There are so many great ways to make grain-free lasagna. Here's one of my favorites from my cookbook, The Healthy Coconut Flour Cookbook (page 149).
There are a couple of techniques I use to make a gluten-free, grain-free lasagna: use vegetables as noodles, like zucchini or celeriac, bake all the ingredients minus the noodles and call it good, or use grain-free crépes or tortillas as noodles.
Here's the very cool thing about this recipe: you can change the type of noodle and it comes out great no matter what you choose.
I've made this recipe with roasted zucchini, coconut flour tortillas, fried egg, crêpes, and all purpose flour tortillas when guests are not following a special diet.
And a bonus: this recipe makes great leftovers! Store sealed in the refrigerator for several days, or seal and freeze for a few weeks.
Mexican Lasagna {grain-free}
Ingredients
- 5 ounces spinach leaves
- 1 cup cilantro not packed
- 4 green onions
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ pound ground chicken or other ground protein
- ⅛ teaspoon salt for the chicken
- 14.5 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chillies or add green chillies separately
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese or other cheese
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon hot sauce or cayenne pepper optional
- 6 to 8 tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C, or gas mark 7).
- Finely chop the green onions, spinach, and cilantro. You can speed up this step by pulsing all the greens in a food processor. Add the spinach in small bunches.
- Place a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and add the ground chicken. Break up the chicken with a spatula as it cooks.
- Cook the chicken for a few minutes or until it’s mostly cooked. Remove it from the saucepan and set aside on a warm plate.
- Add the chopped spinach, onions, and cilantro to the saucepan along with the chili powder, cumin, salt, and fire-roasted tomatoes with chilies. If you’re adding the chilies separately, add them now as well.
- Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes stirring occasionally and then turn off the heat.
- Place the first layer of tortillas in an 8-inch x 8-inch (20.3 cm x 20.3 cm) baking dish, or about 2 tortillas so they cover the bottom of the dish.
- On top of the tortillas place a layer of the chicken mixture across the tortillas and then a layer of shredded cheese.
- Cover the cheese with another layer of tortillas and repeat the sequence. In all you’ll have three layers, about 2 tortillas in each layer, and the final layer will have the chicken mixture covered with cheese so the top layer is cheese.
- Place the lasagna in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is browning.
- Cool for a moment and slice. Serve warm. Store covered in the refrigerator for a few days, or in the freezer for a few months.
Jenny says
I don't know how many years later, but my son (now in deep remission Crohn's) still asks me for to make this lasagna for his birthday dinner! It's his favorite!! Thank you for your recipes, they helped my son and I navigate his diet with scrumptious recipes and joy.
Jenny, that's wonderful news about your son! Congratulations to you and your son. This is one of my favorites as well. Best wishes, Erica
Emily says
Made this last night and it was delicious! And it's holding up well as leftovers tonight as well. The one thing I would say is that the tortillas I had were pretty thick so next time I make it I will probably do fewer, denser layers. I used dry curd cottage cheese and a little shredded cheddar for the cheese which worked great
Erica says
So great to hear! One of my favorites and the cheese mix is great!
Sharon Cogburn says
This is the best thing I've eaten since starting this diet. I doubled the recipe and I'm so glad I did because now we have leftovers. So many healthy ingredients and so tasty! I used purchased almond flour tortillas.
Erica says
So good to hear! I love this recipe as well. What brand of almond flour tortillas did you use?
Sharon Cogburn says
Siete
Erica says
Thanks!