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A casserole topped with melted cheese, diced capsicum, corn and beans on a bench top scattered with tortilla chips and coriander leaves.
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5 from 2 votes

Tortilla Casserole

Tortilla casserole also known as Mexican Lasagne is delicious family friendly flexitarian dinner. Warm and comforting it's perfect for cooler nights.
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Family Dinner Ideas
Cuisine: New Zealand
Keyword: tortilla casserole, tortilla bake, Mexican Lasagne
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 645kcal
Author: Stacey

Ingredients

Mexican Mince

  • 2 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion (diced) 200 grams
  • 1 medium carrot (grated) 150 grams
  • 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
  • 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
  • 500 grams minced beef
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 400 grams kidney beans (canned)
  • 600 grams diced tomatoes 1 ½ cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup corn kernels

Layers

  • 6-8 Tortillas The number of tortillas will depend on the size of tortilla you are using
  • 1 cup grated cheese
  • 1 cup sour cream 200 grams
  • Colourful toppings black beans, diced capsicum, diced tomatoes, corn kernels, jalapenos

Instructions

Mexican mince

  • Prep: Dice the onion, grate the carrot and crush or finely slice your garlic. Optional: In a blender combine the diced tomatoes and the kidney beans and blitz until smooth.
  • In a large fry pan heat the oil over a medium heat
  • Sauté the onion and grated carrot until soft, fragrant and a little caramelised.
  • Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, and cocoa powder, sauté for one minutes.
  • Add the minced beef to the pan ad cook until browned
  • Add the beef stock, tomatoes, kidney beans and corn kernels, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (360 F).

Assembly

  • Make a thin layer of the Mexican mince in the bottom of a baking dish. (This stops the first layer of tortillas from sticking to your dish.
  • Begin your layering: Tortillas, Mexican mince, sour cream and cheese
  • Continue your layering: Tortillas, Mexican mince, sour cream and cheese
  • Continue your layering: Tortillas, Mexican mince, a scattering of any of your favourite colourful taco toppings, black beans, diced capsicum, jalapenos, diced tomatoes and cheese
  • Bake for 30 minutes until piping hot and the cheese on top is melted and golden.
  • Enjoy

Video

Notes

  • Serve your tortilla casserole with fun colour fun sides. Tortilla chips, ice berg lettuce, salsa, fresh cilantro/coriander, limes.
  • Not all of my family enjoy spicy flavours so my tortilla is not highly spicy, but I serve it with hot salta and Mexican sauces on the side for those who want a bit more heat. 
  • Get out your scissors when you are building your tortilla casserole as you can take advantage of the tortillas soft texture and literally cut them to the right size to fit your baking or casserole dish. 
  • Try the bean blending technique in other dishes, to works great in regular lasagne, or bolognese .
  • If you don't want to use a blender, and your family are not fans of 'beany' texture, another useful kitchen implement is your potato masher! mash the beans in the cooked meat sauce, it works great, whenever I make vegetarian nachos I use my potato masher!
  • Smoked paprika: This can be substituted for paprika if you can not find the smoked version.
  • Spices: The spice combination I use of cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, chilli flakes, and cocoa powder can be substituted for your favourite store bought taco seasoning.
  • Minced beef: This recipe will work with minced beef or lamb. If you are using chicken mince or ground turkey please be aware these meats can be drier and you may need to add extra olive oil to the dish. 
  • Kidney beans: I use canned kidney beans but you can of course use dried kidney beans that have been soaked and prepped. Pinto beans, navy beans or haricot beans all work as well. 
  • Corn kernels: Frozen, fresh or canned corn kernels all work fine. 
  • Tortillas: Any soft flour tortilla or corn tortillas can be used. This recipe will also work with your favourite wraps or mountain bread. If you need this recipe to be gluten free be sure to check the labels on the tortillas you are using.
  • Grated cheese: I use grated cheddar cheese, but any cheese that melts well will work well; colby, edam, monterey jack cheese

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 645kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 571mg | Potassium: 1012mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2889IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 305mg | Iron: 7mg