What’s In Mexican Lasagna? (Explained for Beginners)

Juicy meat, creamy beans, and other delicious ingredients make Mexican lasagna extremely special and desirable. As a promising cook, you may want to figure more about this dish and know exactly what’s in Mexican lasagna.

Hence, this article will get you through this information.

What’s In Mexican Lasagna?

Different cooks can apply various recipes according to their taste and interest. However, the most popular Mexican lasagna must include:

  • Ground beef: This is the soul of everything that you can not skip. Practically, you can choose any kind of beef you have. Nevertheless, to create the best flavor, experts advise using 85-90% lean Angus beef.
  • Sour cream: Pouring sour cream on beef creates a beautiful eating experience. What’s more, to stimulate the flavor of creamy texture, the addition of beans is not an insufficient consideration. Pinto beans or even black beans would work.
  • Cream cheese: Another layer for your mouth-watering dish. You can simply achieve this layer by thickening sour cream. Fat cream will be suitable for the meal, but nonfat also works well if you are on a diet.

Cooking is bland without creativity. Therefore, besides these main ingredients, you can also add several things to enhance the flavors, including fire-roasted diced tomatoes, aromatics, olives, green chilies, brown onions, garlic gloves, etc.

For more detailed ingredients and instructions, you can refer to this article.

What Makes This Dish Special?

Thanks to its irresistible delicious taste, this dish is enjoyed not only by Mexican but also by worldwide eaters. The specialty of this dish is that despite the three main given ingredients, professional chefs can make it more complex by adding sustenances and layering it.

Some chefs choose to prepare it in the morning and then bake it at night to save time. Do not hesitate because some stated that this action even stimulates the taste of Mexican lasagna.

Moreover, remember that you should freeze unbaked lasagna (not the baked one), so you can enjoy a bake-and-eat dinner anytime.

Is It Really Mexican?

Do not let the term “Mexican lasagna” fool you. Neither does it come from Mexico, nor is it actual lasagna.

Suppose you once figured out information about this dish. In that case, you’d realize that this was created by Mexican food lovers in American who tried to use Mexican flavors to mimic the traditional lasagna.

However, due to the dish’s popularity and its name, many chefs innocently believe it has its roots in Mexican.

Is It Popular In The US?

As mentioned before, the US is the actual origin of this food. This relationship makes the US population welcome the dish at first. In addition, the convenience when preparing the meal, such as a make-at-home recipe, and leftovers repurposing, also enhance the widespread approval.

Just the same, you can see its appearance in American celebrations of Cinco de Mayo, the fifth of May celebration of Mexican heritage, and other important festivals in both the US and Mexico.

Does It Have Raisins?

Surprisingly, some want to add raisins to Mexican lasagna. Simply speaking, you can create your own recipe by including different types of food in lasagna, which means the addition of raisins is acceptable. However, you should keep in mind that raisins may be incompatible here due to conflict flavors.

So, if you are keen on raisins and want to try something new, you can give it a try, but we do not recommend it.

What Are The Best Side Dishes To Eat With?

Preparing other dishes will perfectly fulfill your experience. Several excellent options are:

  • Salsa: This is the optimal selection of restaurants. The taste of salsa will support and balance the sour flavor of savory Mexican lasagna.

Figure how to make 5-minute salsa through this video:

  • Salad: Fresh, healthy salad and lasagna is a beautiful combination. Simply use your familiar salad recipe to make a side dish. However, a sour salad is better than a creamy one.
  • Dessert: Wind up your dinner with Tres Leches Cake, Cornbread, Mexican Corn Pudding, or any of your favorite desserts for the win.
  • Black beans: It will be a big mistake if you do not enjoy black beans with Mexican lasagna. Seasoned with salt and pepper, black beans are not only delicious but also hearty.

Is It Healthy Or Unhealthy And Why?

It is not only mouth-watering but also a healthy meal. Meanwhile, some others may not consider lasagna healthy because the massive amount of beef makes people heavier.

However, Mexican lasagna with ground beef is only a recommended recipe. If you pay much attention to nutrition and fat, you can easily replace beef with turkey. Ground turkey for lasagna is especially suitable for those who have just undergone surgeries.

You can learn how to cook with turkey through this link.

Can You Prepare It Ahead Of Time?

Obviously yes. Preparation in advance even makes your Mexican lasagna better. Several steps you can do before the cooking day are:

  • Gather ingredients and place them in the icebox: Doing this allows internal ingredients to combine and develop.
  • Make the sauce: Choose your flavorful sauce and store it in the refrigerator. Remember that if you select cold sauce, 15 additional minutes of baking is required.
  • Create creamy filling.

Can You Freeze It For Later Use?

As mentioned before, freezing unbaked lasagna can improve its taste. You can prepare frozen lasagna in the morning and bake it for your dinner. If you are wondering how to do it, consider the instructions below:

  • To freeze lasagna:
    • Put necessary ingredients in a safe dish
    • Cover the dish carefully with plastic wrap and aluminum foil ( 2 layers of plastic wrap and aluminum foil is recommended)
    • Place the covered dish in the freezer
  • To unfreeze and cook:
    • Replace lasagna in fridge 48 hours before baking it
    • Remove wrap and foil without affecting inside ingredients
    • Bake lasagna following directions.

In case you have baked lasagna before reading this article, do not worry; below is your solution:

  • To freeze baked lasagna:
    • Let it cool for an hour
    • Cover the dish carefully with a layer of plastic wrap and place it in the fridge
    • Cover the second layer of plastic wrap an aluminum foil
    • Place a carefully covered dish in the freezer.
  • To unfreeze and cook: Take the same steps as when you do with standard lasagna, as mentioned above.

Do You Need Any Special Sauce When Eating It?

The most popular sauce recipe is illustrated below:

  • Create a mixture of chicken broth, tomatoes, green chiles, cocoa powder, sugar, and cinnamon
  • Cook the mixture at low temperature while continuously stirring it in 10-15 minutes, until it thickens. After that, add apple cider vinegar, beans, corn, olives and remove from heat.

Many people may find this recipe time-consuming or simply dislike sour sauce. To solve the case, you can replace it with unflavored Greek yogurt or a queso sauce. Nevertheless, irrespective of your choice, it is not a perfect alternative for sour sauce.

Wrapping Up

What’s in Mexican lasagna is always a crowd-pleaser. This dish is even more suitable for a busy modern lifestyle because you can prepare it in large quantities and reheat leftovers for subsequent consumption.

Hopefully, this article has enlightened you on problems related to making Mexican lasagna and encouraged you to give it a try. Happy cooking and enjoying your favorite dishes!

Tamara Pierce

Tamara Pierce is a food writer at Elapasony, passionate about exploring diverse cuisines and sharing recipes and food experiences. From trendy restaurants to local hotspots, she's always on the lookout for new and exciting flavors.

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