat Meat; 1 Fat

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Recipe and photograph courtesy of Betty Crocker 2008 /TM General Mills.