Mendosa Lasagna

Flour tortillas replace lasagna noodles, hot Italian sausage meets chili powder and Worcestershire, and ricotta gets spiked with pickled jalapenos and cheddar. This is what happens when Italian lasagna and a Tex-Mex enchilada casserole have a very tasty meeting.

The sauce comes together fast. Crumbled sausage browns with onion and green bell pepper, then diced tomatoes, chili powder, and Worcestershire get stirred in and simmered for just five minutes. That short simmer keeps the tomatoes bright and chunky rather than cooking them down into a paste.

The ricotta filling is where things get interesting. Two cups of ricotta mixed with 1 ½ cups of cheddar and chopped pickled jalapenos creates a creamy, spicy layer that melts between the tortillas into something rich and gooey.

Layering follows the same logic as any lasagna: sauce, tortillas, cheese mixture, repeat. The tortillas soften as they bake and soak up the tomato sauce without getting gummy the way undercooked pasta sheets sometimes do. Let it rest five minutes before cutting so the layers hold together.

Pro Tips

• Drain the sausage well after browning. Excess grease will pool in the casserole and make the tortillas soggy
• Use large burrito-sized flour tortillas and trim to fit the dish if needed
• Pickled jalapenos are milder than fresh. If you want real heat, add a diced fresh jalapeno to the sausage mixture
• Cover with foil for the first 20 minutes, then uncover to let the top cheese brown and bubble

Variations

• Chicken version: Replace sausage with shredded rotisserie chicken for a lighter option
• Black bean layer: Spread a can of drained black beans between the tortilla layers for extra protein and fiber
• Corn tortilla swap: Use corn tortillas for a more authentic Mexican texture and a gluten-free version