Slow Cooker Mexican Lasagna
Is it just me or does your brain not work as well at 5 pm? Five o’clock always seems to be the time when I realize my kids need to do their homework, the dishwasher needs unloading and someone starts whining that they are hungry. That’s why I love slow cooker meals! When the dreaded hour of 5 pm rolls around, I’m totally prepared.
This meal is soooo simple and so delicious it has become a regular in our household. You can make it vegetarian or with meat. You can load it up with extra veggies to make it healthier or omit some to please even the pickiest of eaters. The possibilities are endless but the time it takes is not!
This is also one of my favorite recipes ever because most of the ingredients are ones that I have on hand all the time, so if I am due for a trip to the grocery store, I can still totally whip this up.
I think the flavor of corn tortillas is much better if they have been cooked on the stove on high heat for a minute or 2 on each side so I chose to do that extra step but it can easily be omitted, if you’re short on time.
1. Cook The Meat and Onion: In a large pan, on medium high heat, cook onion and ground turkey or veggie crumbles until the onion is softened and the meat or faux meat is cooked through. The most recent time I made this recipe my kiddos requested “real meat”, so I used free range ground turkey and they said it was amazing. Remove from heat and stir in taco seasoning.
2. Layer It All In The Slow Cooker: Put several spoonfuls of diced tomatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker, then place a layer of tortillas, torn to fit. Layer the rest of the ingredients, except avocado and sour cream, in the order listed, 1/3 at a time (reserving some cheese and tomatoes for the top), until you’ve made 3 layers. Finally, top with a layer tortillas, diced tomatoes, and then cheese.
3. Cook and Serve: Cook on low for 4 hours. Scoop out into bowls and serve topped with diced avocado and sour cream.
I throw this meal together around lunch time and it’s perfect just in time for dinner. If you want to make it in the morning, and you have a bottom-of-the-line slow cooker without many options, like me, I plug mine into a timer (from our Christmas lights) that will shut off after 4 hours and the cheesy Mexican deliciousness will stay warm until dinner time.
This is not the prettiest dish. It all falls apart when you scoop it out so if you’re worried about presentation, this is not the dish to make. But if you want a tasty meal, loaded with veggies, that the whole family will love, and that doesn’t take a lot of time, this is totally the meal for you!
If you try this recipe, please let me know what you thought in the comments below.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 4 hours |
| Servings |
people
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- 12 corn tortillas organic sprouted are my favorite
- 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
- 1 lb. ground turkey or veggie crumbles
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 pkg taco seasoning
- 3 cups shredded mexican cheese
- 1 14 oz. can black beans
- 1/2 5 oz. package spinach, chopped or torn into small pieces
- 2 cups salsa
- 2 cups corn
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional)
- 1 cup red, green or yellow pepper, diced (optional)
- 2 avocados
- 1 cup sour cream
Ingredients
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- In a large pan, on medium high heat, cook onion and ground turkey or veggie crumbles until the onion is softened and the meat or faux meat is cooked through. Remove from heat and stir in taco seasoning.
- Layer several spoonfuls of the tomatoes in the slow cooker first, then place a layer of tortillas, torn to fit. Layer the rest of the ingredients except avocado and sour cream, in the order listed, 1/3 at a time to make 3 layers (reserve some tomatoes and cheese for the top).
- Finally layer tortillas, diced tomatoes and then cheese. Cook on low for 4 hours. Scoop out into bowls and serve topped with diced avocado and sour cream.
