I'm no great-shakes Italian cook. I mean, well, you know, I can whip out a jar of Ragu along with the best of 'em and boil up a pot of pre-packaged tortellini, but it ain't my best thing.

So ... I had half a box of lasagna noodles left over from, er, lasagna past? Since I didn't want to do an Eye-tie thing I thought why not fuse it with Mexican, which I'm actually pretty good at. The concept here is a Mexican dish that evokes the Italian, um, style? Anyway this is what happened.

All this stuff is needed. Get it.

2 pounds ground beef

1/3 package of lasagna noodles

1 can Kuner's chili beans, no salt

1 can Muir Glen no salt tomato sauce

1 can Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes with green chile

1½ cups Pace medium picante salsa

2 4 oz. packages of crumbled unflavored goat cheese (chevre)

1 egg or substitute equivalent

2 packages Old El Paso taco seasoning

2 tablespoons Cholula hot sauce.

1 tablespoon Mesquite liquid smoke

1 tablespoon corriander

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon chipotle chile powder

1 8-ounce package (two cups) fine shredded nacho or taco cheese

1 8-ounce package fine shredded Italian blend cheese

Ready? 'K here we go.

Cook noodles per package directions. Brown the beef, season per seasoning packet instructions. In a separate large bowl mix beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce and salsa, stir in beef while muttering esoteric incantations to the deity of your choice. Add everything else except for cheeses and egg. In a mixing bowl add beaten egg to goat cheese, mix lightly. Mix shredded cheeses together in a bowl.

Spray or lightly coat a medium flat casserole dish with oil. Thinly cover the bottom with sauce mixture, sprinkle on a thin layer of shredded cheese, lay noodles in one layer on top, lightly cover with a layer of goat cheese, a layer of shredded cheese, a layer of sauce about a third to half an inch thick, another layer of shredded cheese. Repeat until you run out of stuff but reserve enough sauce to cover a top layer of noodles, then put the rest of the shredded cheese on top of that. You should have at least half an inch of that on top.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake for 35 minutes or until cheese on top has turned golden brown. Allow to cool for 20 minutes or so, I like to cut it with a steak knife, then serve with a salad and a good amber Mexican beer. My cousin Mikey really liked it and it wasn't until I was writing this up I realized he thinks he might be allergic to tomatoes. I'll have to call him tomorrow and see if he is.