Mexican Lasagna

5 from 12 votes
25 Comments

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Mexican Lasagna is a cross between lasagna and enchiladas. Tortillas, meat sauce, and cheese layered and topped with your favorite Mexican toppings!

A piece of Mexican Lasagna topped with cheese, olives, lettuce, and cilantro on a white plate.
Featured with this recipe
  1. Ingredients in Mexican Lasagna
  2. Mexican Lasagna Sauce
  3. Add That Cheese Layer
  4. Toppings
  5. Frequently Asked Questions
  6. What to Serve With Mexican Lasagna
  7. How to Make Mexican Lasagna
  8. Mexican Lasagna Recipe

Mexican lasagna has been a favorite in our family for years, for generations even! It is such a great comfort food. Our mom would make this all the time when we were growing up and we always loved it. It is one of those “please everyone” dishes. Mexican lasagna has become one of our kids’ favorite meals, and to this day, it is a “regular” dish in our households now that we have our own little families. This dish is mostly reminiscent of layered enchiladas, but we love the Italian spin on it. Give it a try! I am sure it will become a favorite in your home too!

Ingredients in Mexican Lasagna

  • Ground beef
  • Onion – chopped
  • Spaghetti sauce
  • Cottage cheese
  • Egg
  • Mozzarella cheese – shredded
  • Cheddar cheese – shredded
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Flour tortillas

Mexican Lasagna Sauce

Most layered enchilada dishes use enchilada sauce instead of spaghetti sauce, but we actually like the Italian flavors in between! We ALWAYS make it with spaghetti sauce and consider this a “fusion” recipe. It really doesn’t make a huge difference and most people wouldn’t even realize that it is spaghetti sauce and not enchilada sauce. If you are really concerned about it, you can switch out one for the other.

Add That Cheese Layer

We also like the cheese layer as if you were doing an Italian lasagna. We just like to use cottage cheese rather than ricotta because it seems to blend better with the Mexican ingredients (and kids seem to like the texture better) but you can use ricotta if you prefer.

Toppings

We like to top our Mexican Lasagna as if we were topping enchiladas. Some of our favorite toppings include:

  • Sour cream
  • Olives, lettuce
  • Tomatoes
  • Bell peppers
  • Black olives
  • Cheese
  • Cilantro
  • Pico de gallo
  • Salsa
  • Avocado (or guacamole). We just layer them on like we would on enchiladas.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long to bake Mexican lasagna?

Baking time for our Mexican lasagna in the oven is 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

What goes with Mexican lasagna?

On the side, you could have homemade guacamole with tortilla chips, refried beans, Mexican rice, corn, even corn salsa. Sides and toppings are really good with this lasagna.

Can mexican lasagna be frozen?

Yes, your baked Mexican lasagna recipe or leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and placed in airtight containers in the freezer for up to 2 months.

What is Mexican lasagna made of?

Also known as Mexican casserole, Mexican lasagna is made of a protein, usually beef, sauce, cheese, tortillas, and sometimes seasoned with a sprinkle of chili powder or taco seasoning and green chiles. All of this is baked in a casserole dish and served with toppings such as black olives, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.

Read More:35+ Quick and Easy To Follow Dinner Ideas Your Family Will Surely Love

What to Serve With Mexican Lasagna

Mexican Lasagna can be served as a one-dish dinner or you can serve it with side dishes. Here are some tasty Mexican-inspired side dishes you can serve along with it:

How to Make Mexican Lasagna

A slice of Mexican Lasagna topped with cheese, olives, lettuce, and cilantro on a white plate.

Mexican Lasagna

5 from 12 votes
Mexican Lasagna is a cross between lasagna and enchiladas. Tortillas, meat sauce, and cheese layered and topped with your favorite Mexican toppings!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Italian, Mexican/Spanish
Servings 12

Video

Equipment

  • 9×13 inch pan

Ingredients

Optional toppings

Instructions

  • Brown beef and onion in a pan or large skillet and drain well. Add spaghetti sauce.
  • In large bowl stir to combine beaten egg, and all the cheeses. Save a little of the Mozzarella and cheddar for the topping.
  • Spray 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Line the bottom of the dish with flour tortillas. Tear them to fill in all the spaces.
  • Add ⅓ of sauce and ⅓ of cheese. Repeat layers of tortillas, sauce, and cheese, two more times ending with the sauce and a topping of the grated cheese.
  • Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve hot.
  • Top servings with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, and sliced olives as desired.

Notes

Recipe variations include:
  • Shredded chicken
  • Ground turkey
  • A beef mixture
  • A meat mixture of beef and turkey, or turkey and chicken 
  • Substitute corn tortillas

Nutrition Information

Calories: 380kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 24gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 940mgPotassium: 422mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 668IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 357mgIron: 2mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made this for dinner last night and this has quickly become a family favorite recipe in our home! Packed with flavor and easy too!

