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    Recipes » Recipes

    Southwestern Lasagna (Enchilada Casserole)

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure for more information. Published: Sep 12, 2018 · Modified: Mar 25, 2021 by Dee

    Southwestern lasagna (enchilada casserole) is a comfort food dinner with ground beef, cheese and veggies layered between tortillas and baked to perfection.

    Jump to Recipe -

    southwestern lasagna enchilada casserole on plate with sour cream lettuce tomatoes and olives

    I've got another easy dinner idea for you today--- Southwestern Lasagna, aka Enchilada Casserole. It's cool and rainy here today, and I'm in the mood for some serious comfort food! When you live in the desert, cool weather is always cause for celebration, especially after a long, hot summer.

    Some people call this ground beef dinner an enchilada casserole or Mexican lasagna or layered enchilada casserole. Some even call it taco pie.

    I've always called it Southwestern lasagna. And since it's one of our favorite comfort food casseroles, I gave this older post a much needed update.

    So whatever you call it, Southwestern lasagna enchilada casserole is just plain good!

    Southwestern lasagna is super easy to prepare, and my family absolutely loves it. You can even prepare all of it or part of it ahead of time and heat it up when it's time for dinner. Plus, it works well for leftovers!

    I've made this dish with chicken and ground beef, and we like it both ways. It's really like making easy enchiladas, only you don't have to roll the tortillas up.

    Think of it as enchiladas without the work!

    How to make Southwestern Lasagna (Enchilada Casserole)

    Basically, you brown the ground beef in a large skillet, and then you add the veggies. Then, you layer the ingredients in a baking dish between some flour tortillas, along with cheese and enchilada sauce.

    brown ground beef corn black beans and peppers for southwestern lasagna casserole

    I had two layers of meat and three layers of tortillas.  It really is a lot like traditional lasagna.

    The sauce will be absorbed as the dish cooks.

    layer ground beef mixture for southwestern lasagna enchilada casserole l

    And for a bit of extra crunch, I add some crushed nacho chips to the top layer, right before the dish is ready. I don't always do this, and it's optional, but it just adds extra texture and flavor.

    Then, I add a little bit more cheese -- can't have too much cheese in comfort food!

    baked southwestern lasagna enchilada casserole

    Of course, you can add as much cheese as you want, but this is just a guide. If you don't like spicy food, you can always leave out the jalapenos. I like to serve this enchilada casserole dish with some shredded lettuce on the side and top it off with sour cream, diced tomatoes and extra jalapenos. Enjoy!

    southwestern lasagna enchilada casserole topped with sour cream

    Looking for more enchilada style dinners?

    • Enchilada chicken bake
    • Instant Pot enchilada soup
    • Instant Pot chicken enchilada pasta
    • One pan creamy chicken enchilada pasta
    • Crock-Pot enchilada chicken sliders

    Recipe for Southwestern Lasagna (Enchilada Casserole)

    southwestern lasagna enchilada casserole on plate with sour cream lettuce tomatoes and olives

    Southwestern Lasagna Enchilada Casserole

    Published by Dee
    Southwestern lasagna (enchilada casserole) is a comfort food dinner with ground beef, cheese and veggies layered between tortillas and baked to perfection.
    5 from 8 votes
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    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Course Main
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 430 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound lean ground beef
    • 1 onion, diced
    • 1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
    • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 15-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
    • 1 cup frozen corn
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 4 cups shredded Mexican-style cheese or cheddar and Monterey
    • 6 large flour tortillas
    • 1 large can of enchilada sauce

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
    • In a large skillet, brown the ground beef, and drain fat, if necessary
    • Add onion, pepper and jalapeno pepper, and cook until slightly soft.
    • Season with sea salt, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika and pepper
    • Stir in corn, and 1 cup of enchilada sauce, and cook until heated through. Remove from heat
    • Grease the bottom of a 13X9 pan with cooking spray or olive oil, and then add some of the enchilada sauce to the bottom.
    • Place 2 tortillas in pan over the enchilada sauce. The ends will overlap
    • Add half of the meat mixture and 1 cup of cheese over the tortillas
    • Place 2 more tortillas over the first layer, then add the remaining meat mixture and 1 cup of cheese over meat.
    • Add last 2 tortillas, and spoon enchilada sauce over tortillas and around the sides. Top with remaining cheese, and bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is completely melted.
    • Remove from oven, and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing

    Notes

    You can also tear the tortillas lengthwise to resemble lasagna noodles.
    1 packed of taco seasoning can be used in place of spices.

    Nutrition information is estimated. Please do your own calculation to fit special diets.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 430kcal
    Tried this recipe? Please comment and rate it! Show me your dish on Instagram!Mention @meatloafandmelodrama or tag #meatloafandmelodrama!

    Enchilada Casserole Southwestern Lasagna is easy comfort food made with ground beef, cheese and veggies layered between tortillas and baked! It's spicy, cheesy and perfect for leftovers!

    I hope you enjoy this easy Southwestern Lasagna enchilada casserole as much as we do!

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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Lauren says

      December 06, 2022 at 2:39 pm

      How would I add rice? Cook it before?

      Reply
      • Dee says

        December 06, 2022 at 7:41 pm

        You can use leftover rice or make rice to add to the casserole.

    2. Diana says

      September 20, 2018 at 9:20 pm

      Made this yesterday, and it's awesome! Makes great leftovers, too.5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        September 20, 2018 at 11:28 pm

        The leftovers are so good, right?! Thanks, Diana!

    3. Miz Helen says

      September 18, 2018 at 11:39 am

      Great recipe! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday, your post is awesome. Hope you are having a great week and come back to see us soon!
      Miz Helen5 stars

      Reply
    4. Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says

      September 14, 2018 at 7:40 am

      I need to try this immediately, it looks so good!5 stars

      Reply
    5. James says

      September 14, 2018 at 6:50 am

      Made this last night and it was great!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        September 14, 2018 at 7:53 am

        Glad you liked it, James. Thanks! 🙂

    6. Krista says

      September 13, 2018 at 2:12 pm

      Love this for lasagna night! Love trying new ways to eat a classic dish!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        September 14, 2018 at 7:52 am

        Oooh! I think we need to have regular lasagna nights! 🙂

    7. Allyson Zea says

      September 13, 2018 at 1:25 pm

      This is one of my favorite meals!!

      Reply
    8. Jamielyn says

      September 13, 2018 at 9:38 am

      My family would eat this up! Looks so yummy!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        September 14, 2018 at 7:51 am

        Thanks, Jamielyn. It's one of our favorite comfort food dinners!

    9. Chrissie Baker says

      September 12, 2018 at 10:54 pm

      Looks beautiful and tasty! Cannot wait to try this. This recipe looks incredible! Thank you.5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        September 13, 2018 at 9:33 am

        Thanks! I hope you get a chance to try it

    10. Dorothy at Shockinglydelish says

      September 12, 2018 at 5:27 pm

      This recipe blows Taco Tuesday out of the water!! What a fun and tasty dish!

      Reply
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    I’m the blogger, chief cook, recipe developer and photographer behind Meatloaf and Melodrama. I absolutely love to create easy, budget-friendly, homemade meals and treats for my family. I also love to think of new ways to repurpose leftovers so that my family will actually eat them!

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