Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

A delicious healthy recipe for Enchilada Casserole (aka “Enchilada Pie”) with black beans and corn and our 5-Minute Enchilada Sauce. Easy and delicious and can be made in 45 minutes!  Vegetarian, Vegan-adaptable!

It is the soul itself that has brought us to this difficult place in order to enlarge us,
to ask more of us than we planned on giving.~James Hollis~

Here’s a quick and easy dinner recipe, perfect for busy weeknights –  Enchilada Casserole with black beans and corn, and our quick and easy homemade, 5-Minute Enchilada Sauce.

It can be kept vegetarian as you see it here, or for heartier appetites, add rotisserie chicken, ground turkey or beef. Swap out the cheese for vegan cheese and make it totally plant-based.  Your call!

The flavorful enchilada sauce is simple, yet delicious, and whips up in a blender. No cooking involved!

When pressed for time, this hearty meal can be assembled in 20-25 minutes, with the oven doing the rest of the work. Top it with cilantro, avocado and sour cream and dinner is ready!

Enchilada Casserole | 45-sec video

What I love most about this Enchilada Casserole Recipe

It can be made ahead, refrigerated, then baked when ready to serve.

Use any veggies you like!

EASY PEASY!

What you’ll need:

• Enchilada sauce – store-bought or homemade
• Black beans (or ground meat)
• Onion and Garlic
• Veggies: corn, sweet potato, bell peppers, zucchini, etc. Pick 2.
• Cheese: Pepper Jack, cheddar, Mozzarella, Queso fresco, or vegan cheese
• Garnishes: Avocado, cilantro, sour cream

How to make Enchilada Casserole

Step one:

Make the 5-Minute Enchilada Sauce– or use store-bought. I like Trader Joe’s brand – but this literally takes  5 minutes, so why not just make it?  😉

Blend up the Enchilada Sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth, and that’s it! No cooking required!

In winter I use canned tomatoes, but in summer, when fresh ripe tomatoes are available, I prefer those. This would also be something really great to can or freeze for winter if you are one of those lucky ones who can grow multitudes of tomatoes.

This recipe makes about 2 cups of enchilada sauce.

Step two

Make the filling. Saute onion, garlic and any veggies you like. Sometimes I’ll add bell pepper and zucchini, sometimes diced sweet potatoes- then add the corn and black beans. Season.

Step Three

Assemble the Enchilada Casserole!

Grease the casserole dish then, layer the ingredients, first with a little sauce to coat the bottom, then add tortillas.

Spoon in half of the filling, cheese, sauce, more tortillas, and repeat, finishing with the remaining enchilada sauce.

Feel free to add cheese to the top layer,  or leave it off. 

Step four

Cover and Bake for 30 minutes!  I like to use parchment between the foil, so the foil doesn’t touch the food.

When it’s warmed all the through, uncover and bake for 10 more minutes.

Step Five

Garnish! Add fresh diced avocado, cilantro and sour cream. 

And there you have it …. fast and easy Enchilada Casserole! This could easily be made ahead, and refrigerated. Or bake it ahead for mid-week meals.

On the homefront: I just got back from a dreamy little getaway, a town in Mexico, called Sayulita, just South of Puerto Vallarta. It’s amazing what a little sunshine does for the soul. Not to mention the food. Somehow the warm vibrant flavors revive the palate, and I always come home feeling refreshed and inspired.

I traveled with my friend Mikki who I met 20 years ago in the Counseling Psychology Program at Gonzaga University – and though she lives far, whenever we connect, it’s just like old times.

She gave me a book, which, when I first read the title, made me want to throw across the room, because well, it’s called Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life by James Hollis and it’s hard for me to get my head around the fact, that yes, I’m in the second half of my life, because… when did that happen?!  😂

But title aside, the book is a treasure – and it has been a while since I’ve been this moved. It just reaches right in and speaks the truth, about what we probably already know, but don’t normally have the courage to face.

The writing is incredible, the author so candid and eloquent. If you are over 40 and are seeking depth, meaning … give yourself a gift. You will love it. There is a section on relationships that is particularly poignant.

