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Home » Blog » Easy and Easier: Slow Cooker Mexican Lasagna

Easy and Easier: Slow Cooker Mexican Lasagna

 Updated: July 26, 2018    Catherine McCord    73 Comments

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This is a guest post from Catherine McCord of One Potato and Weelicious.


Slow Cooker Mexican Lasagna on 100 Days of Real Food

Let’s discuss a few of my favorite things:

• My slow cooker
• Mexican food
• Just about any dish with the word lasagna in it

You with me? Great, let’s chat!

Slow Cooker Mexican Lasagna on 100 Days of Real Food

Now that I have three kids, I have less time to cook during the week than ever before. As a result, my slow cooker has graduated from being a good friend to the love of my life. Why? It basically takes all of the time, effort and clean up out of cooking. I can put just about anything in it, turn it on, go about the rest of my day and come home hours later to a delicious meal my troops will devour. That’s how this Slow Cooker Mexican Lasagna was born.

I love lasagna, but I also love to do fun spins on classic dishes. So with this recipe, lasagna noodles are replaced by corn tortillas (yes, this dish is totally gluten-free); traditional Mexican flavors like grated cheddar, cilantro, salsa, sweet corn and more stand in for their Italian counterparts; and lean ground turkey and cumin bring added texture and a distinctive taste. Another difference is how easy this dish is compared to making a traditional lasagna. Thanks to your crock pot, simply chop your ingredients, dump them in the slow cooker and give a stir. Your work here is done (and your kitchen will smell heavenly all day). And if you’d like you can even simply layer all the ingredients the night before, pop it in the fridge and then turn on your slow cooker the next morning.

That was the easy part in the title. Here comes easier: If you don’t have time at all during your busy week to prepare dinner (sound familiar?), I have another solution. About a year ago, I launched a meal kit delivery service out west called One Potato. After hearing from one too many members of the Weelicious community that the other meal kit delivery services were not family friendly, I knew there was a better way. Utilizing recipes from both Weelicious and my cookbooks, One Potato’s mission is to keep things simple with all of the pre-prepped ingredients for 3 organic family-friendly meals (examples pictured below) arriving at your door each week to help you get dinner on your table in 30 minutes or less. Lisa and her family tried One Potato last week, and I was so happy and proud when I saw the pictures she posted of her girls making it here!

One Potato Box on 100 Days of Real Food

If you live in California, Arizona or Nevada (or want to get a great holiday gift for someone who does) One Potato is offering 100 Days of Real Food families $20 off their first order at checkout with the code REAL20! Sign up here!

And now here’s the Slow Cooker Mexican Lasagna I got you all excited about – enjoy!

Slow Cooker Mexican Lasagna on 100 Days of Real Food

Slow Cooker Mexican Lasagna
4.91 from 11 votes

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: red sauce pasta, spring pasta dish
Dietary Restriction: Gluten Free, Peanut/Tree-Nut Free
Category: Freezer Friendly

Active Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
Servings (Adjust to suit): 8 people
Calories: 1287 kcal
This is a guest recipe from Catherine of Weelicious

Print

Easy and Easier: Slow Cooker Mexican Lasagna 5

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, large, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 pound ground turkey, lean
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt, kosher
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup carrots, peeled and grated (about 2 carrots)
  • 1 cup frozen corn, defrosted
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 12-oz package corn tortillas, 12 tortillas
  • 2 cups cheese, Mexican blend
  • 2 16-oz jars salsa, mild and chunky

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large sauté pan and cook the onions for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté an additional minute.
  2. Add the ground turkey meat, cumin, salt and chili powder and cook for 6-7 minutes until cooked through. Place turkey mixture aside and cool.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg and sour cream together. Add the cooled turkey mixture, carrots, corn and cilantro and mix to combine.
  4. Spread a 1 cup of salsa on the bottom of the crock pot.
  5. Layer 5 tortillas on top of the salsa, cutting them if necessary to fit the crock pot and covering the salsa completely.
  6. Place half the turkey mixture on top of the tortillas and top with 1 cups of salsa and 1/2 cup of cheese.
  7. Add another layer of 3 tortillas on top of the cheese. Pour the remaining turkey mixture on top of the tortillas and top with another 1/2 cup of cheese.
  8. Top the lasagna with another layer of tortillas, pour the remaining salsa on top and cover with 1 cup of cheese.
  9. Cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.

