Upgrade your enchiladas with this vegetarian enchilada casserole. Delicious layers of veggies and black beans in a tomato sauce tucked into corn tortillas make this casserole tasty and filling. The perfect weeknight dinner, great for making ahead and the leftovers are delicious!
We love our enchiladas and have them on a regular basis but some times it's good to switch things up. This vegetarian casserole has all the good things that come with enchiladas but in a casserole. It's for those days when you need something more cosy and comforting.
Tortillas are used as layers and tucked in between those are spiced veggies, spinach and beans. Add in a quick and easy enchilada sauce and you have a delicious vegetarian dinner. It's not too spicy, so it's suitable for the whole family. And I have to say that this tastes even better the next day, so save some leftovers for lunch!
What You'll Need
This is a very versatile recipe made with some basic store cupboard ingredients.
For the casserole, you will need -
- Veggies - this recipe is perfect for adapting, use what you have. I make this with onion, peppers, mushrooms, spinach and canned sweetcorn.
- Beans - black beans are great in this casserole, for convenience I use canned black beans.
- Tortillas - I use corn tortillas for this, they measured in at 8 inches/20cm
- Cheese - extra mature (sharp) cheddar cheese works really well in this casserole, but you can use regular cheddar if you want.
- Sour Cream - I use full-fat sour cream for this recipe.
For the sauce, you will need -
- Passata - Tomato passata is pureed and strained uncooked tomatoes. It is sold in tall bottles. It's 100% tomato, no additives or flavourings. It's smoother than crushed tomatoes and is known as tomato puree in the US.
- Spices - Cumin, smoked paprika and ground cinnamon are the spices you will need.
- Garlic - One large or two regular cloves of garlic minced.
How to Make Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole:
This is just a quick visual guide, please see the recipe card for full instructions and a full ingredient list.
- Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Add the onion and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and springy. Add the chopped peppers, mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook until the peppers are soft.
- Add the spices, dried herbs, garlic and chopped chilli. Stir well and cook for a minute or two.
- Now, add in the sweet corn, black beans and the fresh cilantro/coriander and stir well.
- Add the spinach to the pan and stir until wilted. Squeeze in the juice of half a lime.
- Make the sauce, put all the ingredients for the sauce into a jug and mix well. Then pour about 2 tablespoons of sauce on the base of a casserole dish. Place tortillas on the sauce then spread half the vegetable mixture evenly over the tortillas. Spread about a third of the sauce over the veggies, add a few dollops of sour cream then add some grated cheese. Repeat for one more layer.
- Finish the casserole with a layer of tortillas, pour over the remaining sauce. Dot the remaining sour cream over the sauce then add the remaining cheese. Bake in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes or until the top is golden and crispy around the edges. Leave to cool slightly before serving.
Recipe Tips And Variations
- Veggies - When I make this I use whatever I have hanging around my fridge. So sometimes I use button mushrooms instead of portabello mushrooms. Courgettes/zucchini and sweet potatoes also work really well in this. You could also swap the spinach for kale if you want.
- Beans - Black beans are great in this but you can swap them for kidney beans or lentils if you want. I use canned beans in this recipe but you can also use dried beans, you will have to cook them before you add them to the veggies.
- Tortillas - Corn tortillas hold up great when cooked in this casserole, I have also use flour tortillas and a mix of both. So use what you have and it's ok to use a mix of tortillas if that's what you have.
- Sauce - The sauce I use is not an authentic enchilada sauce, it is just a quick homemade version. You can use store-bought enchilada sauce if you want.
- Make it vegan - ditch the dairy and add your favourite vegan cheese and vegan sour cream.
- Pro Tip - Leave this casserole to sit for a while before you serve it. Not only will it be piping hot, but when you leave it to sit for a while the ingredients settle and firm up which makes it easier to cut into portions.
How To Serve Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole
I usually serve this with a simple green salad, sometimes I'll add a side of homemade guacamole. I also add some chopped spring onions to this when serving, and it's also good with a dollop of sour cream.
More Tasty Casseroles and Bakes That You'll Love
- Vegan Sausage Casserole - one of the most popular recipes on the blog, this casserole is the perfect winter comfort food.
- Vegetable Fajitas - if you want something quick and easy to make then these roasted Vegetable Fajitas are great for spicing up your weeknight dinners.
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta Bake - and if you fancy pasta for dinner, this one is delicious!
