This easy Tex-Mex casserole recipe is travel-friendly and perfect for potlucks! Gooey layers of cheese, tortillas, ground beef, and refried beans make this simple bake one of my favorites.
Table of Contents
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Cheesy, meaty, and packed with flavor! Best of all it's picky eater friendly!
- It only takes about 5 minutes to assemble (if you start with cooked ground meat) and 20 to cook through so it's great for weeknights. Best of all you can make it ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze for batch cooking.
- Always grate cheese from a block rather than buying the pre-grated kind. It makes a difference in how it melts.
Mexican lasagna is prepared kind of like a traditional Italian lasagna recipe, but with a major TexMex twist! Sometimes called Taco Lasagna, this family favorite is hearty and satisfying.
If you like Tex-Mex casseroles try this baked burrito casserole next.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Instead of beef, use another ground meat (like ground turkey, chicken, or pork.)
- To add some more texture, and make your meal "stretch" even more, add some corn kernels or chopped red bell peppers to the meat mixture.
- If you like them better, you can use soft flour tortillas in this recipe. However, the flour tortillas will get soft and mushy.
- You can also use leftover tortilla chips in place of the layers of tortillas.
- Try a smoked Cheddar, Gouda, Pepper Jack, or Monterey Jack cheese instead of the Mexican cheese blend called for in the recipe.
- Have some leftover bean dip? Use it in place of the refried beans.
- Don't forget to garnish with sour cream, guacamole, shredded lettuce, and green onions before serving.
Tex-Mex is my favorite comfort food. Sour cream chicken enchilada casserole is another one of my favorites for busy weeks.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
In a large skillet, brown meat and add seasoning and diced tomatoes.
Blend cream cheese and salsa.
Layer.
Bake.
How to layer Mexican lasagna
Layer tortillas over salsa and add olives and cilantro.
Cover with refried beans then meat mixture.
Add cream cheese mixture then grated cheese.
Repeat layers ending with the tortillas topped with grated cheese.
🤫 Cook's secrets -
The cream cheese and salsa will be MUCH easier to mix together if you let it come to room temperature or warm slightly in the microwave before whipping.
🍴 Equipment
- 13x9-inch casserole dish
- skillet
- hand held electric mixer
- measuring cups and spoons
🥫 How to store leftovers
To save and store baked casserole leftovers, be sure to cover the dish with plastic wrap or seal it in an airtight container. You can get away with using aluminum foil if you're only refrigerating it for a day or two.
If you're freezing it cover with plastic wrap and then seal with aluminum foil.
This Mexican lasagna recipe will last for five days in the refrigerator, or for about three months in the freezer!
To reheat
To reheat, pop it back into the oven and bake until warmed through.
The bake time will be longer from frozen, but it'll taste just as good. (You can always pull it out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge for a day to expedite the process.)
For smaller portions, just microwave it!
To assemble ahead of time
Cheesy Mexican lasagna is a super easy recipe to batch, too. Make it ahead of time for busy nights, emergency meals, freezer meals for family/friends, potlucks, and more.
It's so good you'll be thankful to have one ready to go at a moment's notice!
After preparing the casserole, but before baking, you can store it the same way mentioned above.
If it's only refrigerated, you can bake it as indicated on the recipe card.
To thaw
If it's frozen, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed OR bake it for 1-½ hours straight from frozen! Easy, cheesy!
Marye's Tip
Let the Mexican lasagna sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes before serving it to cut neat slices. If you cut into it while too hot, the slices won't hold together as well.
💭 Things to know
- Warm refried beans spread much more easily than cold. So, if you're having some trouble spreading them easily, pop the beans in the microwave for a minute or two.
- Pre-shredded cheese is usually coated with a bit of an anti-caking agent, so it doesn't end up melting together as well. For the meltiest cheese string pulls worthy of Instagram, shred the cheese yourself.
- Corn tortillas work best in this recipe.
👩🍳 FAQs
Yep! This is a great recipe for a reason. It's very forgiving. Substitute your favorite non-dairy cheeses if you must. It might not look as melty after baking, but dairy-free is still delicious!
This is a gluten-free casserole as long as you use corn tortillas and check all ingredients (such as the taco seasoning) for hidden gluten.
I can't predict how long it takes someone else to make something - I can only tell you how long it takes me. I keep cooked ground beef in the freezer to use in casseroles and I use a food processor to grate cheese. This casserole only takes me 5 minutes to prep but you may take longer.
📚 Related recipes
🍽️ Serve with...
Need some serving suggestions?
Southern cucumber salad adds color and crunch.
Crunchy garlic bread goes so well with the flavors in this Tex-Mex casserole.
Grilled pineapple is quick, easy, and a sweet way to end the meal.
📚 Related recipes
🍽️ Repurpose leftovers
Although there's not much you can turn the leftovers into I do like to cut the Mexican lasagna into serving portions and flash freeze them on a cookie sheet.
