Cowboy Lasagna

Think of Cowboy Lasagna as the best possible mashup! Comforting layers of a classic Italian lasagna combine with the bold, spicy influence of Southwestern chili. Packed with ground beef, crispy bacon, rich melted cheeses, and a smoky, fire-roasted sauce!

Apart from the draw of its bold flavors, this cowboy lasagna adds the convenience of being an easy make-ahead meal – ready to be baked when needed. It’s perfect for busy weeknights, potlucks, or feeding a large family. Really – this is amazing lasagna any time of year. Yes, it’s comfort food – but it’s always great for a Friday night dinner or a Sunday supper – everyone loves a meaty, cheesy lasagna!

Customize the meat sauce with simple ingredient swaps or additions to suit your preferences or use up what you already have in the fridge and pantry. 

What is cowboy lasagna?

Cowboy lasagna is what you’d expect if lasagna married chili! You get an irresistible mashup of comforting layers of classic lasagna with the bold spice-driven kick of a Southwestern chili – all in one! 

If that sounds good to you, you’re in the right place! 

Why you’ll love this cowboy lasagna

• It swaps traditional bolognese meat sauce with chili-spiced and fire-roasted tomato sauce, breaking away from traditional Italian lasagna. Perfect when you crave something a little different. 
• Soaking the noodles spares stovetop space and reduces cleanup.
• This lasagna is hearty, crowd-pleasing comfort food that’s a complete and well-balanced meal with protein, veggies, and carbs. What else could you need?!

Ingredients needed to make cowboy lasagna

• Dried lasagna noodles: You’ll need about 15 noodles for this cowboy lasagna which is most of what you’ll find in a 1-pound box. Don’t use no-boil lasagna noodles for this recipe. 
• Shredded cheese: I’ve used sharp cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese. A Mexican blend would also work. 
• Bacon: Use thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled. It adds a salty, smoky depth to the Southwestern lasagna meat sauce. 
• Oil: Vegetable oil or another neutral oil.
• Veggies: Red onion and red bell peppers are softened in a heated skillet before combining with the ground beef for a rich base. 
• Ground beef: Use lean ground beef so that you don’t need to drain excess grease. 
• Seasoning: Chili powder, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and ground cumin. Adjust as needed. Extra chili powder is great if you prefer a spicier version. 
• Marinara sauce: Use store-bought for convenience or homemade marinara. 

• Barbecue sauce: Thickens the meat sauce and adds tangy sweetness to balance out the spice. 
• Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: The juices are included when combining with the seasoned ground beef mixture. Adds flavor and a kick of heat. 
• Diced green chiles: Juices are also included for additional cooking liquid and flavor. 
• Whole-milk ricotta cheese: Make sure to use whole-milk for the best flavor. Low-fat alternatives release water which will make the lasagna runny.
• Fresh cilantro leaves: Chopped and sprinkled over the lasagna once cooled slightly for serving. This is an optional garnish, but it does add a lovely pop of color to the dish and herbaceous brightness. 

How do you make cowboy lasagna? 

Prepare the noodles:

1. Place 15 dried lasagna noodles in a 9×13-inch baking dish, cover with very hot tap water, and let soak for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to separate any stuck noodles. 
2. Drain, wipe the dish dry, and spray with cooking spray.

Cook the bacon and shred cheese:

1. Cook the bacon until crisp, then crumble and set aside. 
2. Shred the sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack and combine.

Make the meat sauce:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven until it shimmers. 
2. Add the red onion and bell pepper; and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. 
3. Add lean ground beef and the seasonings. Cook for about 8 minutes, breaking meat into bite-sized pieces, then stir in the crumbled bacon during the final minute.
4. Stir in the marinara sauce, barbecue sauce, fire-roasted diced tomatoes (with juices), and diced green chiles (with juices). 
5. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat.

Assemble the lasagna layers:

1. Spread ¾ cup meat sauce in the baking dish. 
2. Top with 5 noodles (break to fit). 
3. Dollop and spread half (1 cup) of the ricotta, then about 3 cups meat sauce, then 1 cup shredded cheese. Repeat the layering.
4. Finish with the last 5 noodles, the remaining meat sauce, and the rest of the shredded cheese.

Bake and rest:

1. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 30-40 minutes, until noodles are tender, cheese melted, and sauce bubbling. 
2. Let the lasagna cool 20 minutes before serving. 
3. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro if desired.

Serving

Enjoy this cowboy lasagna with Southwest Kale Quinoa Salad, Mango Cucumber Summer Slaw, Mexican Cabbage Salsa, Air Fryer Garlic Bread, Summer Corn Tomato Salad, or cornbread. 

Round off this comforting meal with a slice of Mexican Flan Cake, a scoop of Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Syrup, or Mexican Chocolate Brownies. 

