Taco Lasagna Recipe (+VIDEO) - The Girl Who Ate Everything (2024)

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posted by Christy Denneyon Sep 26, 2023180 comments »

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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.

Taco Lasagna Recipe (+VIDEO) - The Girl Who Ate Everything (1)

(Originally posted 2014)

TACO LASAGNA RECIPE

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.

This is a great twist on Taco Tuesday and full of Mexican flavors.

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.

Taco Lasagna Recipe (+VIDEO) - The Girl Who Ate Everything (2)

Mix a little ricotta with an egg for your lasagna-ness.

Taco Lasagna Recipe (+VIDEO) - The Girl Who Ate Everything (3)

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 andI like dancing on it.

Taco Lasagna Recipe (+VIDEO) - The Girl Who Ate Everything (4)

Spread your ricotta mixture over the noodles.

Taco Lasagna Recipe (+VIDEO) - The Girl Who Ate Everything (5)Sprinkle a layer of taco meat on top.

Taco Lasagna Recipe (+VIDEO) - The Girl Who Ate Everything (6)

Instead of enchilada sauce in this Taco Lasagna useyour favorite salsa.

Taco Lasagna Recipe (+VIDEO) - The Girl Who Ate Everything (7)Sprinkle a good helping of cheese on top. Then repeat the layers twice. See! So easy.

Taco Lasagna Recipe (+VIDEO) - The Girl Who Ate Everything (8)

Another great thing about this Taco Lasagna is that it freezes great!

HOW TO MAKE TACO LASAGNA

  • 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 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.

  • 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.

MEXICAN RECIPES

  • Nacho Taco Casserole
  • Salsa verde enchiladas
  • Black beans and chicken flautas

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 Recipe (+VIDEO) - The Girl Who Ate Everything (9)

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.

PrintPinRate

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Servings: 9 servings

Ingredients

  • 12 oven ready lasagna noodles, (see note)
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 (1-oz.) package Old El Paso taco seasoning, (or homemade 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 casserole 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 with aluminum foil for 30-40 minutes or until the casserole has heated through and is bubbly. Let casserole stand 10 minutes before cutting. Top with your favorite taco toppings: sour cream, sliced green onions, and diced tomatoes if desired. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes

I use oven ready or no-boil lasagna noodles to save time. You can use regular noodles as well, just boil them before assembling.

It's important to cover it tightly when baking. This kind of steams the noodles with the salsa.

Freezing: This freezes great! To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator for 8 hours and then bake as directed.

Serving: 9g, Calories: 400kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 95mg, Sodium: 372mg, Potassium: 246mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 515IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 363mg, Iron: 1mg

Cuisine: Mexican

Course: Main Course

Author: Christy Denney

All Recipes Beef Casseroles Freezer Meals Main Dishes Old El Paso Pasta Tried and True Recipes

published on Sep 26, 2023

180 comments Leave a comment »

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180 comments on “Taco Lasagna”

  1. Kathy G Reply

    You could substitute the ricotta with firm tofu (drained). I have used it in regular lasagna and nobody knows the difference…really! If you get onion flavored tofu all the better. The tofu takes on the flavor of the salsa.

  2. Tiffany Reply

    Hello! I can’t stomach riccota/cottage cheese. Is there something I can use instead? Maybe liquid nacho cheese?

    • Christy Denney Reply

      That would be great!

    • Candace Hicks Reply

      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!

      • Susan Sietsema Reply

        Candace, What is your egg/ parmesan cheese recipe? 1 egg to 1 cup of parm? Not a cicotta cheese fan here either.

  3. Kate Reply

    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

    • Jill Reply

      Taco sauce is made from, in part, tomatoes.

  4. Steven Reply

    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!!!!!

    • Christy Denney Reply

      Awesome to hear!

  5. Kristy Reply

    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?

    • Christy Denney Reply

      Nope! Did you seal it tight with foil and bake it long enough. They should not be crispy!

  6. Sabrina Reply

    I added 2 cans of black beans and spread them in on each layer. Yum. Next time I’ll try some jalapeños.

    • Christy Denney Reply

      Yum!

  7. Ally Reply

    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?

    • Christy Denney Reply

      Every oven is different so it will vary.

  8. Jessica Reply

    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?

    • Christy Denney Reply

      Yes, totally!

Leave a comment »

Taco Lasagna Recipe (+VIDEO) - The Girl Who Ate Everything (2024)

FAQs

Taco Lasagna Recipe (+VIDEO) - The Girl Who Ate Everything? ›

Conventional Oven Method:

Cover the lasagna with foil and place in the oven. Cook the lasagna for about 20 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees (remove the foil if you wish to brown the top) Meanwhile, heat the meat or marinara sauce in a small pan on the stovetop until 165 degrees.

Is lasagna covered in oven? ›

Conventional Oven Method:

Cover the lasagna with foil and place in the oven. Cook the lasagna for about 20 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees (remove the foil if you wish to brown the top) Meanwhile, heat the meat or marinara sauce in a small pan on the stovetop until 165 degrees.

