I was so excited about making homemade buckwheat noodles recently that I decided to try them out in lasagna. And since the noodles have a bit of sweet potato in them, Mexican lasagna was my first choice. I always thought that homemade noodles were somewhat difficult to make, but I realize now that they are really fairly simple. Take a look at my lasagna noodles after they were rolled and cut:
The time spent making the noodles is almost made up for by the fact that they take just two minutes to cook!
Still, it’s not easy to enjoy lasagna when you are dairy free, so I haven’t often eaten or made it. However, things are changing! We’ve recently been reintroducing dairy into our diets, since my youngest child is outgrowing her dairy intolerance. I’ve been mostly off dairy since 2005, when my second daughter showed symptoms of MSPI, so we’re taking things slow. One perk of going easy on dairy is that it also saves calories.
This lasagna, then, has several options for how light you choose to make it.
- You can make it extra light by skipping the mayonnaise and not adding cheese. This makes each serving about 350 calories.
- Or you can add 50 calories per serving and include the creamy mayonnaise (which I highly recommend!).
- Finally, you can further add to the appeal by sprinkling it with cheese. This might push the calories up to around 425 calories per serving, which is still very reasonable.
If dairy or lactose are problematic for you or your family members, there are also many cheese alternatives made from soy, rice, or almonds. Personally, I find the richness of the avocado and olives is enough for me; I have yet to find a cheese alternative that I like enough to pay the steep price tag. But real dairy cheese I do like–in moderation.
Because Mexican lasagna is so flavourful, it doesn’t need to be smothered in cheese. Using cheese as an optional accent instead of a main ingredient, frees diners to taste how the other ingredients and spices blend together. And they do so beautifully in this recipe, which I hope you can try for yourself.
Lightened Up Mexican Lasagna {with Gluten Free, Dairy Free Options}
Ingredients:
- gluten free lasagna noodles, cooked (See my homemade buckwheat noodles.)
- 8 to 12 ounces (240 to 360 grams) refried beans, or cooked pureed beans
- 8 ounces (240 grams) ground beef, pork, or chicken, crumbled and cooked, optional
- taco seasoning, to taste
- sea salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, optional (but very delicious!)
- 8 ounces (240 grams) mild or medium salsa
- 1 to 2 radishes, scrubbed, rinsed and grated
- 1 avocado, diced
- sliced olives, for topping
- 1 to 2 green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup shredded cheese, optional
Directions:
- Spread a thin layer of salsa on the bottom of an 8 by 8-inch (20 x 20 cm) baking dish. Cut lasagna noodles to fit and form one layer. Mix together beans, meat (if using), and mayonnaise. Season with taco seasoning and sea salt to taste. Spread half of bean mixture over noodle layer and top with 1/3 cup salsa. Over this place another layer of lasagna noodles, then bean mixture and remaining salsa.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 C) and cook lasagna until layers are heated through, about 10 minutes. Or heat in a microwave. Remove hot lasagna from oven and top with grated radish, avocado, green onions, and cheese if using. Optional: return lasagna to oven or heat in microwave briefly to melt cheese. Serve warm.
I share recipes with other good cooks at Allergy Free Wednesdays and here.
Swirls and Spice 
This sounds lovely! I adore that you made noodles that have sweet potatoes in them! Yum!
Thanks so much! They turned out even better than I expected.
Thanks for linking up at #pintasticpinterestingparty. I have several friends who are gluten intolerant. I am sure they will appreciate this recipe. The Lasagna noodles sound interesting and the whole dish looks delicious. Thanks again.
You could also use gluten free lasagna noodles from the health food aisle to make it even easier. 🙂 Thanks for featuring my recipe.