A Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole that includes a healthy variety of vegetables, black and refried beans topped with cheese!
A healthy vegetarian enchilada casserole with Mexican-inspired flavors that you need in your weekly meal planning that's easy and delicious!
Do you have a lot of vegetables in your fridge that you need to use up?? Or do you need an easy way to include MORE vegetables in your meals? You need this Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole in your life ASAP. I make this really often in my household when I feel like we have a lot of sad-looking vegetables that are still safe to use but I know I need to eat before they see the trash can. Above all, it's loaded with vegetables and incredibly packed with nutrients!
See here for more information about the Fond App.
Ingredients
- Vegetables. All different veggies can go in here. In other words, use whatever you need to finish up in your fridge! In this particular one, I used bell peppers, onions, zucchini, frozen spinach, and frozen corn. I have also used riced cauliflower (I know this sounds crazy but you can't taste it chopped up, and has a LOT of essential nutrients!) and even mushrooms as well.
- Beans. I like to use canned refried beans and black beans. I always have canned beans on hand which makes this such a quick meal. However, I recommend always using reduced sodium or no added salt beans!
- Enchilada Sauce. You can make a great homemade one if you have a favorite or use a good ole canned sauce to make it quick, easy, and convenient!
Instructions for Vegetarian Casserole
- Chop the vegetables. I don't waste time chopping these pretty since they are going into the casserole. This is why I LOVE to dump all of the vegetables that need to be cut into my small chopper on a lower speed.
- Cook the chopped and frozen vegetables with some paprika, cumin, and garlic powder.
- Add the canned refried and black beans to the vegetable mixture and a little bit of water to thin it out.
- Heat some tortillas (about 8, 6-inch works great), layer tortillas, beans and vegetable filling, and cheese until the final layer. The casserole makes 3 layers but feels free to add another if you'd like. Arrange and cut the tortillas any way that you need to fit them in your casserole dish. I like to cut mine in halves and alternate the direction with each layer.
- Pour enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with cheese.
- Optional toppings include guacamole or this Easy Avocado Cilantro Dressing, cilantro, green onions, cilantro, or sour cream! I also like to serve this with my Vegan Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad).
If you loved this Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole recipe, let me know in the comments below! I’d love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest! Subscribe to my weekly emails at the bottom so you never miss a new recipe!
📖 Recipe
Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole
A Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole that includes a healthy variety of vegetables, black and refried beans topped with cheese!
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion
- 1 small bell pepper, chopped
- 1 small zucchini, chopped
- 1 cup spinach, chopped
- ½ cup frozen corn
- 1 can black beans; reduced sodium, 15 oz.
- 1 can refried beans; reduced sodium, 15 oz.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup water
- 1 can enchilada sauce, 28 oz.
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 8 medium tortillas; flour or corn; I used 6 inch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
Prep the Vegetable and Bean Mixture:
- Heat olive oil in a large pan.
- Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add the rest of the vegetables, and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the canned refried beans and black beans and then the paprika, cumin powder, and garlic powder. (See note about salt below).
- Add the water or vegetable broth to thin out the mixture slightly for easier spreading.
Assemble the Casserole:
- Heat tortillas in a small pan (this is optional but I prefer to heat mine on both sides before layering) and cut them accordingly to fit your pan.
- Grease a 9x13 by spreading a thin layer of sauce at the bottom.
- Place the tortillas at the bottom, then layer with beans, sprinkle some cheese. Complete this for all the layers of tortillas except the top (I did 3 layers in a 9x14 pan).
- On the final layer of tortillas, add the beans, pour the sauce over the entire dish (I use the whole can as I like mine saucy!), and then sprinkle with cheese.
Bake it and Serve:
- Bake in the oven for about 20-30 minutes until cheese and sauce is bubbly.
- Let it cool for about 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.
- Top it with guacamole, cilantro, green onions, sour cream, or crushed chips for an added crunch.
Notes
- I don't add any extra salt to the vegetable and bean mixture due to the sodium in the sauce, canned beans, and cheese. I find this balances the entire casserole really well!
- Make this dish vegan by using vegan cheese.
- You can add sauce between the layers but I felt it held together with all the sauce poured over the top.
- You are welcome to use a variety of vegetables you'd like. I have previously also used cauliflower and mushroom in addition to the vegetables in this recipe.
Nutrition Info
Serving: 1square | Calories: 421kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 1024mg | Potassium: 497mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 5205IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 376mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe? Let me know!Tag @sharethespice or tag #sharethespicerecipes!
JG
Well balanced and nutritious
Shweta
Thank you! Yes, it really is very nutrient-packed!
sheenam @ thetwincookingproject
Absolutely love Mexican casserole. This looks yummy!!
Shweta
Thank you!
Shradha Rawat
So flavourful and love the pictures. ❤️💞
Shweta
It really is so flavorful! Thank you!
Alex
Really enjoy Mexican. Such a colourful dish
Shweta
Me too 🙂 Thank you so much!
Kalgi Ganatra
I made this tonight and it was a TOTAL HIT! We had a hard time not going for thirds and used so many veggies (including a frozen veggie back I had from a long time ago). Totally agree with the recipe that don’t need the additional salt and definitely use that can of sauce at the top (and skip in the middle). We tried to cut into it a little too quickly and it was still runny so would just recommend waiting 10-15 minutes and letting it cool down before cutting!
Shweta
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you loved it. I went ahead and added a note in there about cooling it 🙂
Christine
Mmmmm! This was so good! for veggies I used a zucchini, tomato, red pepper, poblano, and onion but I could've done more poblano for extra spice. I made my own enchilada sauce and it was delicious!!!
Leslie
Really good! I used flour tortillas because I had a lot that needed to be used. Before I put it in the oven, I topped it with jalapenos, olives and chopped onions. I served topped with green onion, salsa and cilantro. Delicious!
Nisha Pithadia
Wow i love it . Thank you so much for this Recipe.
liz
If this is a vegetarian casserole, why is it got cheddar cheese in it?
Katie
'Vegetarian' just means that the dish is without red meat, poultry, fish, or any byproduct that is obtained through the slaughter of an animal; since cheese does not need to be harvested from a slaughtered animal, it's acceptable for a vegetarian diet 🙂 You're probably thinking of 'vegan,' which means that the dish includes no animal products of any kind.