As a food blogger, I often get asked how I come up with recipe ideas. I have to admit, sometimes I get stuck. Especially when it comes to making fast, easy recipes. So I started a facebook group to help share and get ideas for super easy, but still healthy and wholesome recipes (by the way, you should join it!). A quick question to the group asking what their favorite fast, easy dinner recipes were yielded this suggestion from my cousin: Mexican Lasagna! I knew I had to make it ASAP- a simple combination of layered tortillas, salsa, beans, and cheese, popped in the oven and baked until bubbly. This recipe is SO easy, fresh, and healthy- you’re whole family will love it! In this post, I’ll explain how to make this Mexican lasagna, provide ingredient substitution suggestions (including suggestions for adding meat, if you prefer), explain how to make it ahead of time, and how to make migas with the leftovers.
How to make Mexican Lasagna
This Mexican Lasagna recipe is a cinch to make, especially because you don’t have to pre-cook anything! Other similar recipes require you to sauté vegetables or meat, or cook lasagna noodles before assembling. Not this one! First, you’ll need to prep your veggies and corn tortillas. Make sure to finely dice the onions, as they are added as a raw ingredient and can overpower if they are too large. If you aren’t a fan of raw onions, see below for a substitution suggestion. Quarter the tortillas so you can make sure to layer them all the way to the corners of the baking dish- if you leave them round, you won’t be able to get them all the way into the corners or layer them evenly. You also want to make sure you drain and rinse the beans very well. This will help make them more digestible, especially if you are sensitive to legumes.
Next, you’ll layer all of the ingredients in a baking dish. The size of the baking dish doesn’t really matter, but you should use a larger one. Mine was about 8 by 10 inches. If you use a larger one, you may need more corn tortillas (see recipe note for more information on this). Start with a thin layer of salsa. Then, add half of the corn tortillas on top, followed by half of everything else. The beans, frozen corn, bell pepper, onion, and cilantro go first, followed by the salsa and the cheese. Then, repeat starting with the corn tortillas one more time, ending with the cheese.
Finally, bake it in the oven at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes total. I baked it covered with foil for the first 30 minutes, which helps it heat through without drying it out or browning the cheese too quickly. For the last 15 minutes, I uncovered it. I recommend serving it with extra red onion and cilantro, sliced avocado, sour cream, and a squeeze of lime juice. Delicious!
Ingredient Substitutions and adding Meat
The thing I love about this recipe is how versatile it is. You can easily add or substitute ingredients to your liking! If you want meat: I recommend adding shredded rotisserie chicken or browned beef seasoned with taco seasoning, or replacing the beans with it. Yum! If you don’t like raw onions: The onions and peppers get cooked a little bit while it bakes, but they definitely still are a bit crunchy. You can easily sauté the onions and peppers in oil or butter before adding them, which will make them tender and have less of a raw bite. If you do this, I recommend doubling the amount and slicing them rather than dicing them. Other veggies: You can add zucchini or summer squash, spinach, or sweet potato, to this lasagna, too! Be sure to cook them beforehand, as the zucchini or spinach will be too watery and the sweet potato will not cook completely if added raw. Tortillas: Instead of corn tortillas, you can use flour if you prefer, or even cooked traditional lasagna noodles. Salsa: Use enchilada sauce instead of salsa, if you want! (here’s a great homemade chipotle enchilada sauce recipe.)
Make Ahead Instructions
This Mexican Lasagna is easy to make ahead of time. You can store it assembled in your refrigerator for about 4 days- just bake as directed. You can also freeze it for up to three months, tightly covered. I recommend completely defrosting it before baking.
What to do with the Mexican Lasagna leftovers
You can reheat the leftovers, which makes them great to take for meal prep lunches. Take them in a container for lunch to work and reheat in the microwave. But I have another suggest: you can use the leftovers to make migas! Migas are basically scrambled eggs with stuff added to them, usually pieces of tortillas, veggies, or meat (aka, Mexican leftovers). You can make migas from the leftovers by sautéing some of the leftovers in a skillet in butter or oil until they’re heated, breaking them up as you go, and adding beaten eggs to it and scrambling until they’re fully cooked. Top with salsa, cheese, avocado, and the like.
Try these other easy Mexican-Inspired recipes:
Mexican Risotto with Sweet Corn and Cotija Cheese Tex Mex Tuna Melts Mexican Roasted Zucchini Mexican Baked Beans with Chorizo Fiesta Chicken Salad Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad Chicken and Corn Enchilada Casserole Healthy Mexican Sweet Potato Skins (from Pinch of Yum)
Did you make this Easy Mexican Lasagna? Please comment below and Rate this Recipe!