Sandy’s tips and substitutions:

• Storage: Store leftover cowboy lasagna in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat individual servings of your leftover lasagna in the microwave just until warmed through.  
• Make-ahead: To make this cowboy lasagna ahead, assemble the lasagna as directed in the recipe instructions and cover the entire pan with foil. Freeze it for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, allow the frozen lasagna to thaw overnight in the fridge. Remove the outer layer of foil (keeping the top foil covering) and bake the lasagna. You will need to add an extra 10-15 minutes to the bake time to account for the chilled temperature of the lasagna. 
• Bake from frozen: If you don’t want to wait for your frozen unbaked lasagna to first thaw in the fridge, add it straight to the oven and add an extra 30-40 minutes to the baking time. 
• Drain excess grease: I prefer cooking with 90% lean ground beef as it reduces the amount of grease left after cooking the meat. If you use ground beef with a higher fat percentage, you may need to drain it before incorporating other ingredients otherwise you can end up with an overly oily lasagna. 
• Use freshly shredded cheese: Avoid pre-shredded cheese as this is often coated in anti-caking agents for a longer shelf-life. This prevents the cheese from melting as well as freshly grated cheese and also dulls the flavor. 
• Only soak the noodles: The noodles do not need to be boiled for this cowboy lasagna as they will cook and soften enough in the oven. Boiling the noodles will make them very mushy and unpleasant. 
• Rest the cooked lasagna: The additional 20 minutes of cooling time ensures that the juicy layers settle so that you don’t cut into a runny lasagna. 

Variations:

• Gluten-free: Swap regular dried lasagna noodles with gluten-free lasagna noodles. 
• Types of ground meat: Substitute the ground beef with either ground chicken or ground turkey.
• Vegetable alternatives: Zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, corn, spinach, or kale are all great options to include in this cowboy lasagna as ingredient swaps or additions. 
• Ricotta layer: You could experiment with an equal amount of cottage cheese instead of ricotta, if you prefer. 
• Vegetarian cowboy lasagna: Omit the ground beef and bacon and increase the veggies. 

Love cowboy cooking? Then try this Cornbread Cowboy Casserole and Cowboy Caviar Pineapple Dip. They’re equally delicious, loaded with bold flavor, easy to throw together, and guaranteed to please a hungry crowd.

More creative lasagna recipes you may want to try:

• Zucchini Eggplant Lasagna
• Vegetarian Lasagna Roll-Ups
• Mexican Tortilla Lasagna
• Turkey Lasagna Soup

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Cowboy Lasagna

Sandy Coughlin

Cowboy Lasagna is a hearty, crowd-pleasing chili-forward spin on the Italian classic, packed with bold Southwestern flavors and hearty ingredients that will keep you coming back for more.

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

resting time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Yield: 10

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Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 15 dried lasagna noodles, not no-boil; most of a 1-pound box
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 8 ounces thick cut bacon, about 8 slices, cooked and crumbled
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large red onion, diced (about 1 3/4 cups)
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 16 ounce marinara sauce (2 cups), (2 cups)
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 14 ounce fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 7 ounce diced green chiles
• 1 15 ounce whole-milk ricotta cheese, (about 2 cups), divided
• Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

 

• Place 15 dried lasagna noodles in a 9×13-inch baking dish, cover with very hot tap water, and let soak for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to separate any stuck noodles.
• Drain, wipe the dish dry, and spray with cooking spray.
• Cook the bacon until crisp, then crumble and set aside.
• Shred the sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack and combine.
• Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven until it shimmers.
• Add the red onion and bell pepper; and cook for about 5 minutes until softened.
• Add lean ground beef and the seasonings. Cook for about 8 minutes, breaking meat into bite-sized pieces, then stir in the crumbled bacon during the final minute.
• Stir in the marinara sauce, barbecue sauce, fire-roasted diced tomatoes (with juices), and diced green chiles (with juices).
• Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat.
• Spread ¾ cup meat sauce in the baking dish.
• Top with 5 noodles (break to fit).
• Dollop and spread half (1 cup) of the ricotta, then about 3 cups meat sauce, then 1 cup shredded cheese. Repeat the layering.
• Finish with the last 5 noodles, the remaining meat sauce, and the rest of the shredded cheese.
• Bake uncovered at 350°F for 30-40 minutes, until noodles are tender, cheese melted, and sauce bubbling.
• Let the lasagna cool 20 minutes before serving.
• Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro if desired.

Notes

Sandy’s tips:

• Storage: Store leftover cowboy lasagna in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat individual servings of your leftover lasagna in the microwave just until warmed through.  
• Make-ahead: To make this cowboy lasagna ahead, assemble the lasagna as directed in the recipe instructions and cover the entire pan with foil. Freeze it for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, allow the frozen lasagna to thaw overnight in the fridge. Remove the outer layer of foil (keeping the top foil covering) and bake the lasagna. You will need to add an extra 10-15 minutes to the bake time to account for the chilled temperature of the lasagna. 
• Bake from frozen: If you don’t want to wait for your frozen unbaked lasagna to first thaw in the fridge, add it straight to the oven and add an extra 30-40 minutes to the baking time.

Cuisine: American

Course: Main Course

Calories: 560kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 86mg, Sodium: 943mg, Potassium: 448mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 939IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 359mg, Iron: 2mg

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