Mexican Lasagna

I’ve also seen this called Tortilla Pie or Layered Taco Casserole. Essentially Mexican Lasagna is layers of flour tortillas (like the lasagna noodles in regularly lasagna), and layers of cheese, beans, and beef, in between the tortilla layers.

I prefer using this Mexican Shredded Beef in this recipe. But ground beef with taco seasoning is perfectly fine if you have budget and time constraints, or aren’t keen on fancy and spicy meat.

This recipe has fed five hungry people in my family (three adults and two growing boys) with half of it remaining for leftovers for everyone.

Implements

• 9 x 13 baking pan / casserole dish
• Can opener
• Large frying pan (if you are making the ground beef layer instead of Mexican Shredded Beef)
• Medium pot (for the bean layer)
• Mixing bowl (for mixing the sour cream layer)

Ingredients

Beef layer:

I recommend Mexican Shredded Beef (my absolute favorite) but if you prefer ground beef, use the following ingredients.

• 1.5 pounds lean ground beef
• 2 TB olive oil
• 1.5 packets taco seasoning
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup enchilada sauce
• 1/4 cup water

Bean layer:

• 1 can (16 oz) refried beans
• 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
• 1 cup shredded cheddar (or Mexican blend) cheese

Sour cream layer:

• 1 large (16 oz) tub of sour cream
• 1 cup shredded Mexican blend (or cheddar) cheese, for the top
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or 1-2 TB of dried cilantro)

Additional ingredients:

• The remainder of a 10 ounce can of red enchilada sauce (1/4 cup was already used in the meat section)
• Flour tortillas, enough for four layers (so typically around 8-10 tortillas)
• Cooking spray (I prefer olive oil spray)
• 1 cup shredded Mexican blend (or cheddar) cheese, for the top
• A small handful of chopped cilantro or parsley

Instructions

To make the beef layer (if you are making the ground beef version):

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula, for 4-5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Stir in the taco seasoning until the meat and onions are thoroughly coated. Add the water and a small amount of enchilada sauce to the pan, stir and cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes until the mixture has thickened a bit.

To make the bean layer:

Heat up the refried beans, stir in the green chilis and their juice, and add about 1/4 cup water. The consistency should be thick but spreadable. If it gets too thick, add a little bit of water to the mixture. Once it is cooked and at a spreadable consistency, turn it all the way down to just keep it warm, and stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese.

To make the sour cream layer:

Mix sour cream with one cup of cheese and cilantro.

To assemble the dish:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray the 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray or a thin layer of olive oil to cover the bottom of the baking dish.

Put down the first layer of flour tortillas to cover the bottom of the dish. Cut them to size, if needed. Spread the bean mixture on top of the tortillas. Add another layer of tortillas to completely cover the bean layer. Top it with the meat layer. Add another layer of tortillas to completely cover the meat layer. Top it with the sour cream layer. Top the sour cream layer with the enchilada sauce and the remaining cup of cheese.

Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes depending on your oven and the level of browning you like. Remove the casserole from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes before cutting portions (like you would lasagna) and serving.

Some things you could potentially serve it with:

• Spanish rice
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Guacamole or fanned out avocado slices
• Chopped onion (white, yellow, red, or green–your call)

We tend to eat it just straight, but you could spruce it up for company or if someone is particularly hungry.