This Tex-Mex Lasagna is a riff off the Italian classic, featuring flour tortillas, cheese, and Sabra Southwestern Style Salsa, of course. While I was compensated for this post, all opinions remain my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make this blog possible!

I don’t stress about “authentic” foods. I cook what I like and categorize it how it makes sense in my head. I didn’t even start eating so-called Mexican food until I was an adult. In fact, I already had children. Bypassing Taco Bell altogether (how most people I know have been introduced to a fast food version of the cuisine, I use that pretty loosely), I waited for the real thing. Or, as close to it as you can get in Northwestern Connecticut. And I’m not sorry for that.

Still, Mexican/Tex-Mex remained a treat for eating out for many years. Not even crispy tacos graced our kitchen table. It just didn’t come naturally to me. Pasta? Yes. Enchiladas? I can make those? I worried that with my lack of the real deal during my formative years, I could never make up for lost time. Leave it to the people who know what they’re doing. I’ll stick with what I know.

But that’s never the way to grow in the kitchen.

I still don’t make anything authentically Mexican/Tex-Mex (and I keep distinguishing between them because, if you read up on it, there are clear differences). But I do dabble a little bit, from time to time. Dangle my toe in the water and drag it along, experimenting ever so slightly and incorporating what we know we like into what I already know how to make. It’s progress, albeit slowly.

Tex-Mex Lasagna is a bit ridiculous, when you think about it. But the merge made sense in my head, and I went for it. It’s spicy beef and salsa layered with flour tortillas and cheese. Sour cream, too, because that helps balance the heat. It doesn’t look like much, but it doesn’t have to. Comfort food rarely does. The taste, however, is spot-on. This is a new regular in my repertoire. I bet you can find a place for it in yours, as well!

Haven’t tried Sabra‘s salsa before? You are missing out! It has a super fresh taste and has quickly gained the spot as my favorite salsa. It reminds me of a trip I took to Puerto Morelos several years ago–it’s the closest in taste that I’ve found to what was served at the resort where we relaxed for a few glorious days. So many good memories!

Tex-Mex Lasagna

Carrie @ poet in the pantry

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 5

Course Main Course

Servings 8

Ingredients

2 14- ounce containers Sabra Southwestern Style Salsa
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt flaky is really nice
1/2 teaspoon aleppo chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground black peppercorn
3 8- inch soft flour tortillas
16 ounces sour cream
12 ounces shredded Mexican blend cheese the kind with cream cheese melts really nicely

Garnish

2 green onions
handful fresh cilantro

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a deep dish pie plate and set aside.
Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl and strain the excess liquid from the salsa. Let sit while preparing the other ingredients.
In a 10"-12" cast iron frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Once it shimmers, add the ground beef.
Add the cumin, garlic powder, sea salt, aleppo, cayenne, and black pepper to the ground beef and mix it up, breaking up the pieces. Cook, stirring periodically, until beef is browned.
Strain the cooked meat to remove as much fat as possible, then set it on a paper towel lined plate for a few minutes.
Return the meat to the pan and add to it the strained salsa. Cook until the salsa is heated, then remove from the stove.
Place 1 flour tortilla in the bottom of the pie plate.
Spread 1/3 of the meat mixture over the tortilla.
Spread 1/2 the sour cream over the top of that (it will get a little messy; this is okay).
Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese over that.
Repeat.
For the final layers, top with the last tortilla and then the remaining meat. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese.
Bake on the center rack for 30 minutes.
Let sit for 10 minutes before serving to set the layers.

Garnish

Chop green onions and cilantro and sprinkle over the top before serving.

Notes

Straining the salsa is important. I skipped it the first time and while the lasagna still tasted great, it was very soupy. Straining removes at least 1 cup of excess liquid from the recipe.