It's Game Day, and what better way to celebrate than with a delicious Mexican Lasagna? This hearty delight is sure to be a hit with your friends and family, and it couldn’t be easier to make. With just a few simple ingredients and some assembly, you can have a hearty and flavorful dish that the entire family will love.
Mexican Lasagna is the perfect game day dish because it can be made ahead of time and reheated when you're ready. It also pairs deliciously with game day favorites like salsa and chips, onion rings, fries, or really ‘anything fried.’ Fun, approachable, and satisfying, it's a great way to feed a crowd in a lighthearted party atmosphere.
It’s also super-intuitive to get creative with. On the one hand, you can fancy it up with specialty sausage or mixed chilis, while on the other hand it can be a fun way to use up leftovers or space ingredients. It’s also a great way to combine any of your favorite Mexican flavors or cheeses, such as cotija, Manchego, Oaxaca, or queso asadero,
So, if you're looking for your next game day favorite, why not give Mexican Lasagna a try? Read on for an ingredient list, tips and tricks, and some delicious pairing ideas.
Ingredient Checklist
- Ground Beef. The meat for today’s lasagna. Ground chuck is generally considered to be the best type of ground beef for lasagna. It has a higher fat content than ground sirloin, which helps to keep the lasagna moist and flavorful. Additionally, ground chuck has a slightly more robust flavor that pairs well with the other ingredients in the dish – particularly the tomatoes.
- Sweet Onions. I recommend sweet onions, though any type of onion will work for today’s recipe.
- Jalapenos. For spice and ‘chili flavor.’ Feel free to substitute your preferred chili pepper, however. If you're looking for a spicy alternative to jalapenos, you can try using Serrano peppers, Habanero peppers, or Thai peppers. All of these peppers are not only spicier than jalapenos, but also bring their own unique ‘chili’ or ‘pepper’ flavor. Yes, mixing the peppers is a delicious option!
- Garlic. Crush the garlic, and then mince it up fine.
- Bell Pepper. For added color and ‘pepper flavor.’ Here again, feel free to substitute in your preferred type of pepper.
- Beans. For today’s lasagna, I’d stick to red, black, or kidney beans, or Great Northern Beans, which are what I’m using today.
- Fresh Tomatoes. To give some extra moisture and ‘freshness’ to the sauce.
- Crushed Tomatoes. I recommend plain, crushed tomatoes as the base for the sauce.
- Scallions. For light oniony flavor and a dash of color.
- Cilantro. One of my favorite herbs. Fresh cilantro adds a bright and fragrant flavor to a recipe. It has a slightly sweet and grassy flavor that pairs well with a variety of Mediterranean and Spanish dishes. Cilantro is also a great way to add a pop of color to a dish as it can be sprinkled on top as a ‘garnishing herb.’
- Cheese. Mix and match to find your favorite. I’m using provolone, but consider trying today’s recipe cheddar, gouda, cotija, Manchego, queso asadero, or Oaxaca cheese.
- Olive Oil. For sautéing the meat and beans, and for use in the sauce. While you don’t need to go crazy here with a super-pricey oil, I do suggest – as always – using a decent extra virgin olive oil.
Tips for Making the Best Mexican Lasagna
- Get Creative with the meat. I’m using chop meat, but feel free to use the meat of your choice. Sausages, shredded steak, ground chicken, ground lamb, or ground pork would all work in today’s recipe.
- Pre-cook the meat. As described in the recipe, this will help remove excess fat and make the lasagna less greasy.
- Use a combination of cheeses. I’m using provolone as a matter of preference, but consider using a mix of Monterey Jack, cheddar, and/or mozzarella.
- Experiment with the spices. Add spices and mixes to taste. Combine things like your favorite variety of chili flakes with cumin, chili powder, and paprika will help make today’s recipe your own. Remember to taste as you go with the sauce.
- The tortillas. Here again, find the variety that’s right for you. For added texture, consider thicker tortillas such as sopes or gorditas. You might also consider using corn tortillas. Again, this is all a matter of preference.
- Let it rest. Let the lasagna rest for ‘at least’ 10 minutes before cutting and serving. This will help all the flavors meld together, as well as allowing the lasagna to ‘set’ ensuring that it holds its shape through cutting and serving.
- Top It. Consider topping the lasagna with fresh cilantro, avocado slices, or diced chilis to add flavor and contrast.
What to Eat with Mexican Lasagna
To really make your game day complete, considering pairing today’s Mexican Lasagna with some of our favorite game day sides.
- Jalapeno Poppers. Spicy jalapenos stuffed with a mix of blue cheese, parsley, and lemon, then fried to crisp perfection. These are must-have on Game Day.
- Street Corn. Sweet grilled corn is brushed with a creamy, mayo-based spread then seasoned with warm spices. Serve it with a squeeze of citrus and crumbled cotija for a delicious summer side.
- Rice Salad. A simple ginger and rice salad would provide nice contrast to the lasagna. Combining pickled ginger, roasted garlic, and honey, this salad is crisp and refreshing, and as a nice bonus it can be made ahead of time.
