With layers of healthy corn tortillas alternated with sauce, beans, beef, and yummy, melted cheese, Mexican Lasagna is a great crowd-pleaser. It’s super-easy to fix up, too.
Mexican Lasagna is my family’s favorite Mexican meal. That’s because every single bite is full of tortillas, cheese, salsa, seasoned ground beef, and black beans. It’s beyond delicious and makes you look like the best chef at the next PTA potluck, too.
The great thing about Mexican Lasagna is that it’s actually easier to prep, cook, and clean up than tacos. That’s because, with tacos, you have to fill up bowls of fixins to suit everyone’s tastes and have warm tortillas on hand. You end up dirtying about 18 pots, pans, and serving dishes.
Forget that! With this lasagna, there’s only ONE pot to prep, cook, and serve in, saving you loads of time in the kitchen. And that spells more time with the family!
Is Mexican Lasagna Healthy?
Mexican Lasagna can be healthy—as long as you choose your ingredients wisely. That means, eating clean and free of chemicals and hormones. By doing so, you’ll protect your family from a long list of diseases and debilitating conditions. Corn tortillas, for instance, can be packed with flavor—as long as you choose organic and get that chemical-laden flour out of the diet.
How To Make Healthier Mexican Lasagna
Ground beef is good for you. It’s full of a long list of B vitamins, almost half your recommended daily amount. It’s also got calcium and lycopene coming from the cheese and tomatoes. But what you don’t need coming into the body are chemicals like hormones or artificial flavorings or colorings; so, try to eat grass-fed ground beef whenever you can.
I actually found a lot of my grass-fed beef suppliers by calling or visiting local food banks to volunteer my food or my time and ask them about the kind people that donate meat—because they do! And I found three grass-fed beef purveyors near me with their own farms. I got to talk to them and get to know them and quiz them on their use or lack thereof of pesticides and whatnot. These people introduced me to my egg suppliers, my chicken suppliers, my natural dog-food suppliers. The best bit is, all these people are local. So many people are trying to eat as healthy as possible these days, so talk to everyone you can. And check out social apps for ways to contact them. Eating well doesn’t have to mean going broke.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/4 cup homemade taco seasoning (or low-sodium store-bought)
- 1/2 cup water
- 14 1/2 ounces of no-salt-added fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 4 ounces chopped green chilies
- 15 ounces low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
- 18 corn tortillas
- 6 cups shredded reduced-fat cheese blend
- 1 medium tomato, diced for garnish
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced for garnish
- Low-fat sour cream, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9×13-inch casserole dish with a light coating of non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and onion over medium heat until the beef is no longer pink and the onions are tender.
- Add the minced garlic to the skillet, stirring for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Mix in the taco seasoning and water, stirring until the beef mixture is evenly coated with the seasoning.
- Fold in the diced tomatoes with their juices, green chilies, and black beans, and warm the mixture through.
- Create the first layer by arranging 6 corn tortillas in the bottom of the casserole dish, slightly overlapping.
- Spoon one-third of the beef mixture over the tortillas and sprinkle with 2 cups of cheese.
- Repeat the layering process with the remaining tortillas, beef mixture, and cheese, ending with cheese on top.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the cheese has melted.
- Garnish the baked casserole with diced tomatoes and green onions, then let it rest for 10 minutes to set before slicing.
- Serve warm with a dollop of low-fat sour cream on each portion.
FAQs & Tips
This Mexican Lasagna can be kept for three days in the fridge and four months in the freezer. So make two. Or three!
Leave out the meat and use instead black beans, pinto beans, or mushrooms and cheese!
Queso drizzled on top, guacamole on the side, perhaps a hot corn relish—all of these are great ideas.
Serving Suggestions
Have a big Mexican feast! Try this with my Chipotle Lime Mexican Coleslaw and some of our Keto Fresas con Crema for dessert.
Mexican Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/4 cup homemade taco seasoning (or low-sodium store-bought)
- 1/2 cup water
- 14.5 ounces no-salt-added fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 4 ounces chopped green chilies
- 15 ounces low-sodium black beans drained and rinsed
- 18 corn tortillas
- 6 cups shredded reduced-fat cheese blend
- 1 medium tomato diced for garnish
- 1 bunch green onions sliced for garnish
- low-fat sour cream for serving
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9×13-inch casserole dish with a light coating of non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and onion over medium heat until the beef is no longer pink and the onions are tender.
- Add the minced garlic to the skillet, stirring for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Mix in the taco seasoning and water, stirring until the beef mixture is evenly coated with the seasoning.
- Fold in the diced tomatoes with their juices, green chilies, and black beans, and warm the mixture through.
- Create the first layer by arranging 6 corn tortillas in the bottom of the casserole dish, slightly overlapping.
- Spoon one-third of the beef mixture over the tortillas and sprinkle with 2 cups of cheese.
- Repeat the layering process with the remaining tortillas, beef mixture, and cheese, ending with cheese on top.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the cheese has melted.
- Garnish the baked casserole with diced tomatoes and green onions, then let it rest for 10 minutes to set before slicing.
- Serve warm with a dollop of low-fat sour cream on each portion.
Leave a Comment