Mexican Lasagna – Comfort Food with a Spicy Twist!

Favorite comfort with a South-of-the-Border twist, Mexican Lasagna has the ooey gooey texture we love with a spicy bite and warming earthy flavors. Can be made regular or gluten-free!

Lasagna is a universal comfort food. Layers of soft rippling pasta, creamy ricotta cheese, ground beef in a savory tomato sauce.

This recipe for Mexican Lasagna is that AND a whole lot more. Spicy chorizo sausage, black beans, fire roasted tomatoes and green chilies. That’s just the start of this cheesy delight.

It’s all the things you love about Mexican food AND lasagna rolled up into one comfort food favorite.

Recipe Ingredients Notes

Lasagna Noodles. Regular or gluten-free noodles can be used.

Roasted Green Chilies or Hatch Chilies. Use freshly roasted chopped green chilies OR canned fire roasted green chilies. Anaheim chile peppers are recommended.

Mexican Chorizo Sausage. Use loose or bulk chorizo not the hard Spanish chorizo.

Mexican Cheese blend. Prepared cheese blend or homemade can be used. To make your own blend, finely grate equal parts of mild cheddar, Monterey jack and Colby cheeses.

What are Hatch Green Chilies?

Hatch Green Chilies are grown in the Hatch Valley in New Mexico.

They are closest to an Anaheim chile, slightly less spicy than a jalapeno. They are seasonal and harvested between August and September.

You can find canned roasted Hatch Chilies at the grocery store in the ethnic food section. They are also available to order from places like the The Hatch Chile Store.

Pro Tip: Don’t Pre-Boil the Lasagna Noodles!

Our method ensures soft, perfectly cooked lasagna noodles every time without boiling the pasta first. Details in recipe card below.

How to Store Lasagna Leftovers

Refrigerator

Fully cool the lasagna, seal the top with plastic wrap. Cooling first prevents the lasagna from becoming soggy. Store for 3 to 5 days.

Freezer

1. Fully cool lasagna. It can also be chilled in the refrigerator to make slicing easier.
2. Cut into individual portions.
3. Double wrap with plastic wrap. 
4. Place the portions in the freezer in a single layer to freeze.
5. Once frozen they can be placed together in a freezer plastic bag or container for additional protection.
6. Freeze up to 3 months.

How to Reheat Leftover Lasagna

Reheat lasagna in the microwave in single portion servings. For frozen lasagna thaw in the microwave (on Defrost cycle) or in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave. 

More Mexican Inspired Recipes You’ll Love!

• Easy Mexican Chicken Casserole
• Spicy Shredded Pork Breakfast Tostadas
• Mexican Green Chile Steak Soup (Cadillo)
• Slow Cooker Carnitas & Carnitas Tacos

Recipe

Mexican Lasagna

Perhaps the best loved comfort food is taken up a notch with a no-boil noodle trick making it all the easier to prepare. In addition changing the flavors to feature spicy Mexican seasonings brings an welcome surprise to any dinner table or football party!

5 from 17 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings: 12 servings (or more depending on size cut)

Calories: 555kcal

Author: Toni Dash

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 package Lasagna Noodles (regular or gluten-free)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• ▢ ½ large Yellow Onion , peeled and chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup canned or freshly chopped Roasted Green Chilies , skinned/seeded chopped (Hatch Chilies recommended)
• ▢ ½ pound Lean (95% fat free) Ground Beef
• ▢ ¾ pound fresh ground Chorizo Sausage Mexican Chorizo not Spanish Chorizo
• ▢ 1 15-ounce can Black Beans , drained and rinsed
• ▢ 1 25.5-ounce jar Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce
• ▢ 1 cup Medium-heat Salsa
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground Cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground Black Pepper
• ▢ 1 15-ounce container Ricotta Cheese
• ▢ 2 ½ cups Mexican Cheese blend
• ▢ 1 ¼ cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• ▢ 1/3 cup hot water

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a large skillet heat the oil over high heat and add onions. Stir while cooking until onions are translucent.
• Add the chopped green or Hatch Chilies; sauté two minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium-high and add the ground beef and chorizo sausage. Using a spatula break up meat into smaller pieces while sautéing. Cook until no red or raw pieces of meat are left.
• Add the black beans; stir to combine.
• Pour in the tomato sauce, salsa, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir to fully combine and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

Assembling the Mexican Lasagna

• Spoon one third of the sauce mixture into the bottom of 13 x 9 x 3 inch baking pan. Spread to evenly cover the bottom of the baking dish.
• On top of the sauce, place four uncooked lasagna noodles (there will be space between them). Note: I place three noodles lengthwise and break the fourth to fit horizontally in the spot between the end of the other noodles and edge of the baking dish.
• Spread half of the ricotta cheese on the noodles (will be thin coverage). Sprinkle evenly with 1 ¼ cups Mexican Cheese blend.
• Spread another 1/3 of the sauce on top of the cheese and repeat Steps 2 and 3 above.
• Place last four noodles on top of layered lasagna and cover with the remaining one third of the sauce.
• Gently pour the 1/3 cup hot water around the inside edges of the baking dish (between the noodles and inside edge of the baking dish).

Cooking the Lasagna

• Cover tightly with two pieces of heavy duty foil. Bake for 50 minutes.
• Remove the lasagna from oven and remove the foil. Cover with 1 ¼ cups cheddar cheese and place back in the oven to cook uncovered an additional 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

*Chilies can vary incredibly in heat from mild to very hot! Always taste a bit of the chile to determine the heat level to adjust the recipe accordingly. Wash hands thoroughly when working with chilies, do not touch eyes or any mucus membranes; wear vinyl gloves if available.

If Hatch chilies are not available, substitute home roasted Anaheim chilies or canned green chilies.

Mexican Cheese Blend: purchased from the dairy department with other packaged grated cheeses, or home grated combination of cheddar, Monterey Jack and Colby cheeses.

Nutrition

Calories: 555kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 1356mg | Potassium: 716mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 844IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 354mg | Iron: 3mg

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Originally published: September 7, 2014