- Guacamole. This creamy dip is a great way to balance out the spiciness of the lasagna.
- Green Salad. A fresh green salad would be a perfect, and simple to prepare, side to today’s salad.
- Wine. You’re like me, there’s a wine for every occasion, including game day! For today’s recipe, I would suggest a dry Riesling or a Sauvignon Blanc. Both of these wines have a crisp, acidic flavor that will help to balance out the richness of the cheese and cut through the acidity of the sauce. These would also pair deliciously if you’re using sausage in the lasagna, such as spicy Italian sausage or chorizo.
Mexican Lasagna
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 2 sweet onions, sliced
- 2 small jalapenos, sliced with seeds
- 5 - 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, sliced
- 2 (15.8 oz. cans of Great Northern Beans) rinsed and drained
- 5 - 6 Roma tomatoes, sliced
- 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
- 6 scallions,chopped and divided
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish (stems removed and chopped)
- 12 oz. of sliced provolone cheese
- 2 - 3 tbs. of olive oil
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp. course black pepper
- 2 - 3 tbs. wine
- 18 - soft tortillas, grilled to slightly golden
Instructions
- Preheat Oven 350 degrees F.
- Grill the tortillas to a nice golden color.
- Combine all of the seasonings listed and divide in half.
- Heat a large cast iron frying pan and grill the ground beef. Drain any excess drippings and set the ground beef aside.
- Rinse and drain the beans and add to the cooked ground beef and toss.
- Heat a large cast iron frying pan with a tablespoon of olive oil and add the sliced onions, garlic and sliced peppers.
- Sprinkle the mixture with half of the seasoning mixture. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and the onions are slightly golden.
- Add the tomatoes, scallions and cilantro and continue to cook until the tomatoes and soften and incorporated into the onion and pepper mixture.
- Add the crushed tomatoes the rest of the seasoning mixture and the wine and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes on a gentle heat.
- Prepare the baking dish with olive oil.
- Line the bottom of a baking dish with tortillas.
- Spoon the meat and bean mixture over the tortillas followed by the sauce and finally slices of the provolone cheese.
- Repeat this process until the sauce and tortillas are used, ending with the cheese on top.
- Bake for 45 minutes until the dish is nice and golden.
- Let the dish rest for 10 - 12 minutes before slicing. Garnish with extra cilantro and chopped scallions.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Mexican
And that’s my game day Mexican Lasagna. I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I enjoyed bringing it to. If you have any questions or suggestions for this or other content, let us know in the comments below. We love hearing from you!
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Happy Cooking, and have a great game day!
1
DAVID J MYERS says
Catherine, Mexican lasagna is a new concept for me! Very interesting...wonder if I could do something a bit different with chorizo... Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Chad says
This lasagna looks out of this world!!! I can't wait to make your recipe, I can't can't wait!!! Looks amazing....
beth says
I love to collect recipes and this will be added for sure. I love this easy Mexican Lasagna
Rhian Westbury says
I've never heard of Mexican lasagne, but the flavours sound really nice. Although I'd probably skip the jalapenos as I am no good with spice x
Yeah Lifestyle says
I love lasagna and used this recipe as I wanted to try Mexican lasagna, it is my new favourite recipe and tastes so good.
Janice says
This lasagna looks so delicious, my mouth is watering, while browsing through it. For sure, I will try this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Yaya says
What an interesting recipe! If one is new at making Mexican cuisine it may be a creative way to start.
Jupiter Hadley says
I've had traditional lasagna but have never had a mexican version! This is such a unique and interesting idea! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Jasmine Martin says
I absolutely love lasagna, but I've never had Mexican lasagna before. I am going to have to make this because Mexican food and lasagna are my favorites!
Sean says
Ok so here is the thing...this was delicious. I had not even thought to make a lasagna like this and I am so glad I did.
Bernice says
Fabulous recipe! I had so many tortillas in the fridge and a huge chunk of cotija. This was the perfect recipe to use them up in and the whole family loved it too.
Gloria says
Love the Mexican twist on the classic lasagna. My family will love this on our next themed dinner night.
Ann says
Excited to give this lasagna a try! I am feeling a little bored with my usual lasagna recipe, so excited to try out this Mexican lasagna!
Elizabeth says
This sounds like a great twist to the classic lasagna recipe. I plan on making this for our next pasta night!
Jessica says
I love this recipe! So easy and flexible with ingredients you have on hand. The cilantro is my favorite, and I added a bit of queso fresco at the end. So good!
Christy says
This is the recipe I wish I had for Superbowl! I'm going to save this one for next sports watching party we have. I couldn't think of a better supper to feed a small crowd of sports fans!
Veronika says
I made this lasagna yesterday and my whole family loved it! Was very easy to prep and we all loved the flavor 😉
Pam says
I made this for a get-together and everyone loved it better than regular lasagna! I love that you can vary it so easily!
Tristin says
This is going into our weekly dinner rotation! This was a favorite for the whole fam!