Mexican Lasagna

This Mexican lasagna recipe is a lively twist on traditional lasagna recipes. This Tex-Mex casserole has all the Southwest flavors you love. It’s made with ground beef, black beans, taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, salsa, cheese, and of course, lasagna noodles.

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Lasagna is one of those meals that is almost impossible to make without compromising your food budget for the week. Even vegetarian versions are expensive because the cheeses are just so pricey.

Last week I had a revelation…my kids don’t like those expensive cheeses. I have been bribing persuading them to eat expensive cheese that they don’t like, when I could have just been feeding them the cheap cheese that they do like such as Mozzarella, Cheddar, and Monterey Jack. So why not lean into the foods they do like and create a lasagna with their favorite ingredients?

I decided to make a Mexican Lasagna using the cheeses my kids do like. Then I decided to make my lasagna more frugal by replacing 1/2 of the meat with black beans. It only seemed natural to use taco seasoning and salsa after that. My kids absolutely loved this Southwest Lasagna, went back for seconds, and asked for the leftovers for breakfast the next morning.

Southwest Lasagna Variations

Ground Beef – You can substitute any ground meat in this recipe: chicken, turkey, bison or even venison.

Black Beans – You can substitute any beans you wish. Pinto beans work particularly well. However, you can also substitute cooked lentils if you don’t like beans.

Cheese – I like to buy block of cheese, shred them, and make my own blends. My favorite is a half and half mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack, but you can use any combination of cheeses you like.

Prep-Ahead Tip

You can completely assemble this lasagna the day before if you place it in a metal baking dish. (You don’t want to prep it in a Pyrex or pottery baking dish because putting a cold dish in a hot oven can cause them to break.) Then cover the dish and place it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to cook it, cover it with foil if you haven’t already done so and place it in the oven.

Mexican Lasagna Recipe

This Tex-Mex lasagna recipe has all the Southwest flavors your family loves. It’s made with ground beef, black beans, taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, salsa, cheese, and of course, lasagna noodles. You can double the meat, bean, and tomato mixture and double the cheese mixture to make an extra filling lasagna if you have teenagers.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 – 1 pound hamburger
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 1/2 cups black beans or a 15 ounce can of beans, drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes undrained
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe)
• 16 ounces cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese, divided
• 9 – 12 lasagna noodles prepared according to package directions
• 1 1/4 cups salsa
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro or use 1 1/2 teaspoons dried (optional)
• sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Brown the hamburger with the onion.
2. Add the beans, tomatoes and taco seasoning to the hamburger and mix well.
3. In a small bowl combine the cottage cheese, egg, and 1 cup shredded cheese.
4. Spoon 1/2 the salsa into the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking pan. Place 3 – 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce.
5. Spoon 1/2 of the meat and bean mixture onto the lasagna noodles.
6. Spread 1/2 of cheese mixture over the meat and beans.
7. Place another 3 – 4 noodles down and then top with remaining meat mixture and cheese mixture.
8. Place remaining noodles on top of cheese mixture. Top with remaining salsa. Top with 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
9. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes.
10. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
11. Top with chopped fresh cilantro and sour cream if desired.

How to Store Leftovers

Store any leftover Mexican Lasagna in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

How to Freeze Leftovers

Allow the lasagna to cool, then store in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to Thaw Frozen Tex-Mex Lasagna

Thaw the lasagna overnight in the refrigerator.

How to Reheat Mexican Lasagna

Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through. For larger portions, place in a skillet or oven-safe pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes or until heated through.

Printable Recipe for Mexican Lasagna

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Mexican Lasagna Recipe

Create this Mexican lasagna recipe that is a delicious twist on traditional lasagna. Enjoy flavorful southwest ingredients without breaking the bank. You can double the meat mixture and the cheese mixture for an extra filling dish.

Course Dinner, Main

Cuisine American, Mexican, Tex-Mex

Keyword Mexican Lasagna Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 258kcal

Author Alea

Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 pound ground beef
• ▢ 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or 15 oz. can, drained)
• ▢ 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes undrained
• ▢ 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• ▢ 16 ounces cottage cheese
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese, divided
• ▢ 9 - 12 lasagna noodles prepared according to package directions
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups salsa
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro or use 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
• ▢ sour cream (optional)

Instructions

• Brown the ground beef with the onion.
• Add the beans, tomatoes and taco seasoning to the hamburger and mix well.
• In a small bowl combine cottage cheese, egg, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
• Spoon 1/2 of salsa to the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking pan. Place 3 – 4 lasagna noodles over the salsa.
• Spoon 1/2 of the meat and bean mixture onto the lasagna noodles.
• Spread 1/2 of cheese mixture over the meat and beans.
• Place another 3 – 4 noodles down and then top the noodles with the remaining meat mixture and then the cheese mixture.
• Place remaining noodles on top of cheese mixture. Top the noodles with remaining the remaining salsa. Then sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded cheese over the top.
• Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes.
• Let stand for 5 minutes before serving with chopped fresh cilantro and sour cream.

Nutrition

Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 418mg | Potassium: 310mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 318IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 1mg

Have you ever forced an expensive food on your family, when there was a frugal alternative?

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