There's no prep work necessary for this easy Dump-and-Bake Mexican Lasagna! With layers of chicken, tortillas, and cheese, it's a one dish meal that comes together in just minutes for a healthy and delicious weeknight dinner!
Lasagna Made Easy
A classic Italian lasagna is definitely a favorite around here, but it can be SO labor intensive. Boiling the noodles and browning the meat in the skillet just add extra steps (and more dirty dishes) that I honestly don't have the time or desire to deal with!
Instead, I decided to create a dump-and-bake version of Mexican Lasagna that doesn't require a tedious multi-step process. This dish takes advantage of corn tortillas (instead of pasta) and cooked chicken (instead of uncooked beef) for a quick throw-together meal.
What Chicken To Use
I used leftover chicken from a previous dinner, but a store-bought rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, or pre-cooked frozen chicken (such as Perdue shortcuts) all work well too. Take advantage of whatever is convenient, affordable, and EASIEST!
The layers of chicken, cheese, tortillas, and zesty sauce come together beautifully in this one dish meal! Plus, it smells incredible while it bakes!
In fact, on the first day that I was testing this recipe, I prepared the casserole late in the morning. Keith and Spencer kept walking through the kitchen commenting on how good it smelled.
Eventually I caved and just let them eat Mexican Lasagna for lunch, rather than saving it for the family's dinner that night! The look and aroma was just too tempting! Good thing it's an easy dump-and-bake dinner that I can easily prepare again...and again...and again!
Cooking Just for Two?
Cut the ingredients in half and prepare the lasagna in an 8-inch square baking dish. You will only need 3-4 tortillas, so you can tear them to fit the shape of your dish, if necessary. Cooking instructions remain the same.
More Mexican Recipes You Might Like;
- Mexican Chicken Salad
- Skinny Mexican Skillet Lasagna
- 4 Can Mexican Chicken Casserole
- Short-cut Mexican Chicken and Rice Soup
Dump-and-Bake Mexican Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 cups diced cooked chicken
- ½ cup frozen diced onion or about ½ of a small onion, diced
- ½ cup finely-diced sweet bell pepper any color is fine
- 1 14.5-ounce can petite-diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 10 ounce can enchilada sauce (or can substitute with 1 ¼ cups taco sauce for a mild, kid-friendly option)
- ¼ cup sliced olives plus extra for garnish
- Pinch of salt
- 1 ½ cups 6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 cup small curd cottage cheese or can use an equal amount of ricotta cheese
- 1 egg beaten
- 6-8 corn tortillas
- ½ cup crushed tortilla chips
- Optional garnish: sliced green onions diced avocado, halved cherry tomatoes, sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Spray a deep 11 x 7-inch dish, a shallow 9 x 13-inch dish, or any other similar-sized dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together chicken, onion, bell pepper, diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce, olives, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, stir together 1 cup cheddar cheese, cottage cheese (or ricotta), and egg.
- Spoon one-third of the chicken mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spoon half of the cheese mixture over the chicken; top with a layer of corn tortillas (it’s fine if the tortillas overlap a little bit, and you can tear them to fit the shape of your dish).
- Repeat layers, ending with chicken mixture on top. Cover with foil.
- Bake, covered, for 30 minutes (or until hot and bubbly). Sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips and remaining ½ cup of cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Garnish with sliced green onions, diced avocado, sliced olives, halved cherry tomatoes, and sour cream, if desired.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
You combined two of my favorites in one....I love it! This looks so easy and so flavorful. Perfect weeknight meal!
Blair
Yes! Two favorites combined into one delicious dish! 🙂
Annette
Hi Blair,
This recipe looks really goid. I can't wait to make it. I love Mexican Food. Can you use flour tortillas instead of corn?
Thank you
Annette
Hi Blair,
This recipe looks really good. I can't wait to make it. I love Mexican Food. Can you use flour tortillas instead of corn?
Thank you
Blair
Hey, Annette! Yep, you can definitely use flour tortillas in place of the corn tortillas! 🙂
Blair
Hi, Annette!
Yes! I've used flour tortillas in similar recipes and they work just fine. I like the flavor and texture of the corn tortillas better, but if flour tortillas are your preference, they will do the trick! Enjoy!
Karly
Upon reading the title I knew this was a recipe for me. One-- Mexican. Two-- Lasagna. Three- DUMP AND BAKE, duh! This is perfection!!
Blair
Thanks, Karly! I'll say it again -- we totally have the same tastebuds and the same cooking style!!! Flavorful and easy is always best! 🙂
Mira Leiwant
What happens if you use flour tortillas?
Blair
Hi, Mira!
I've used flour tortillas in similar recipes and they work just fine! I like the flavor and texture of the corn tortilla better, but if flour tortillas are your preference, they will do the trick! Enjoy!
Carol
These are gluten-free! Hooray!
Blair
Yesssss! Enjoy, Carol!
the Budget Epicurean
Oh my gosh this looks and sounds AWESOME! We love Mexican food here, this will become a staple I'm sure.
Blair
Thank you so much! I hope that you'll give it a try!
Emily Kemp
I LOVE the sound of this, all my favourite Mexican flavours in a lasagna, yum!
Blair
Thanks, Emily!