Mexican Lasagna

If Mexican food and Italian lasagna are two of your favorites, you are going to LOVE this Mexican lasagna! The layers of crunchy tortillas, juicy rotisserie chicken, healthy pinto beans, and melted cheese are irresistibly delicious. It’s an easy make-ahead dish that also freezes beautifully. Wait until you try this recipe, it is truly a crowd-pleaser. Perfect for your next potluck!

Find the full recipe at the end of this post.

What is Mexican Lasagna?

After having tostadas one night on the farm (one of my favorite Mexican dishes), my husband and I started discussing other possible uses for the delicious crunchy corn tortillas we love so much. Also, known as tostadas. That’s when it hit us! What about layering them? Our tastebuds took over from there and the next thing I knew I was making notes to create my first ever, Mexican lasagna. It’s a mouthwatering twist on Italian lasagna.

In Mexican lasagna, the crunchy tostadas replace the noodles, rotisserie chicken replaces the sausage or ground beef, a creamy sauce takes the place of marinara sauce, and cheddar cheese is substituted for mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. All the ingredients are layered in a pan and baked until bubbly. This is sure to become a family favorite!

How to Make Mexican Lasagna

Wait until you see how easy this dish is to make! First, in a cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, occasionally stirring, until the onion is soft. Stir in garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook for a minute. Transfer the onions, garlic, and spices to a bowl and let them cool.

Next, in a large bowl, stir together the soups, broth, chicken, beans, tomatoes, and chilis until they are well combined.

Then, spread one-third of the chicken mixture in the bottom of the skillet. Sprinkle with cheese. Lay the tostadas on top, overlapping them a bit around the skillet. Repeat the layers once. Spread the remaining chicken mixture onto the second layer of tostadas, and sprinkle it with the rest of the cheese.

Finally, bake the Mexican lasagna for about 25-30 minutes until it’s hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted. Let it cool for about 10-15 minutes before serving.

Serve it with chopped tomato, chopped green onion, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, and sliced jalapeños (pickled or fresh). Mexican lasagna is also delicious with a dollop of sour cream or guacamole on top. 

Recipe Variations

• It’s no secret that rotisserie chicken is my favorite cheat in any recipe that calls for chicken in it. However, you can also replace the chicken in this recipe with ground beef or even better- Easy Slow Cooker Carnitas. If you do replace the chicken for beef or pork, I like to use another can of cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup in place of the cream of chicken soup. I also suggest replacing the chicken broth with beef or vegetable broth.

• Although Mexican lasagna can be made in a 9X9 baking dish, I prefer to make it in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. It makes for very easy clean-up.
• I use pinto beans in my Mexican lasagna, but you can also use black beans. Both types of beans are equally delicious.
• The recipe calls for cheddar cheese, but a Mexican blend is also perfect to use in this dish. Looking to add some extra spice? Consider using Pepper Jack cheese.
• As I mentioned earlier, I love tostadas. However, if you prefer flour tortillas you can use them instead. Soft corn tortillas can also be used, but they tend to break apart during baking. Tostadas hold up great. 
• Serve Mexican lasagna as is, or top each serving with a dollop of sour cream, fresh guacamole, sliced fresh avocado, chopped fresh tomato, green onions, and/or sliced (pickled or fresh) jalapeño.

Can Mexican Lasagna be Made Ahead of Time? (And How to Store it)

Mexican lasagna is so easy to make ahead of time. It can be made up to 1 day ahead and chilled (covered) in the refrigerator. Before baking, let it stand on the counter until it reaches room temperature or add 15 minutes to the baking time (to account for cooking the dish cold).

I serve Mexican lasagna with a scoop of Mexican rice on the side and a tossed green salad. It also makes delicious leftovers! Serve some for breakfast with a fried egg on top or reheat it for lunch the next day. 

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do here on the farm! Bon appetit.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Mexican Lasagna

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

If Mexican food and Italian lasagna are two of your favorites, you are going to LOVE this Mexican lasagna! The layers of crunchy tortillas, juicy rotisserie chicken, healthy pinto beans, and melted cheese are irresistibly delicious. It's an easy make-ahead dish that also freezes beautifully.

Print

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (10- ounce) can cream of celery soup
• 1 (10- ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 1 (10- ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilis, drained
• 1 (4- ounce) can diced green chilis, drained
• 1 (15- ounce) can pinto beans, drained
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
• 12-14 corn tostadas
• Chopped tomato, chopped green onion, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, and pickled or fresh jalapeño slices, to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, occasionally stirring, until the onion is soft, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook for 1 minute. Transfer the onions, garlic, and spices to a bowl and let them cool.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the soups, broth, chicken, beans, tomatoes, and chilis until well combined.
4. Spread one-third of the chicken mixture in the bottom of the skillet. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of cheese. Lay 6-7 tostadas on top, overlapping them a bit around the skillet. Repeat the layers once. Spread the remaining chicken mixture onto the second layer of tostadas, and sprinkle it with the rest of the cheese.
5. Bake until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted for about 25-30 minutes. Let the Mexican lasagna cool for about 10-15 minutes before serving.
6. Serve with tomato, green onion, cilantro, avocado, and jalapeños.*

Notes

* You can also serve it with a dollop of sour cream or guacamole if you like.

If you love this Mexican recipe, you may also love my recipe for Mexican Chicken Soup.