Mexican Lasagna with Tortillas

Mexican Lasagna (aka taco lasagna) is a hearty dish with layers of flour tortillas, ground beef, salsa, cheese, and refried beans. It is so easy and flavorful that it will get rave reviews any time you serve it!

This Mexican lasagna recipe is assembled in a non traditional way, but it makes it much quicker and easier to put together!

 

My family really likes Mexican food, so we have it on a regular basis. This Mexican lasagna recipe is similar to enchiladas and is great served with shredded lettuce and sour cream, or a green salad. 

A TRIED AND TRUE TACO LASAGNA RECIPE

This recipe came from a cookbook my cousin Lexie gave me when I got married. It has been a family favorite for decades! In fact, all of my kids prefer this Mexican lasagna with tortillas to traditional lasagna.

 Even when my kids were little and we had some picky eaters, they would all clean their plates. I have taken it to potlucks, and delivered it to new moms, and it is always well received!

You can make it spicy or mild depending on the salsa you use. We love using homemade salsa that my mom bottles, but you can use your favorite store brand.

HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN LASAGNA

1. MEAT SAUCE – Brown the hamburger in a large skillet. Drain off the fat, then stir in diced tomatoes, salsa of your choice, and ground cumin. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer while you prepare the tortillas.
2. TORTILLA FILLING – Spread a thin layer of refried beans on each tortilla. Top with sliced olives and a bit of grated cheese. (You want to use about a cup of the cheese.) 
   
3. ASSEMBLE – Roll each tortilla up and place seam side down in a greased 9×13″ pan. After all of the filled tortillas are in the pan, pour the hot meat mixture over the top. Sprinkle the remaining two cups of cheese on top. 
   
4. BAKE – Cover pan with foil and place in an oven preheated to 350 degrees. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. You can remove the foil during the last 10 minutes if you want the top to get nicely browned.
5. GARNISH – The toppings really take this Mexican style lasagna over the top. We like sour cream, avocadoes, green onions, and olives on top with shredded lettuce on the side. You can pick whatever toppings your family likes!

I think it is a time saver that you can fill all the tortillas and put them in the pan while the sauce is cooking. But if you prefer the traditional lasagna layering method, you can spread the flour tortillas with filling, lay them flat in the pan, and spread meat mixture in between each layer.

TACO LASAGNA LEFTOVERS?

This taco lasagna will keep for 3-4 day in the refrigerator. We like heating individual portions in the microwave for 1 1/2- 2 minutes. 

You can also prep the entire pan and freeze it. I like to cover it with a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. It will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months.

Remember to remove the plastic wrap before baking! I recommend letting it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking. It will take 40-50 minutes because it is cold.

You can bake it frozen, but it can take up to 90 minutes to bake, so the edges sometimes dry out before the middle is cooked through. If you notice that it is getting dry, you can add a bit of water around the edges.

MEXICAN LASAGNE VARIATIONS:

• If you have people at your house that don’t like olives, you can leave them out. Love olives? Sprinkle more on top of the tex mex lasagna before baking.
• Love corn tortillas? You can use them in place of the flour tortillas.
• Add some corn either to the tortillas, or in the meaty sauce.
• Sprinkle some diced green or red pepper in the tortillas.
• Instead of using cheddar cheese, swap it out for pepper jack, colby, or any other cheese you love.

LOVE MEXICAN? TRY THESE TASTY MAIN DISH RECIPES:

• Ground Beef Enchiladas
• Salsa Chicken
• Chili Casserole
• Taco Pizza Recipe
• Chicken Flautas
• Mexican Corn Soup
• Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
• Chicken Fajita Rice
• Nacho Soup
• Taco Soup (with ranch dressing)

MEXICAN LASAGNA RECIPE

For a savory, cheesy, flavor packed meal the whole family will enjoy, give this easy Mexican lasagna recipe a try!