If I have the opportunity to turn anything into lasagna, you can bet I’m going to do it! This Southwestern Lasagna was a weekly occurrence for us growing up in Arizona.
Back in the day, my mom took advantage of a few easy store bought ingredients and layered it up to make the most delicious and easy weeknight dinner! BONUS - this doubles as leftovers for lunches too! I've give it a bit of a What's Gaby Cooking makeover the past few years and honestly, it's never been better!
Ok so, what is southwestern lasagna and is it anything like regular lasagna?
The answer is kinda-sorta. Unlike regular lasagna which is layers of ricotta, bolognese and lasagna sheets, this Southwestern Lasagna is made up of layers of tortillas, Mexican cheeses and taco meat. Same concept but totally different flavor profile. It's basically a cheesy chicken Mexican lasagna and I am here for it.
I use flour tortilla instead of pasta, ground turkey mixed with taco seasoning instead of a bolognese sauce and tons of refried beans and green chiles, plus tomatoes and corn as the filling. Top it off with your favorite cheese and it’ s game time! You’ll love this one!
Can you swap ground chicken for the ground turkey?
Yes - in almost any recipe you can swap ground turkey for chicken and vice versa! You could also do ground beef if that's more of your style.
Flour or corn tortillas?
I'm partial to a flour tortilla in this case, but corn totally works as well. It's a personal preference - you do you. Also any other kind of tortilla would work too. Spinach tortillas, why not.
How to properly season the Southwestern Lasagna...
You can make a bulk batch of my homemade taco seasoning!
AND.... if you're feeling fancy, smack a big spoonful of guacamole on top when it's time to eat!
Southwestern Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey meat
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes and green chiles
- 1 5.25 ounce can whole green chiles drained and roughly chopped
- 3 small flour tortillas
- 1 cup fresh corn
- 1 16-ounce can refried beans
- 1 ½ cups shredded Colby jack cheese
- ½ cup chopped tomato
- ½ cup chopped green onions
- 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F and coat an 8-inch skillet with baking spray.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add some olive oil and sauté the turkey meat and onion until the turkey is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the taco seasoning, salt and garlic and mix to combine. Add diced tomatoes and green chiles continue to cook until the liquid evaporates.
- Spoon ½ of the taco meat into the skillet. Lay the tortillas in an overlapping fashion on top of the taco meat. Carefully smear a layer of refried beans on top of the tortillas. Followed by the remaining taco meat. Then add a layer of corn.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove and add the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Garnish with the chopped tomatoes, chopped green onions and cilantro. Serve
Notes
Can you swap ground chicken for the ground turkey?
Yes – in almost any recipe you can swap ground turkey for chicken and vice versa! You could also do ground beef if that’s more of your style.Flour or corn tortillas?
I’m partial to a flour tortilla in this case, but corn totally works as well. It’s a personal preference – you do you. Also any other kind of tortilla would work too. Spinach tortillas, why not.Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
A good, tasty recipe. Did anyone else have trouble spreading the refried beans? I 'buttered' (spread) the beans onto the tortillas prior to placing on top of the chicken, much easier and even coverage.