Mexican Lasagna
Triple layers of soft tortillas, seasoned beef and beans, and melty Mexican cheese! This incredible lasagna is quick, easy, and the ultimate crowd-pleaser.
This Mexican lasagna is great for kids AND adults! Imagine a commingling of beef chili and enchiladas. The beef is perfectly seasoned (with store-bought taco seasoning) and simmered with Rotel tomatoes (tomatoes with green chilies). Then, that savory beef mixture is layered in a baking pan with tortillas and cheese! And for a gluten-free version, use gluten-free tortillas or corn tortillas.
You can make this dish mild or spicy. There are many ways to adjust the heat level in this Mexican lasagna. First, you can use spicy taco seasoning. Next, you can use hot Rotel tomatoes. You can also choose Mexican cheese that comes with little bits of jalapeno!
I made this Mexican lasagna with beef, but poultry works too. If you’re more of a ground chicken or ground turkey fan, feel free to swap either one in for the beef. You can even use shredded cooked chicken if desired. There’s no need to change anything else.
I used pink beans, but you can use your favorite beans. The beans you use in this Mexican lasagna are completely up to you. I used pink beans, but black, kidney, pinto, and white beans would also work. And if you want to use seasoned beans, feel free – just don’t drain or rinse seasoned beans (the seasoned sauce will add extra flavor).
This is a great made-ahead dish. You can assemble this lasagna up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate before baking. Bring the casserole to room temperature before baking (pull it from the fridge about 30 minutes before baking).
Feel free to add veggies to this Mexican lasagna. If you want to add more veggies, I recommend canned or frozen corn (or a can of Mexicorn), peas, diced carrots, and diced bell peppers. Add raw vegetables when you add the onion, and add canned/frozen vegetables when you add the tomatoes.
Mexican Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 packet taco seasoning, 2 teaspoons
- 10- ounce can Rotel tomatoes, or 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes of choice
- 15- ounce can pink beans, or beans of choice, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup water
- 9-12 flour tortillas, regular or gluten-free, or corn tortillas (12 fajita-size tortillas or 9 burrito-size tortillas)
- 5 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, or a blend of mozzarella, cheddar, and pepper jack, or Monterey jack
For Serving
- Chopped green onions
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or brush with olive oil.
- Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, until soft.
- Add the taco seasoning and stir to coat. Add the tomatoes (with the juice from the can), beans, and water and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Arrange 1/3 of the tortillas in the prepared pan, overlapping slightly and tearing as needed to cover the bottom (the size of your tortillas will determine how many to need to cover the bottom and 2 middle layers).
- Top the tortillas with 1/3 of the beef mixture. Top with 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. Repeat layers – tortillas, beef mixture, cheese – two more times, ending with the last 2 cups of the cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes (spray the foil with cooking spray to prevent the cheese from sticking). Uncover and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Top with green onions and cilantro and serve.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.