Recipe Notes

We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts
Slow Cooker Mexican Lasagna
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1287 Calories from Fat 297
% Daily Value*
Fat 33g51%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Cholesterol 100mg33%
Sodium 763mg33%
Potassium 1174mg34%
Carbohydrates 214g71%
Fiber 30g125%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 46g92%
Vitamin A 3205IU64%
Vitamin C 3.8mg5%
Calcium 618mg62%
Iron 7mg39%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Category: Dinner, Recipes, Slow Cooker

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About Catherine McCord

Launched in 2007, Catherine McCord, mom to Kenya (6) and Chloe (4), created Weelicious.com as a platform to show parents around the world how easy and beneficial it is to expose children to wholesome and delicious homemade food. After personally struggling with how to feed Kenya, Catherine recognized a need for realistic, accessible and nutritious recipes for parents using minimal ingredients that are fully loaded with flavor. Weelicious, which now houses over 700 original recipes and has spawned into a cookbook, isn’t about taking risks or presenting challenges in the kitchen. Catherine inspires her community with ingredients that are readily available and recipes that are fast and easy to follow. Debuting a new recipe or tip daily and how-to cooking videos posted every Tuesday, Weelicious is a wealth of information and has quickly developed an international audience on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. She also recently introduced weekly meal plans that take the guesswork out of what to cook – and the foods are all ones that kids love! You can check those out here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Angel

    January 24, 2019 at 1:35 pm

    Another family favorite!!!

    Reply
  2. [email protected]

    January 17, 2019 at 12:34 pm

    How about replacing the meat with black beans? This sounds great, but I don’t eat meat.

    Reply
  3. Wendy B.

    January 11, 2019 at 8:29 pm

    I just made this recipe and it is delicious! I didn’t have ground turkey so I used ground beef. Yummy!! Will definitely make this again.

    Reply
  4. Dorothy

    January 6, 2019 at 1:35 pm

    Hi, have made this recipe about 4 times and I, as well as my husband enjoy it. It’s perfect for me since I became aware that gluten is bad for my cholesterol. After researching, I decided to go very light on wheat. Although it freezes well, I’m now going to cut the recipe in half to save on freezer space. Thanks for a great recipe!

    Reply
  5. Jennifer F

    August 22, 2018 at 1:23 pm

    Made this for the first time this week. DELISH! The only change I would probably make next time is to sub out the carrots for bell peppers. Just a personal preference. But this recipe is a keeper! Thanks!

    Reply
  6. Maggie Unzueta

    August 19, 2018 at 9:49 pm

    Great food photos. It looks so good.

    Reply
  7. Liz Rakers

    May 3, 2018 at 1:29 pm

    This is one of my favorite recipes! Do you know if anyone has ever tried doubling this recipe in a Crock-Pot? I am hoping to make it for a larger crowd but I wanted to get some reassurance that it turns out just as great when it is doubled. Thanks for your help!

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator)

      May 14, 2018 at 9:06 am

      Hi there. Yes, you should be able to double this without a problem.

      Reply
  8. Robin Jenkins

    January 30, 2018 at 10:32 am

    My husband is allergic to dairy. Any ideas to substitute the cheese?

    Reply
    • Nelda

      May 11, 2018 at 9:30 am

      Daiya Cheese is a great substitue and it really does melt (or at least the cheddar shreds I bought did) I found it had much more flavor than regular cheese.

      Reply
  9. Dara Hammerman

    January 23, 2018 at 9:41 am

    How much is a serving of this recipe?

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator)

      January 29, 2018 at 1:20 pm

      Hi there. I usually do about a cup.

      Reply
  10. Michelle

    August 24, 2017 at 5:18 pm

    Hi! This recipe was delicious! We all enjoyed it and it was simple to pull together. We will definitely make again. However, I am always frustrated when “prep” times seem way off… I am a mom of 4 kids and cook/bake all the time. There is no way anyone can prep this for the crockpot in 10 minutes – by time you chop your onion, garlic and saute, then saute turkey, then peel and grate your carrot and make sour cream mixture, this is at least 20-25 minutes prep and that doesn’t necessarily include clean up. And by time I do all of that, I might as well throw it in the oven to bake instead of pull out the crockpot! :) B/c time is of the essence when cooking for large families, I always value a true prep time.

    Reply
    • Catherine McCord

      August 24, 2017 at 5:20 pm

      Great note! We should change to 15 minutes!

      Reply
  11. Jeannie

    August 9, 2017 at 11:41 am

    Do you think thin, mandolin-sliced zucchini could take the place of tortillas in this recipe, for those looking to lighten up the meal, or just get more veggies in?