Is lasagna cooked al dente? ›

Cook the noodles: Boil the lasagna noodles in lightly salted water until they're al dente. 3. Make the cheese layer: Mix cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, the remaining parsley, the remaining salt, and pepper in a bowl.

Why let lasagna rest? ›

Let the lasagna rest before cooking it

For cooking patience is an excellent ally, so when you have finished composing your lasagna, let it rest for about 40 minutes before baking it; in this way the pasta will absorb all the flavors of the condiment and the cooking will be more hom*ogeneous and the taste richer.

Is lasagna peasant food? ›

One of the most interesting sites I found contends that traditional lasagna is peasant dish based on the most elemental pork products. Under the old regime peasants had to turn over the best meats to the landlord. For many, the main meat source was pork. The pig would be slaughtered in the winter.

Is it better to bake lasagna in a glass or metal pan? ›

Save your glass pans for lasagna, plátanos maduros horneados, baked eggs, piñon, casseroles, and doughnut bread pudding—they're easy to clean, they're so smooth they're naturally nonstick, they'll keep your kugel warm as it sits on the table, they won't cause discoloration or off-tastes when you're slow-roasting ...

Do you bake lasagna at 350 or 375? ›

Assemble the lasagna in an oven-safe container and store it in the refrigerator. The temperature should be at or below 40 degrees. When you are ready to cook the lasagna, bake it in the oven for approximately 60 minutes at 375 degrees.

What not to do when making lasagna? ›

12 Lasagna Mistakes You Didn't Realize You Were Making
  1. Not cooking the noodles correctly. Adao/Shutterstock. ...
  2. Not having all the ingredients ready. ...
  3. Not browning the meat. ...
  4. Using the wrong cheese. ...
  5. Skipping the dairy sauce. ...
  6. Skimping on the amount of marinara. ...
  7. Improperly layering the noodles. ...
  8. Forgetting a layer of sauce.
Feb 21, 2023

Can I use regular lasagna noodles instead of oven ready? ›

Boiling lasagna noodles is really overrated. There really isn't any reason to do it. And you don't need those newfangled "oven ready" noodles. Just let the regular type noodles soak up liquid from the sauce and cook in the oven - Presto!

Why put toothpick in lasagna? ›

Poke 9-12 toothpicks over the surface of your lasagna (to keep the foil from sticking to the cheese). Cover with foil and bake at 375˚F for 45 minutes.

How many layers should lasagna be? ›

Generally, lasagna has about 3 or 4 layers of pasta, with sauce, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, béchamel, and sometimes meat or even meatballs or sausage between those layers. Our many layer lasagna has around 12 layers of pasta, or even more depending on how thin you end up rolling the dough.

What makes lasagna taste good? ›

Five Secrets of Building the Ultimate Lasagna
  1. Secret #1: No-Boil Noodles Actually Taste Better. ...
  2. Secret #2: For a Rich Sauce, Use Pork Sausage Instead of Ground Beef. ...
  3. Secret #3: Fresh Mozzarella Actually Makes a Difference.
Jan 6, 2015

Do Romans eat lasagna? ›

Thank the Romans

The Romans were famous for embracing local customs, cultures, and foods into their society so it wasn't long before lasagna became commonplace in their cuisine. Rome came to adore the lagonon noodle, a flatbread dough cut into thin strips, then smothered in a various toppings.

Do people in Italy eat lasagna? ›

Lasagna: Variations throughout Italy

In the north, especially in Bologna, the most popular version of lasagna features fresh egg pasta colored green with spinach and layered with ragú, bechamel and Parmigiano Reggiano. Each region of Italy has its own signature lasagna specialty.

Is lasagne a male or female? ›

In the Italian language, lasagna is singular; lasagne is plural. In English, we normally just add an "s" to make a word plural. In Italian, nouns and adjectives are designated as masculine or feminine. The plural for lasagna, a feminine noun, changes the "a" to "e".

How long to bake lasagna at 400 uncovered? ›

Instructions for Thawed
  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Remove any plastic wrap from the lasagna.
  3. Remove the lid from the lasagna.
  4. Place the lasagna pan on a baking sheet or piece of aluminum foil in the preheated oven.
  5. Now bake the lasagna for 35-45 minutes.
Mar 7, 2023

Can you overcook lasagna in the oven? ›

When it comes to baking your lasagna, timing is everything. It's important to resist the urge to leave it in the oven for too long, as this can cause it to dry out. Instead, aim to slightly undercook it and then let it rest for about thirty minutes before digging in.

What if I don't have aluminum foil to cover a dish in the oven? ›

For oven use, replace foil with parchment paper. For food prep, wax paper is non-stick and can be an alternative to foil.

Do you heat lasagna covered? ›

Avoid future lasagna disappointment by reheating it in the oven instead. Preheat the oven to 350˚F and cover the lasagna (in an oven-safe dish) with aluminum foil. Place the dish in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the lasagna is hot all the way through and the sauce is bubbling at the edges.

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