Cinco de Mayo Strata

Cinco de Mayo Strata

Celebrate May 5 with a Mexican strata.  This hearty dish is satisfying, affordable and feeds a crowd.  You can easily cut the recipe in half for less servings, but the re-heated left-overs are just as good for your next day’s lunch.  So go ahead and make plenty. And yes, this Mexican recipe uses Chinese wontons or egg rolls wrappers to build the strata. 

1 pound ground beef

1 -16 ounces container of ricotta or cottage cheese

8 ounces shredded cheese, divided

24 wonton wrappers

1 -16 ounces can fat-free refried beans

3 ½ cups chunky salsa

In a large skillet, cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink.  Drain and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta or cottage cheese and 1 cup of the shredded cheese.  In a 13 X 9 baking dish coated with cooking spray, place 6 wonton wrappers to fit the dish.  Layer one-third each of the ground beef, then the cheese mixture, and then the beans. Top with ½ cup of salsa.  Repeat the layers twice beginning with the wontons, beef, cheese mixture, beans and salsa.  Top the strata with the remaining wontons and 2 cups of salsa.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese, and bake for 5 minutes more or until the cheese melts.  Let the baked strata stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 10 to 12.