    Reply
    • Catherine McCord

      August 22, 2018 at 2:51 pm

      I love that idea! You could make the noodles on a mandoline. Do beware that zucchini has a lot of water content which could make the dish turn out with more liquid throughout.

      Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator)

      August 18, 2017 at 3:04 pm

      Thant’s not something we’ve tired. If you do, let us know how it turns out.

      Reply
  12. Katrina

    July 12, 2017 at 1:23 pm

    Do you think i could do this with cream cheese, yogurt or milk instead of sour cream? I love this recipe and have everything to make it except the sour cream….

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator)

      July 20, 2017 at 3:13 pm

      Hi there. I often sub greek yogurt with a little lemon for sour cream but have not tried in this recipe.

      Reply
  13. Allison

    January 26, 2017 at 6:23 pm

    I made this today and it came out mush. The mush tastes good, but it looks “predigested” if you will. What did I do wrong??? Why is it so liquidy? I even used half the salsa!

    Reply
    • Catherine McCord

      January 26, 2017 at 8:28 pm

      That’s not good! Is it possible your slow cooker doesn’t get hot enough?

      Reply
      • Allison

        January 27, 2017 at 4:16 pm

        I don’t know, I’ve never had a problem with it before! I ended up throwing out the whole pot, I just couldn’t eat it. :(

        Reply
  14. michele mihalick

    January 25, 2017 at 10:27 am

    I’m confused….aren’t there some non real food ingredients in this recipe? Such as the corn tortillas and mexican blend cheese? I’m surprised 100 days of real food would endorse this recipe?

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator)

      January 30, 2017 at 12:16 pm

      Hi Michele. We love Catherine’s recipes. I, personally, endorse well thought out short cuts fairly regularly in the interest of sanity. ;) You can always make your own tortillas using Lisa’s recipe: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/recipe-easy-whole-grain-corn-tortillas/ and shave your own cheese. Freeze the extra tortilla so you have them handy. I made this over the weekend and highly recommend it.

      Reply
  15. Laurie Burton

    December 31, 2016 at 10:15 pm

    Spectacularly good! We’ve made it almost once a week since we found this recipe (and learned that not only are many corn tortillas gluten-free, but if they’re made in Mexico, they’re likely non-GMO! Yea, Mexico!)

    Reply
    • Catherine McCord

      January 3, 2017 at 1:15 am

      Love this SO much!!

      Reply
  16. Stephanie

    November 21, 2016 at 11:13 pm

    I made this last week and my family devoured it. Thanks for sharing this tasty and healthy recipe!

    Reply
  17. Erin

    November 21, 2016 at 11:08 pm

    Made this last night. Super easy and tastes great. The whole family loved it and asked me to make it again.

    Reply
  18. Elizabeth K

    November 14, 2016 at 7:57 am

    Could I make this in a 9×13 pan and bake in oven? Maybe 350 degrees for 45 minutes? Thank you for your help!

    Reply
    • Catherine McCord

      November 14, 2016 at 10:23 am

      That would totally work Elizabeth! Here’s a baked version we’ve been making for years: http://weelicious.com/2011/05/02/mexican-lasagna/

      Reply
      • Elizabeth K

        November 14, 2016 at 5:19 pm

        Thank you! :)

        Reply
  19. Lindsey

    November 13, 2016 at 12:07 am

    Yum! Made this recipie tonight. It is fantastic! Most Mexican “casserole” type dishes can be too heavy but this one is great! Great flavors and healthy. Quick and easy and so yummy.

    Reply
    • Catherine McCord

      November 13, 2016 at 4:56 pm

      You’re quick! Love that you got to enjoy it :)

      Reply
  20. Cassie

    November 10, 2016 at 7:58 pm

    Could you leave out the egg or would you suggest a replacement? This sounds amazing, but we have an egg allergy in tge family :(

    Reply
    • Amy Jones

      September 18, 2017 at 12:42 pm

      Cassie we have an egg allergy too. Whenever things call for a egg I replace with flaxseed and water mixed together. Works as a good binder. Usually use 1 Tbsp flaxseed (I get crushed up kind) and 3 Tbsp water, leave alone for 5-10 min then use in any recipe. I will be trying to recipe today.

      Reply
    • Catherine McCord

      November 11, 2016 at 1:36 pm

      Try Ener-G egg replacer. Luckily there’s only one egg used as a binder, so it will work great!

      Reply

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