Debo's Mexican Lasagna Casserole 2.0

Tomato paste is a thick paste that is made by cooking tomatoes for several hours to reduce moisture, straining them to remove the seeds and skin, and cooking them again to reduce them to a thick, rich concentrate. In contrast, tomato purée which consists of tomatoes that have been boiled briefly and strained, is a liquid with a consistency between crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. 

It was traditionally made in parts of Sicily, southern Italy and Malta by spreading out a much-reduced tomato sauce on wooden boards. The boards are set outdoors under the hot August sun to dry the paste until it is thick enough, when scraped up, to hold together in a richly colored, dark ball. Today, this artisan product is harder to find than the industrial (much thinner) version.

In the UK, paste is referred to as puree or concentrate.

In the USA, tomato paste is concentrated tomato solids (no seeds or skin) and usually no added sugars or seasonings. Tomato puree has a lower solids requirement.

Depending on its manufacturing conditions, tomato paste can be the basis for making ketchup or reconstituted tomato juice.

By http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato_paste

Thank you so much, Elisabeth for the award. I truly appreciate it. 

Debo's Mexican Lasagna Casserole 2.0

2012, Debo, Christine's Pantry. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef

1 pound ground pork sausage

1 (10.0 oz) can tomatoes with green chiles

2 chipotle cubes

1 (6.0 oz) can tomato paste

1 (16.0 oz) can refried beans

1 package taco seasoning mix

1 package hot chili seasoning mix

2 onions, chopped

corn tostadas

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 (12 oz) can beer

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 heaping tablespoon garlic, minced

1 (15.25 oz)can corn, drained

pinch salt

3 cups Mexican style cheese, shredded

Directions:

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Combine onions, peppers, garlic and salt , stirring constantly, cook until tender. Place the onions and peppers into a bowl and set aside.

Into the same pot, add ground beef and sausage, turn heat to medium high and brown, cook until no longer pink, drain the grease. Place onions and peppers back into the pot, add beer, taco seasoning mix, hot chile seasoning mix, tomato paste, refried beans,chipotle cubes, tomatoes with green chiles and corn. Stir well. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes.

To assemble, spray a 11”x15” casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place 6 corn tostadas on the bottom of the dish. Break up one tostada and use the pieces to cover the open spaces, trying to cover as much of the bottom of the dish as possible. Sprinkle some of the shredded cheese on top of the tostadas, then put a layer of meat mixture, spreading it evenly until all is covered. Top the meat with enough shredded cheese to cover.

Repeat layers, ending with cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, bake about 20 minutes until the cheese is a bubbly golden brown. Enjoy!

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