Roasted Vegetable Tortilla Stack

Roasted Vegetable Tortilla Stack
From blog The Three Cheeses

Servings:  6
Cooking time:  30 – 40 minutes prep, 30 – 40 minutes baking

*Note we did not use ground beef, but the dish can be made with it, so left it in as an “optional” ingredient

Ingredients:
1-2 packages of your choice of tortillas (you’ll probably need just less than 10 tortillas –  purchase tortillas that are the right size for the pan you will be using—springform works best, but a deep round casserole or ceramic dish works well too)
vegetables for roasting: eggplant,  sweet potato, zucchini, onion, mushrooms, bell peppers
1/2 small jar basil pesto
1 medium sized jar  tomato-based pasta sauce (or your own homemade)
about 2 cups grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese

optional: 1 lb cooked ground beef, 1 medium jar of creamy pasta sauce

Directions:

Slice your root vegetable(s) into thin pieces and microwave until they are soft the whole way through, but not mushy. (You can also roast them if you prefer, but microwaving them is a lot faster!). Slice up your softer vegetables (eggplant, onion, mushrooms, peppers/capsicums, zucchini, etc.) and toss lightly with oil and a few spices, such as basil, oregano, or rosemary, and roast for about 20 minutes in the oven, until softened but not mushy.

If you’re adding in ground beef, now’s the time to cook it. Cook just until you can no longer see any pink, and drain any excess fat or juices.

Once all of your vegetables are fairly pre-cooked, it’s time to start layering!  Grease your springform pan or casserole dish if they aren’t nonstick. Start by putting a tortilla down in the pan, and spread about 1-2 tsp tomato pesto evenly onto it. Arrange one kind of vegetable on it, then spoon 3-4 generous tbsp over top of either the tomato or cream sauce. Sprinkle a handful of cheese. Place another tortilla overtop, spread again with tomato pesto, and arrange with a different vegetable combination. I usually alternate my layers between plain yam/kumara with the tomato sauce and eggplant/mushroom/onion with the cream sauce. If you’re adding in meat, layer it with the tomato sauce. Alternate your tortilla and vegetable layers until you’ve filled your pan, finishing with a final tortilla with a little bit of pesto spread over the top, and a light sprinkling of cheese.

Cover your pan with tin foil, then bake at 350 F for 40 minutes, until cooked through. Remove the tin foil from the top in the final 5-10 minutes to let it go golden and crispy. Serve with a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream.