Taco Lasagna
This Taco Lasagna recipe is so easy and is a casserole that freezes well. When Mexican food meets Italian you get layers of pasta, salsa, seasoned taco meat and lots and lots of cheese. It has only 7 ingredients and is a crowd pleasing cheesy Mexican dinner! This recipe is great topped with some homemade guacamole and pico de gallo.
(Originally posted 2014)
TACO LASAGNA
I was talking to my sister on the phone the other day and she said, “Geez. You’re such a Pinterest mom.”
Her comment spawned from the fact that I had Super Glued some quarters on our sidewalk for April Fool’s Day. Umm…pretty sure that wasn’t on Pinterest. And I can’t say it was just for the kids because I enjoyed every second of watching people try to pick them up.
Oh and I put salt in their toothbrushes. Which turns out backfired completely because now they never want to brush their teeth.
I love the ideas that flow on Pinterest but if an idea takes more than 10 minutes…20 max, I’m out. So if you want to call me a Pinterest mom then you’re right. I’m a 10 minute Pinterest mom.
I’ve found that my kids really appreciate the small little things that make the holidays fun and it doesn’t have to be elaborate.
I cannot leave the grocery store without forgetting at least one thing on my list. I’ll even remember after I’ve loaded all of the kids in the car and can’t bring myself to go back in. Simple recipes are the only way to go for me.
I made a huge feast for Cinco De Mayo last year and my family looked at me like I was crazy. So I might stick to something easy like this this year.
This taco lasagna could not be more simple. I was skeptical that with such few ingredients that the flavor would be good but it came together nicely.
WHAT IS TACO LASAGNA?
Unlike other Mexican lasagnas that use tortillas, this one actually uses lasagna noodles making it a true lasagna. I like the one with tortillas too but to me those are called layered enchiladas.
Mix a little ricotta with an egg for your lasagna-ness.
Start by layering 4 lasagna noodles. You can boil the noodles or use the no-boil noodles like I did. There’s a fine line between lazy and efficient and I like dancing on it.
Spread your ricotta mixture over the noodles.
Sprinkle a layer of taco meat on top.
The sauce in this Taco Lasagna is your favorite salsa.
Sprinkle a good helping of cheese on top. Then repeat the layers twice. See! So easy.
Another great thing about this Taco Lasagna is that it freezes great!
HOW TO MAKE TACO LASAGNA
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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In a large skillet, brown beef until no longer pink. Drain meat and add the taco seasoning. Stir until combined and set aside.
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In a small bowl, add the egg and ricotta and stir until combined.
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In a 9×13 baking dish, start by layering 4 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Next, layer 1/3 of the ricotta, 1/3 of the beef mixture, 1/3 of the salsa, and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat the layers 2 more times.
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Bake covered for 30-40 minutes or until the casserole has heated through and is bubbly. Let casserole stand 10 minutes before cutting. Top with sour cream, sliced green onions, and diced tomatoes if desired.
OTHER PASTA RECIPES:
- Faux Lasagna
- Unstuffed Shells Casserole
- Easy Taco Bake
- Skillet Baked Ziti
- Peanut Noodles
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Skillet
- Taco Pasta
- Taco Pasta Salad
Taco Lasagna
Ingredients
- 12 oven ready lasagna noodles, (see note)
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 (1-oz.) package Old El Paso taco seasoning
- 1 egg
- 1 (15-oz.) carton ricotta cheese
- 4 cups 1 lb. shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 (24-oz.) jar chunky salsa
- Optional toppings: sour cream, green onions, diced tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large skillet, brown beef until no longer pink. Drain meat and add the taco seasoning. Stir until combined and set aside.
- In a small bowl, add the egg and ricotta and stir until combined.
- In a 9x13 baking dish, start by layering 4 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Next, layer 1/3 of the ricotta, 1/3 of the beef mixture, 1/3 of the salsa, and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat the layers 2 more times.
- Bake covered for 30-40 minutes or until the casserole has heated through and is bubbly. Let casserole stand 10 minutes before cutting. Top with sour cream, sliced green onions, and diced tomatoes if desired.
Hello! I can’t stomach riccota/cottage cheese. Is there something I can use instead? Maybe liquid nacho cheese?
That would be great!
A egg and parmesan cheese mixture. The Ricotta/ cottage cheese is used as a binder to hold it together. I think the liquid cheese would do the opposite. I have always used the egg/ parm mix as I don’t like Ricotta or cottage cheese. I also use sour cream in random places throughout as it’s hard to spread. Amazing!
I’m trying this but my fiancé can’t stomach tomatoes of any kind, I used taco sauce instead of salsa. I really hope this comes out good
Taco sauce is made from, in part, tomatoes.
So I made this and instead of topping it with tomatoes I made a pico de gallo(onions, tomato’s, cilantro, jalapenos, avocado, and lime juice) and used that as another layer and it was so amazing thank you for the recipe the wife and kids loved it!!!!!
Awesome to hear!
I made these with the noodles you suggested and they’re legit crispy.. is that normal??! Are they supposed to be hard like a tortilla?
Nope! Did you seal it tight with foil and bake it long enough. They should not be crispy!
I added 2 cans of black beans and spread them in on each layer. Yum. Next time I’ll try some jalapeños.
Yum!
I’ve tried this twice now and both times the cooking time is WAY longer than stated in the recipe. What am I doing wrong?
Every oven is different so it will vary.
Would I be able to make this all the way to step 4 and then pop it into the fridge until later that night when it was closer to dinner time?
Yes, totally!
This was definitely a hit with my family . They literally ate every single bite . Easy to make delicious to taste.
So happy to hear that!
Would this still taste good without the Ricotta? Is there something you could sub for it?
Cottage cheese is a good sub.
This was soo good and easy to assemble. I didn’t change anything about the recipe but went for a spicier salsa (El Pinto-Hot) and used spicy taco seasoning! I had to cook mine for a bit longer than the recipe stated.
I was sceptical, not sure why, but made this because I was pressed for time and we needed to feed children and adults. It was so good, I was honestly surprised. All ages enjoyed it bi made it as written, no changes. I think it was a refreshing change from Italian traditional lasagna, with a much lighter feel. You do good work, Christy, and I want to thank you.
You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!
This is a favorite in our house! It’s awesome to give to those who we would like to send a meal to also. It always gets rave reviews!
Yes, I agree. Great for taking in!
On a Keto diet. What would you use instead of the lasagna noodles?
Thanks
It was delicious.. made it with corn tortillas and refried beans..made my own taco seasoning, Instead of scallions and sour cream on top, I️ put a some in the refried beans and put dots of sour cream on top of the layer of beans…also used as a toping, taste just as good without.
Thanks for making!
I’ve tried this twice now, and both times it has come out delicious! There is never even any leftovers because my family finishes the whole pan each time, it never fails to delight! Great for dinner or potlucks & it’s fun to make.
Thank you Emily!
I made this last week and it was AMAZING! My GF and I loved it. Thanks!
Thank you!
Loved this! I still bought regular lasagna noodles and it was still very quick and easy to make, yet delicious. My boyfriend and I loved it
Yay!! love hearing that.
So yummy!!
Such a huge hit!. And with pickie eatters in my home thats hard to do and to top it off my husband don’t like ricotta,
But he loved it so much her had 2 very big servings and my 4 year old had 2 servings as will.
Love hearing that!
This is such yummy goodness!
I mixed fresh salsa with enchilada sauce. Assembled the lasagna as specified, but used regular lasagna noodles and added water to just below the edge of the pan so no cooking the noodles prior to baking 😉
Love your tips Theresa.
This is basically regular lasagna…only thing taco about it is the meat! If you want an easy Mexican Lasagna, Try layering Salsa, flour tortillas, refried beans, cooked taco meat, shredded cheese and then top after baking top with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and sprinkle with cheese. Now THATS mexican lasagna. Easy and so good!
Yes, I’ve had that version too. This has salsa as the sauce also.
I specifically wanted to use no bake lasagna noodles NOT tortillas. So for us, this is exactly the kind of Mexican lasagna we were looking for! Otherwise I would of followed a completely different recipe… thank you for a great Mexican Lasagna with Lasagna noodles!
Could you use picante sauce rather than salsa
Yes, that works!
Loved this! So easy to make too!
Thank you!
This was so delicious, and the leftovers were just as good. Going into my recipe book for sure, thank you for sharing!
Thanks April. I love hearing that.
I have never purchased no-boil noodles but have never boiled the noodles to make my classic lasagna, never had any under cooked noodles.
Nina,
I think you’re right! It should be fine with regular.
Looks great but going to change it to Red Chili instead of salsa. Looks yummy!! Thanks
I made this dish tonight and we all really liked it! I was considering subbing tortillas for the noodles in the early planning stages, but so glad I didn’t. (You were right to note that the tortilla version and this lasagna version are actually different casseroles. And each is good for different reasons. Subbing the tortillas seems like an obvious choice, but that doesn’t improve this recipe, it changes it. This is a keeper–a reliable choice to surprise a friend in need or welcome home a college student. It’s so tasty!!
I will note the following additions that we enjoyed. I added 1 TBS of dried oregano and 1 TBS of chipotle lime seasoning to the ricotta layer; I used part jalapeño jack cheese and also added finely chopped onions to the cheese layer with good success. (And I did bake it longer to ensure the onions cooked.)
Thanks for an inspiring and reliable recipe!
You’re so welcome and thank you for your notes! I appreciate it.