Taco Lasagna

We found this recipe on Low Sodium Cooking. It has become a favorite and a go to in low sodium cooking for us.  They call is Taco Casserole, but we found that Taco Lasagna is a better description. We have changed the recipe to suit our tastes. You may find the original recipe here.

1 pound of Ground Beef

1 Onion, Chopped

1 clove of Garlic, Minced or grated

1 tablespoon of Chili Powder

1/2 teaspoon of Oregano

1/2 teaspoon of Cumin

1 can of No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes

8 oz can of No Salt Added Tomato Sauce (or No Salt Added Tomato Paste if in a pinch)

1 can No Salt Added Black Beans

12 Corn Tortillas

3/4 cup of Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded (or as much cheese as you would like)

In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the ground beef, onion, and garlic until the beef is done. 

Drain off excess fat. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes and spices. 

Simmer mixture for 2 minutes. 

Place a layer of 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray. 

Place a layer of the beef mixture over top. 

Then 4 more tortillas. 

Then the beans. 

The final 4 tortillas and the rest of the beef mixture. 

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. 

Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven until cheese has melted.  


We like to add cheese to all the layers. We just REALLY like cheese.

The ingredients. The "Accent" in the red and white shaker is MSG. Yes, it is basically sodium, but it give it an extra something with less sodium than salt.

The beef, onions, and garlic in the skillet.

The meat with all the seasonings. Instead of a full tablespoon of Chili Powder we used half Chili Powder and half Chipotle Powder.  When I was in town I went to Goeke Produce and stocked up on fresh spices.

The meat with the tomatoes added.

Spraying the pain. (Awesome photography by my husband.)

The first layer of corn tortillas.

The first layer of the meat mixture with extra cheese.

Second layer of tortillas and the beans. The spot with no beans is mine.

The last layer of tortillas with the meat and cheese.

The finished product!

We have found that Mexican and Italian are the easiest make low sodium. With all the other flavors going on you don't miss the salt.

~Stefani =)

Parmesan Dressing

We found this recipe on the back of Pompeian brand Roasted Garlic Infused Red Wine Vinegar. We did tweak it a little to make it low sodium (like leave out the salt it calls for). I will admit that I will sprinkle a little kosher salt on my salad when I use this dressing. Joshua, however, refrains from this temptation. Here is the recipe we use...

1 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO for Rachael Ray fans)

1/2 cup of Pompeian Roasted Garlic Infused Red Wine Vinegar

1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

2 cloves of Garlic (minced or grated)

1/2 cup of White Wine (optional)

Combine all ingredients and shake well. Best to refrigerate after use. 

I recommend a higher quality extra virgin olive oil. It really does make a difference.

The EVOO and Red Wine Vinegar hating each other. 

A trick I learned from watching Rachael Ray: use a micro-plane grater to "mince" your garlic. So much easier than getting out a cutting board and chopping. 

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I used the same micro-plane grater as the garlic. 

The finished product!

This dressing is perfect for salads. It is very light and not overpowering. I have also used it as a base for a low sodium pasta salad.

~Stefani =)

Marinara Sauce

I saw this recipe on the show "Kitchen Boss". I swapped the regular tomatoes for no salt added tomatoes and added onion. The sauce tastes like you are a gourmet Italian chef and is super easy. It makes a large batch, so if you are a small family you can divided the sauce into smaller portions and freeze. When you need to use it, put the sauce in a small crock pot or covered pot on the stove and simmer. 


This recipe has about 37 mg of sodium per 1/2 Cup serving. Prego Marinara Italian Sauce in a jar has 480mg per 1/2 cup serving. Which is practically a meal's worth of sodium for a person on a low sodium diet.

2 28oz No Salt Added Crushed Tomatoes
2 14.5oz No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes
1/4 Cup of Olive Oil
2 Cloves of Garlic (diced or crushed) (also more if you are fan of garlic)
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 Cup of Fresh Basil Leaves, torn into small pieces
4 teaspoons of sugar (1 teaspoon per can of tomatoes)
Mrs. Dash Tomato Garlic Basil to taste

I have been known to add no taste fiber powder to the sauce. (Such as Benfiber)

In a 3-4 qt. pot, heat the oil, garlic, and onion together. When garlic becomes pale gold and fragrant add the tomatoes.  Stir well to combine and bring sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer sauce, 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat, check for seasoning and stir in the torn basil leaves

The onions and garlic with some of the tomatoes on top.

 Once all the tomatoes are in the pot.

Adding sugar, the secret ingredient. The "Kitchen Boss" recommends a teaspoon per can of tomatoes used. The green stuff is Tomato Basil Garlic Mrs Dash.

My husband says this sauce is "gourmet" and better than anything out of a jar. 

~Stefani =)

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Low Sodium Swaps

Here are some easy low sodium swaps for your favorite ingredients. A little lesson of "eat this not that".

Corn Tortillas for Flour Tortillas 

-Many corn tortillas have zero sodium, but double check the nutrition information to make sure it has zero.

-You'll go from 300mg per shell (the large ones) to 0mg per shell. (the corn tortillas are considerably smaller, but you can have as many as you want!)

No Salt Added Canned Goods for Traditional Can Goods

-Pretty much every vegetable has a no salt added twin

Mrs. Dash for Packaged Meat Marinades

-We have used almost all the Mrs. Dash flavors for a marinade. Just add your favorite oil and a little vinegar (any kind you like)

You'll go from about 380mg per 1 tsp to 0mg per 1 tsp. This is one area where I truly did not miss the sodium.

Panko Bread Crumbs for Regular Bread Crumbs

You'll go from 350mg of sodium per 1/4 cup to 20mg of sodium per 1/4 cup.

No Sodium Baking Powder for Regular Baking Powder

-I have read you need to use double the amount of No Sodium vs. the Regular version.

You'll go from 60 mg of sodium per 1/8tsp to 0mg of sodium per 1/8tsp.

Natural Peanut Butter for Regular Peanut Butter

You'll go from about 150mg of sodium per 2TBSP to about 10mg of sodium per 2TBSP. I have seen peanut butter with 0mg of sodium, but this brand was on sale.

No Sodium Chicken Bouillon Granules for Regular Chicken Bouillon Granules

You'll go from about 1,100mg of sodium per 1tsp to 0mg of sodium per 1tsp.

We would NOT recommend the salt substitutes. They are just plain gross. 


~Stefani =)