Chili Lasagna

5 stars (19 reviews)

My easy chili lasagna recipe combines the traditional Italian lasagna preparation with hearty American cowboy chili flavor. It starts with a quick homemade beef and chorizo chili, then I build the lasagna layers with no-boil noodles, rich and tangy cream cheese, and shredded cheddar cheese. You might even wind up loving this fun and delicious twist on two classic recipes more than the originals!

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine: American, Italian, Mexican

Servings:

Calories: 589kcal

Author: Sommer Collier

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
8 ounce Mexican chorizo
1 large red onion, peeled and chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
30 ounce canned red kidney beans, drained
28 ounce crushed tomatoes
7 ounce chopped green chiles
1 tablespoon ground ancho chile (or chili powder)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
8 ounce no-boil lasagna noodles (9-12 noodles)
12 ounce cream cheese, softened
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Set out a 9X13 inch baking dish. Then set a large saucepot on the stovetop over medium heat.
Add the ground beef and chorizo to the saucepot. Break the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Brown for several minutes, stirring to make sure the meat doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Then push the meat to the sides of the pot and add the chopped onions, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute for 3-5 minutes to soften the vegetables.
Add the kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, green chiles, ancho chile, cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Then turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro.
Meanwhile, determine whether you can fit 3 or 4 lasagna noodles in the pan in a single layer. Then either lay 9 or 12 lasagna noodles out on the countertop. (To make three layers.) Spread an equal amount of cream cheese over each dried lasagna noodle.
Spread a small amount of chili over the bottom of the baking dish. Add 3-4 lasagna noodles, in a single layer, over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle 1 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese over the noodles. Then add 2 large ladels of chili over the cheese and spread it out in an even layer.
Add a second layer of lasagna noodles with cream cheese, 1 1/3 cup shredded cheese, and chili in the same order as the first layer. On the final layer, add the lasagna noodles, all the remaining chili, then place the remaining 1 1/3 cups cheese on top of the chili.
Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the edges of the lasagna are bubbling, and the cheese is melted. Allow the lasagna to sit at least 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Video

Notes

Can't Find No-Boil Noodles?

You can use standard lasagna noodles...

Either boil them according to the package instructions, then make the recipe as-is.
Or use them in the recipe dry, add 2/3 cup water to the pan, cover the pan with foil, and bake for 1 hour.
Or make the recipe the day before with dry noodles. Add 2/3 cup water and let the lasagna soak overnight in the fridge. Then bake for 30 minutes as directed the next day.

Storing leftovers - Leftover and reheated chili lasagna is fabulous! The flavors of the chili really settle in, and the whole lasagna sets together more firmly. Store the leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Reheating - I reheat individual slices in the microwave in short 10-second bursts at 50% power. This gets the lasagna hot without zapping it super fast with heat, which could make it too gooey. Another option is reheating pieces or the whole thing in the oven for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Just be sure you're not sticking a cold pan into the hot oven!

Nutrition