Vegetable Enchilada Casserole

No matter which part of the world we come from, for most of us breakfasts are generally quick or on the go, and lunches in the office, college, or school.

Dinner is the only meal that can actually be enjoyed with the family. However, whatever little time we get in the evening, a lot of us don't like spending in the kitchen preparing an elaborate meal, after a busy day

So, like a lot of other people, for dinner I also prefer making something that's easy to make, doesn't need me to stand in the kitchen for hours, and tastes delicious.

Today's recipe- vegetable enchilada casserole is one such dish. You just need to chop and sautee some vegetables, make layers of vegetables, beans, sauce, tortilla, and cheese, and then bake it.

If you are looking for comforting and delicious vegetarian dinner ideas, this vegetarian casserole recipe is a must-try.

What goes in vegetable enchilada casserole?

To make this vegetarian Mexican casserole, you will need the ingredients shown in the image below.

Ingredient notes

• Tortillas: Flour or corn tortillas, both are fine to be used in this recipe.
• Vegetables: I have used zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. Feel free to add or skip vegetables to suit your taste preference. Instead of cherry tomatoes, you can also add roughly chopped regular tomatoes.
• Cheese: Any variety of cheese that melts on getting cooked is fine to be used. You can mix more than one cheese too as I have done.
• Cooked black beans: I have cooked my own beans from scratch, you can use canned black beans too. If you don't like black beans, use any other cooked beans of your choice. You may skip adding beans too.
• Enchilada sauce: Store-bought or homemade both can be used. I have made my own enchilada sauce at home. If you also want to make enchilada sauce at home, you can check my recipe for kidney bean enchiladas where I have shared the sauce recipe. It's a very easy and fuss-free recipe.

How to make (step by step process)?

Step 1: Heat oil in a cooking pot. Add chopped onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic. Saute for 1-2 minutes.

Step 2: Next, add chopped mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, and corn kernels. Saute until the vegetables are almost cooked.

Step 3: Add salt, pepper, and red chili flakes. Mix and saute for another 1-2 minutes.

Step 4: Add black beans, mix and cook for 2 minutes. Switch off the stove. Add cherry tomatoes and mix.

Step 5: Brush a baking dish (around 9x13 inches) with a little olive oil.

Step 6: Spread some enchilada sauce on the baking dish.

Step 7: Cut tortillas into smaller pieces (quarter or half) and place them on top of the sauce in such a way that they cover the entire base of the baking dish.

Step 8: Spread around half of the vegetable filling above tortillas.

Step 9: Top it with some shredded cheese.

Steps 10 and 11: Make one more layer of tortillas followed by vegetable filling.

Step 12: Spread more sauce on top.

Step 13: Make a final layer of cheese.

Step 14: Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (around 400°F) for 20 minutes.

Step 15: Take out the dish, remove the foil, and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes.

Step 16: Garnish with chopped cilantro and onion. Serve warm.

Your delicious vegetarian enchilada casserole is ready to be enjoyed!

How to serve?

Serve this casserole warm with a side dish of choice like Mexican rice, Mexican couscous, or a salad like Mexican quinoa bean salad.

I like to enjoy it simple with some fresh pico de gallo or guacamole on the side.

How to store?

To store, either wrap the whole baking dish tightly with aluminum foil or transfer the leftover casserole to an airtight container and refrigerate for upto 3 days.

Can the leftovers be frozen?

Yes, leftover enchilada casserole can be frozen but, if planning to do that, it's better to toast the tortillas before using them in the casserole otherwise they might turn soggy.

To freeze, allow the casserole to reach room temperature.

Wrap the whole pan tightly with cling wrap followed by aluminum foil and put it in the freezer. Make sure the pan is freezer safe. You can also transfer it to an airtight, freezer-safe container.

Freeze for upto 3 months.

Reheating tips

To reheat refrigerated Mexican casserole, follow any of the methods given below:

Oven: Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake at 180°C(around 350°F) for 20-25 minutes or until the casserole starts bubbling.

Microwave: Remove the aluminum foil, transfer to a microwave-safe dish, and microwave until nicely heated.

To reheat the frozen enchilada casserole, remove the cling wrap, put the casserole in an oven-safe dish, wrap with aluminum foil, and bake covered in a pre-heated oven at 180°C(around 350°F) for around 40-45 minutes or until nicely heated.

Recipe tips and tricks

• You can increase the number of layers of tortillas, vegetables, and cheese if you want.
• Use a slightly deep pan to make sure that the layers of ingredients don't come above the edges and also the melting cheese doesn't stick to the aluminum foil.
• Feel free to add or skip vegetables to suit your taste buds.
• Cut the vegetables into equal size pieces.
• You can also make a layer of salsa in this casserole.
• For some heat, add jalapeno to the filling.
• The sauce and cheese are also salty so add salt to the filling carefully.
• You can use other ingredients like avocado, olives, spring onion, and jalapeno to garnish this vegetable casserole.
• Allow the casserole to get slightly cold before cutting it into pieces.

Frequently asked questions

More, vegetarian dinner recipes from around the world

Looking for more vegetarian or vegan dinner ideas from around the world? Don't miss checking the following links:

1. Kidney bean enchilada
2. Vegetarian chow mein
3. Cream cheese pasta
4. Moroccan spiced couscous with chickpeas
5. Chickpea rice
6. Baked pasta with vegetables
7. Savory pumpkin rice casserole