What to Serve with Mexican Lasagna? 7 BEST Side Dishes

Most people have heard about Lasagna and its origins from the region of Italy.

However, have you heard of Mexican Lasagna?

Mexican Lasagna is a generations-old dish that originated with the Aztecs.

This dish is a Mexican play on the Italian dish and also uses traditional Mexican ingredients.

It is popularly known as Pastel de Moctezuma.

This Lasagna is made of layers of meat stacked with tortillas that replace the lasagna noodles.

It also uses Latin American cheeses and chilies.

Salsa is also a part of Mexican Lasagnas.

In place of marinara sauce, enchilada or taco sauces are used.

These traditional flavors have imparted almost wholly conventional Mexican flavors to Lasagna.

So, even though the Mexican Lasagna has no connection to its Italian counterpart, it is also a recreation of the same.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes with Mexican Lasagna?

Mexican Lasagna has traditionally compact flavors.

These flavors are compact and are extremely delightful on the tongue.

It is important to have light side dishes alongside your Lasagna so as to better understand the flavor profile of the Mexican Lasagna.

When you have a dish that is traditional in most regards, try to go for side dishes that are also traditional and from the same region of origin.

This helps ensure that you don’t go too far astray from the flavor profiles of your main dish but successfully diversify the flavors on your meal table.

Below is a compilation of 7 of the best side dishes you can serve with your Mexican Lasagna.

Read on to know which dishes they are.

What to Serve with Mexican Lasagna? 7 BEST Side Dishes

1 – Mexican Rice

Traditionally Mexican, this rice dish is made with onions, fresh tomatoes, and garlic.

You can also add fresh peas, corn, and carrots.

This dish can be made in one pot with all the good vegetables you want and is hassle-free.

The best part about this dish is that it can also be made with leftover rice.

The onions, garlic, and tomatoes add a beautiful color and aroma to the dish.

As such, it also becomes the perfect side dish for your Mexican Lasagna.

With the meat fillings and cheese on one end, this rice dish makes it an absolutely fulfilling meal.

2 – Cilantro Rice And Black Beans

Another traditionally Latin dish, this dish is loved because of the black beans and cilantro.

The cilantro and lime add a zing of freshness to the dish.

As such, the tempting factor becomes too real to resist.

It is also the perfect side dish to make for your guests because it is gluten-free, dairy-free, and devoid of nuts.

This recipe is easy to make and requires less prep time and minimal effort.

You can always use canned black beans for this dish; however, if you can home-cook the black beans beforehand, even better.

Serve this Cilantro Rice and Black Beans recipe with your Mexican Lasagna the next time you run out of options to consider for a side dish.

3 – Cheater Restaurant Style Refried Beans

This dish is essentially a dip and is perfect for most Mexican creations.

This dish uses refried beans, hot sauce, cheese, and sour cream to give you the perfect dip.

Paired with the Mexican Lasagna, it will be like having a little party in your mouth.

This dip is perfect for serving with nachos, tacos, and enchiladas.

You can also opt for low-fat refried beans if you can find them.

Also, pay attention to the hot sauce that you use because that is one of the main ingredients in this dip.

4 – Bruschetta

An Italian creation, this will also work nicely with its Mexican counterpart.

It is a traditional Italian bread made with garlic, bread, olive oil, and salt.

‘Bruschetta’ in Italian means ‘to roast over coals.

Today, Bruschetta is a popular type of bread all over the world.

Bruschetta is usually served with toppings on one side.

These toppings can include vegetables, fruits, cheese, cured meat, etc.

This bright side dish can be an excellent companion to your Mexican Lasagna.

Try this combination the next time you are making Mexican Lasagna.

5 – Caesar Salad

Caesar Salad is perhaps one of the most popular salads out there.

This salad is made with Romaine lettuce and is dressed with Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, anchovies, etc.

This salad also contains Parmesan cheese and is very healthy and nutritious.

If you are thinking of serving it as a side dish along with Mexican Lasagna, think no further.

The pair will be an instant hit.

6 – Instant Pot Minestrone

Minestrone is a kind of soup; it is an Italian vegetable soup that is made with different ingredients and contains tomatoes as a base.

Minestrone can be either lightly cooked or rich in texture, depending on the amount of time given to cooking.

You can add vegetables like carrots, celery, beans, pasta and sometimes rice.

With its hearty taste and nutritious ingredients, this instant pot minestrone soup will be a great companion to your Mexican Lasagna.

7 – Tamales

Tamales are a traditional dish that is made from Masa- a dough made from corn.

They are then steamed in a banana leaf or husk to perfection.

The husks can be either discarded or used as plates too.

These tamales can be filled with various things like beans, cheese, or meat.

This hearty and nutritious dish will make for excellent company with your Mexican Lasagna.

If you can grab this recipe’s essential ingredients and requirements, you can easily make it at home.

The flavors from the filling and the dough make it a delicious and nutritious side to any meal.

Conclusion

Mexican Lasagna is a play on the original Italian Lasagna recipe.

With the use of traditional Mexican ingredients, this dish has completely different flavors than its Italian counterpart.

However, any meat dish requires some kind of side dish to understand the flavor profiles better.

Also, there are a lot of dishes that go well with Mexican Lasagna.

Above are only a few dishes that would make great sides with it.