What to serve with Enchilada Casserole

• Mexican Slaw with Cilantro and Lime
• Roasted Enchilada Sauce
• Mexican Pinto Beans
• Cilantro Lime Rice
• Pico de Gallo
• Fermented Hot Sauce

Other recipes you may like!

Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

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A fast and easy recipe for Enchilada Casserole, with black beans, corn, sweet potatoes and a quick 5 Minute Enchilada Sauce. Comforting and healthy! Keep it vegetarian or add cooked chicken or ground turkey!

• Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home Blog
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Yield: 8
• Category: Main
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: Vegetarian -with Meat Options

Ingredients

• 12-ounce bottle of enchilada sauce (or make my 5-minute enchilada sauce)
• 12 x 6-inch corn or flour tortillas
• 2–3 cups grated Mexican style cheese (or try a vegan cheese)
• 4 ounce can green chilies, (optional)

Garnish: chopped cilantro, diced avocado, sour cream, hot sauce

5 minute Enchilada Sauce:

• 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (or tomato puree or tomato sauce)
• ¼ cup water
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• ¼–½ teaspoon chipotle powder – optional (plus more to taste, or add a canned chipotle pepper, or smoked paprika and cayenne for heat)
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 garlic cloves (or 2 teaspoons granulated garlic)
• 1 teaspoon oregano- optional (dry or fresh)

Casserole Filling:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ an onion, diced ( see notes)
• 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped (see notes)
• 1 large yam or sweet potato, diced into ½ inch cubes (optional, or sub 1 large bell pepper, or zucchini)
• 12– 16 ounce bag frozen corn (regular or fire-roasted ) – or sub fresh corn.
•  15 ounce can black beans ( like Trader Joe’s Cuban Style Black Beans) Or substitute with 2 cups cooked chicken, browned seasoned ground turkey, or beef.
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Make the Quick Enchilada Sauce: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, set aside.
3. Make the filling: Saute onion, garlic and sweet potatoes in the olive oil over medium heat, until tender, about 10-12 minutes, covering ½ way through, allowing potatoes to steam and get tender. Add corn and black beans, cumin, chili powder and salt and saute until warmed through.
4. Assemble: In a greased 9 x13 inch baking dish, spread out ½ cup of enchilada sauce, to lightly coat the bottom. Spread out 4 tortillas on top of the sauce.  Spread out ½ of the filling over the tortillas. Scatter half of the canned green chilies (if using), and 1 cup of the grated cheese.  Drizzle with a ½ cup enchilada sauce. Top with 4 more tortillas, add the remaining filling, green chilies, 1 cup cheese and top with 4 more tortillas. Lather the top with the remaining enchilada sauce and any additional cheese if you like a cheesy top.
5. BAKE Cover tightly with foil(use parchment to prevent foil from touching the casserole) and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake 10 more minutes.
6. Garnish with diced avocado, cilantro and sour cream. The sour cream really adds a nice creaminess.

Notes

If really short on time, you can sub granulated onion and/or garlic powder for the fresh onion and garlic. Add about a teaspoon each to the veggie filling.

In winter, I love adding the diced sweet potato for extra richness, but in the warmer months I’ll opt for zucchini and/or bell pepper.  Feel free to load the filling up with seasonal veggies- tasting and adjusting salt and seasoning accordingly. Or add a protein like cooked ground meat or chicken.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: -Vegetarian with Sweet Potato
• Calories: 436
• Sugar: 5.6 g
• Sodium: 1396.4 mg
• Fat: 20.7 g
• Saturated Fat: 8 g
• Carbohydrates: 51.1 g
• Fiber: 10 g
• Protein: 16.2 g
• Cholesterol: 35 mg

Keywords: enchilada casserole, enchilada pie, mexican casserole, enchilada casserole recipe, tortilla pie, vegetarian enchilada casserole

Hey, I'm Sylvia! Professional chef, former restaurant owner and caterer, here is where I share hundreds of seasonal, globally-inspired, VEGGIE-DRIVEN recipes.Let's start cooking together! Subscribe to my latest recipes and get my free, PLANT-BASED RECIPE GUIDE.

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