  2. I agree with Taylor Family. This in no way is mexican. Actually this style of Enchiladas is known in New Mexico. Using corn tortillas instead of noodles does not make it Mexican by far! Please omit spaghetti sauce and replace it with enchilada sauce and no cottage cheese. Monterey Jack, cheddar cheese but definitely not cottage. I don’t mean to be so harsh but this recipe makes me cringe. We grew up eating these and they are wonderful when you use actual ingredients that are considered mexican not just the condiments.

    1. We are sorry you are so offended by this recipe. We have always made this recipe this way and we all love it! We have gotten rave reviews from most who have tried it. It is supposed to be a “fusion” recipe.. so not completely a Mexican dish. We have made layered enchiladas before and this is not the same thing. Hopefully you will find some of our other recipes to be less offensive in the future.

      1. Erica, I do apologize for my rudeness. I understand why you labeled this Lasagna and not enchilada. Although I might not try this recipes I do enjoy other ones that you have shared! Sorry for such negative feedback, by all means, we all have the right to cook what we like so please keep sharing!!!

  3. I guess I don’t understand what makes this ‘mexican’, other than subbing tortillas for the lasagna noodles. The recipe doesn’t call for any actual mexican seasonings.

    1. We also call it Mexican because of the toppings – sour cream, salsa, avocado, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, etc.

  4. 5 stars
    I love this, But I found making the 13 x9 dish is to much for my husband and I, and hubby is diabetic and has to watch his carbs. I use the low carb tortilla’s and a round spring form cheesecake pan and it makes just the right amount for 2.

  5. Hello Dear,
    It’s my pleasure to follow U Thanks 4 Ur heart taking amazing recipes which are Yummyy :))

  6. 5 stars
    Made this tonight! So easy and so yummy! 6 adults ate it AND went back for seconds AND there were still leftovers! Great recipe!

    1. lol.. just “tortilla”. My family calls them “shells” whether they are hard or soft tortillas. We are weird, I know haha

  7. 5 stars
    Erica,

    Thank you for posting this recipe! I tried your Cafe Rio Pork Salad the other night, and then the Wingers Sticky fingers recipe last night and both were huge hits so I was excited to try another one of your recipes. I wanted to let you know what I did differently to make it a bit more Mexican, in case you're up for something a little different. Instead of Spaghetti sauce, I added a packet of Taco seasoning mix, one can crushed tomatoes, one can tomato paste, and one can diced green chilies to the meat and onion. It added a very authentic mexican flavor and it was DELISH. Thank you!!!

  8. Taylor Family–

    Wow! That recipe looks awesome. I have never tried combining red and green enchilada sauce.. I love them both so it would make sense to combine em! Can’t wait to try it!!!! Thanks!!!

    -Erica

  9. Hi I stumbled on to your blog because I was googleing cafe rio pork. I love cafe rio. Can’t wait to try your recepie. Anyway, I lingerd longer to see what else you have. You are quite the cook. I wish I liked to cook more. I like cooking if I WANT to cook and I am pretty good cook, but i hate having to do it every single day. Anyway, reason I am commenting to begin with, I have a great variation of this that i make and every time i make it I love every single bite of it I can’t get enough. Here goes:
    (sorry i don’t have exact measurements i just kind of throw it all together.)

    I call it chicken enchilasagna

    -chicken as much or little as you please. i like to use the already done one at Costco 4 bucks and its already cooked for me :). Im telling you…i’m lazy when it comes to cooking. I peel of the skin shredd it up or chop it up and add a packet of taco seasoning.
    or the long way marrinate chicken breast in taco seasoing or enchilad seasoning. I like taco. barBQ chicken chop it up.(i like to set some aside for nachos the next day)
    -1-2 cans of red enchilada sauce
    -1-2 cans of green enchilada sauce
    do equal parts and i use enough depending on how much Im making. combine the sauces have it ready to pour.
    -1-2 cans of black beens.
    -green pepper to your taste. I personaly don’t like strong taste of green pepper in my food so i chop about 1/2 of it.
    -onion to taste I like using green
    -6-8 yellow corn tortillas.
    – shredded chedder cheese. again as little or as much as you want. my husband and boys are cheese fanatics so i load it up. I’ve skimmed on it also and its still great.

    So start layering
    usually 2 plus the top
    – tortillas 2-1/2 about (I’ll cut them in 3rds)
    chicken
    beans
    onions/green peppers
    cheese
    sauce
    and so on
    last layer cheese and sauce.
    It’s sooo good. I love it, hope you try it and you like it.

    1. Thank you for posting this! This how to make a real enchiladas! My husbands family is from New Mexico and this is how they are made. I grew up eating them this way and we love them! I don’t usually put beans though because I normally make refried beans but I would never put spaghetti sauce????

  10. Thanks for your comment and your interest in the blog!

    To answer your question… yeah.. I think it would be fine! If I were you I would soften the corn tortillas first by heating some oil in a pan and cooking them for a while on each side and placing them on paper towels to drain off some of the oil. THEN I would layer them in the pan…mmm.. that actually sounds GOOD! I will have to try that next time!

  11. Hi. I really enjoy reading your blog and getting ideas for really yummy recipes.

    I have a question about this recipe. My husband is not a fan of bread and flour tortillas are a little too close to bread for him. Do you think this recipe would work with corn tortillas?