Make this Slow Cooker Mexican Lasagna Casserole in the Casserole CrockPot, a large oval slow cooker, or in a casserole dish in the oven. And if you use low-carb tortillas, this family friendly dinner idea is pretty low in net carbs!
PIN Slow Cooker Mexican Lasagna to try it later!
Two things originally inspired this Slow Cooker Mexican Lasagna Casserole: the Crock-Pot Casserole Crock Slow Cooker that’s shaped like a casserole dish and My Favorite Low-Carb Tortillas. And slow cookers are definitely making a comeback, but you can also bake this tasty Mexican Lasagna in the oven if the idea of using the slow cooker doesn’t appeal to you.
Using low-carb tortillas made this casserole come out to 9.3 net carbs per serving, and it’s a family-friendly dinner that everyone in the house is probably going to like. And if you’re lucky you might have leftovers to freeze or to enjoy for another meal. Hope you’ll try this one for a tasty dinner option!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
What is Mexican Lasagna?
Mexican lasagna is a casserole where tortillas take the place of lasagna noodles and the dish is seasoned with Mexican flavors! What’s not to like about a tasty lasagna-inspired Mexican casserole with spicy ground beef, salsa, Ro-Tel tomatoes, low-carb tortillas, green chiles, cottage cheese, grated cheese, and just enough eggs to hold it together?
What Slow Cooker Did I Use?
A layered Mexican dish like this worked perfectly in the Crock-Pot Casserole Crock Slow Cooker (affiliate link), and I’m definitely a fan of that slow cooker for this kind of recipe. But if you don’t have the slow cooker that’s shaped like a casserole dish you can most definitely make this in a large oval slow cooker. And I’m adding an option to the recipe for baking it in the oven too, after a reader reported she tried it that way and it worked great.
How spicy are Ro-Tel Tomatoes?
If you’re making this dish for kids, I would stick with the “mild” variety of Ro-Tel tomatoes, unless your kids like spicy food. Notice that Ro-Tel comes in smaller cans than normal canned tomatoes; you can use a different brand but you’ll have to simmer a bit longer.
What Low-Carb Tortillas do I use?
I”m a fan of Mission Carb Balance Low-Carb Tortillas (affiliate link) and that’s what I used for this recipe.
What more ideas for low-carb tortillas?
Check out My Favorite Recipes with Low-Carb Tortillas to see lots more ideas for tasty low-carb Mexican food!
How to make Slow Cooker Mexican Lasagna Casserole:
(Scroll down for complete printable recipe, including nutritional information.)
- Brown lean ground beef; then add chopped onions and cook a few minutes more.
- Add Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning, salsa, and Ro-Tel tomatoes and simmer until mixture is quite dry.
- While that cooks, mix cottage cheese, diced green chiles, eggs, and 1 cup of grated cheese.
- Cut the low-carb tortillas in half so you have a straight edge to go along the sides of the slow cooker.
- Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray and make a layer of tortillas; then layer half the spicy beef mixture, half the cottage cheese, and 1 cup of grated cheese.
- Make a second layer of tortillas, spicy beef, cottage cheese mixture, and cheese. If you look hard you’ll see the casserole crock is a bit fuller in the second photo!
- Cook on high about 2.5 hours, or until it’s bubbling and the cheese is nicely melted.
- If you’re using the Crock-Pot Casserole Crock Slow Cooker (affiliate link) you can brown the casserole a bit in a 400F/200C oven for about 15 minutes, but that step is optional.
- Serve hot, garnished with sliced green onions if desired.
- Scroll down to the complete recipe for instructions for baking this in the oven if you prefer that method.
More Slow Cooker Casseroles:
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Ingredients
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 lbs. lean ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped small
- 1 T Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning (or use your favorite purchased taco seasoning)
- 1 cup Pace Picante Sauce (see notes)
- 2 cans (10 oz. can) Ro-Tel Tomatoes and Green Chiles (see notes)
- 6 low-carb tortillas, cut in half (see notes)
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles, drained
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups grated Mexican Cheese Blend (see notes)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large heavy frying pan, add the ground beef, breaking it apart with your fingers, and cook over medium-high heat until the beef is browned and cooked through. Break beef apart with a turner or old fashioned potato masher (affiliate link) as it cooks so it’s in small pieces.
- When the beef is done, push it over to the side, add a little more oil if needed, and cook the diced onion for a few minutes; then mix the onion with the beef.
- Add Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning, salsa, and Ro-Tel tomatoes and simmer over low heat until most of the liquid has evaporated and when you draw a turner across the bottom of the pan you don’t see any liquid.
- While beef mixture cooks, mix together the cottage cheese, drained green chiles, eggs, and 1 cup of the cheese.
- Cut the tortillas in half with kitchen shears and spray the slow cooker insert with non-stick spray.
- In the crockery casserole dish insert, make a layer of tortillas, using the cut side of the tortillas to go along the straight sides. Use the least amount of tortillas you can to cover the bottom.
- Make a layer of half the spicy meat mixture, half the cottage cheese mixture, and one cup of the grated cheese (or more). Then make a second layer each of the tortillas, meat mixture, cottage cheese mixture, and grated cheese.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for about 2 1/2 hours or until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese is nicely melted. (I carefully lift the lid on the Crock-Pot Casserole Crock Slow Cooker at least once during the cooking time and pour off any accumulated liquid.)
- If you’re using the Casserole Crock, you can brown the finished dish in a 400F/200C oven for about 15 minutes if desired, but that step is completely optional. (Crock-Pot doesn’t recommend putting the casserole crock under the broiler.)
Oven Directions:
- If you want to try this in the oven, a reader reported she baked it for 45 minutes and it turned out perfectly and was a hit with her husband. I’d use 375F/190C if you’re baking it in a casserole dish!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 593Total Fat: 26.8gSaturated Fat: 11.6gUnsaturated Fat: 10.9gCholesterol: 157mgSodium: 823mgCarbohydrates: 20.3gFiber: 11gSugar: 6gProtein: 41.6g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
If you use the low-carb tortillas I recommend or a similar product, this recipe has 20.3 carbs but 11 grams of fiber in a serving. (That’s based on 10 servings; some people might want a larger serving so adjust accordingly.) If made with whole-grain tortillas, lean beef, and low-fat cheese, this dish would be suitable for phase 2 of the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Casserole Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there. Click here for Slow Cooker / Instant Pot Recipes on my other site!
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was posted in 2016. It was last updated with more information in 2021.
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Vegetarian Mexican Casserole – Kalyn’s Kitchen