I then drop them in a freezer bag and toss 'em back in the freezer. When someone needs a quick meal they only need to grab one of the freezer bags, heat it in the microwave for about 5 minutes, and it's perfectly delicious!
📞 The last word
Just like you, I need great recipes that I can toss on the table in minutes.
My commute may be down a staircase (which can honestly get pretty crowded with the 4 dogs) and yours may be crawling along a clogged highway but we are alike in that getting dinner on the table might be the most frustrating moments of our evening.
One thing I like to do is to double or triple the ingredients so I have a casserole or two in the freezer for emergencies- just let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed OR bake it for 1-½ hours straight from frozen!
Next time try King Ranch Chicken. It's SO easy to make - and you can assemble it ahead of time.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Cheesy Mexican Lasagna
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1-½ pounds lean ground beef
- 1 ounce taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 20 ounces tomatoes with chiles, I used Ro*Tel
- 2 cups refried beans
- 2 cups Mexican blend cheese, shredded - divided use
- 2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded - divided use
- ¾ cup cilantro, chopped
- 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1-½ cups salsa, divided use
- ½ cup black olives, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Spray a 13x9-inch pan with non-stick spray.
- Cook the ground beef, stirring to crumble.
- Add the taco seasoning, tomatoes and chiles plus their liquid, and ¼ cup of water.
- Simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated. Stir in cumin and set aside.
- Whip the cream cheese and 1 cup of the salsa together until smooth. Set aside.
- Mix the two shredded cheeses together. Set aside.
- Pour ½ cup of salsa in the bottom of the pan.
- Cut 8 tortillas in half.
- Arrange 2 halves with the straight side toward the long side of the pan. Repeat on the other side.
- Arrange 1 half with the straight side toward the short side of the pan. Repeat at the other end with the other half.
- Place two whole corn tortillas down the center.
- Sprinkle with ¼ cup black olives
- Sprinkle with ¼ cups chopped cilantro.
- Spread with half the refried beans, half the ground beef, half the cream cheese, and ⅓ of the shredded cheese.
- Top with corn tortillas as before.
- Repeat layers of toppings as before., ending with corn tortillas.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through.
- Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Substitute flour tortillas for the corn tortillas
- Use cooked ground pork, chicken or turkey instead of ground beef
- Add some corn kernels in with the meat
- Use salsa verde instead of salsa
- Try a smoked Cheddar or Gouda cheese instead of the cheese called for in the recipe
- Top with some sour cream before serving
- Use leftover tortilla chips for the tortilla layers
- Leftover bean dip? Use it in place of the refried beans
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published October 9, 2017. Last updated May 3, 2024 for readability and editorial improvements.
Leslie Gross says
Delicious but the 5 minute prep time is laughable. I took me longer than that to shred the cheese.
I used soft tacos which was a mistake. They disappeared.
I wonder if this would work with rotisserie chicken?
Marye says
Hi Leslie - So it does take me about 5 minutes to prep this. My food processor grates cheese in about 15 seconds - and if I do it by hand on my stand up grater it doesn't take much longer than 30. The prep times are how long it takes ME, I really can't predict how long it will take everyone else. 🙂 Glad you liked it! Rotisserie chicken works great.
C.J. says
Will be using chorizo in it! Sounds AWESOME!
Ed Fisher says
I made this. The tomatoes with peppers was not available so I made a guess, chipotle pepper in adobo sauce with diced tomatoes. Oh , too spicy but acceptable. I always get something wrong on the first try anyway. I live alone so the next time I will use a 9x6 dish and half size everything.
Oh, one more thing, refried beans, I just had to add a layer of Mexican rice.
Sherry says
Very good. My husband loved it. I made it exactly as suggested. Thanks Marye
Lee says
Love this recipe - live your humorous comments in the footnotes; “Commute down a flight if stairs past 4 dogs!” Too funny. Would love to share some recipes I’ve gather during my 22 year Air Force career from other cultures, friends and part-time jobs overseeing a military officer's open mess.
Lee
edwardlsmith2002@yahoo.com
Madeline J Diebold says
Love what I have seen in your recipes! Hope to be able to follow you as we love well made and healthy foods. Thank you for contacting me.
Cindi Lou says
Made this tonight for supper..wonderful!
It’s a keeper!
Marye says
that's awesome to hear!
Holly says
Hi Marye...i really appreciate seeing this recipe. My unique problem is that i am disabled and by the end of the day my energy is gone! I have always been a cook wanting to try new things with lots of ingredients and use it as a way to love on people. But now my life is changed and i LOVE THINGS I CAN PREPARE AHEAD then have at the ready for the oven for my family. Thanks for this one..gonna make it soon!
MARYE AUDET-WHITE says
Let me know what you think, Holly! I have several quick makeahead recipes here on the blog. 🙂