- Jackfruit Enchiladas - packed with veggies and black beans, full of flavour, filling, and easy to make. With minimum fuss involved these vegetarian enchiladas are great for a tasty weeknight dinner.
Have you made this Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole Recipe? Please rate it and leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!
Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium brown onion finely chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper pith and seeds removed then roughly chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper pith and seeds removed then roughly chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 2 large portobello mushrooms roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 medium red jalapeño pepper seeds removed finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 x 400g (14oz) can of black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 x 165g (1 cup) of sweet corn drained
- A handful of fresh cilantro/coriander roughly chopped
- 85 g (1 ½ cups) spinach
- ½ medium lime, the juice of
- 180 g (1 ¾ cups) of mature/sharp cheddar cheese grated using the coarse side of a box grater
- 6 or 7 small corn tortillas, cut in half I used 8 inch/ 20cm tortillas
- 200 ml (1 cup)sour cream
For The Sauce
- 500 ml (2 cups) of passata/tomato puree in the US
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For Serving
- Lime wedges
- Chopped Spring Onions the green part
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190C / 374F.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and springy. Add the chopped green and red bell peppers and the chopped mushrooms, stir well and cook until the peppers are soft. Around 10 minutes.
- Once the peppers are soft add the chopped jalapeño, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons of ground cumin, 2 teaspoons of dried oregano, ½ teaspoon of sea salt and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Stir well and cook for a minute or two until the spices and garlic release their aromas.Now, add in the sweet corn, black beans and the fresh cilantro/coriander and stir well.
- Next, add the spinach to the pan along with the juice of half a lime. Cook until the spinach is wilted, stirring all along.Check the seasoning now.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce by putting all the ingredients for the sauce into a jug and mix well.Pour 2 or 3 tablespoons of the sauce on the bottom of your casserole dish. Use a spoon to spread it out evenly.Cut the tortillas in half. Place 3 or 4 tortilla halves on top of the sauce.Spoon half the veggie and bean mixture over the tortillas, spread out the mixture evenly.Pour a third of the sauce over the vegetables and using the back of the spoon spread this out too.Next, sprinkle a third of the grated cheese over the sauce and a third of the sour cream.Repeat for one more layer.
- Finish the casserole with a layer of tortilla over the second layer. Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas. Dot the sour cream over the sauce then add the remaining cheese.Bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until the top is golden and crispy around the edges.Leave to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Tortillas - I used corn tortillas, they measured as 20cm/8in. If you prefer you can use flour tortillas. They measure as 8 inches/20cm in diameter.
- Ingredient Swaps - Button mushrooms can work well instead of portabello mushrooms. Courgettes/zucchini and sweet potatoes also work really well in this. You could also swap the spinach for kale if you want.
- Beans - Black beans are great in this but you can swap them for kidney beans or lentils if you want. I use canned beans in this recipe but you can also use dried beans, you will have to cook them before you add them to the veggies.
- Sauce - The sauce I use is not an authentic enchilada sauce, it is just a quick homemade version. You can use store-bought enchilada sauce if you want.
- Tortillas - Corn tortillas hold up great when cooked in this casserole, I have also use flour tortillas and a mix of both. So use what you have and it’s ok to use a mix of tortillas if that’s what you have.
- Make it vegan - ditch the dairy and add your favourite vegan cheese and vegan sour cream.
- Serving - Leave this casserole to sit for a while before you serve it. Not only will it be piping hot, but when you leave it to sit for a while the ingredients will settle and the layers firm up, which makes it easier to cut into portions.
- Leftovers - This dish is great for leftovers, in fact, I think it tastes even better the next day. Store leftovers in the fridge for 2 - 3 days and reheat in the microwave or oven.
- Freezing - I don't recommend freezing this dish.
- Nutritional Information - is approximate and is calculated using an online nutrition tool. It is based on one serving.
- Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible.
Nutrition
*This recipe was first published on February 23, 2019. Updated July 23, 2019, with step by step guide, and nutritional information. Updated again January 2021 with new photos.
Tracey Davies
Made this today, looking forward to eating it. Your print off recipe misses out adding in the beans which was a bit confusing but your detailed explanation does. Thought you may want to know.
Michelle Alston
Hi Tracey, thanks so much for letting me know, I've fixed it now. I hope you enjoyed the casserole in the end 🙂
Jane Wilcox
This is absolutely delicious. I left out the coriander and used slightly less garlic, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly and my goodness it is delicious. Easy to make, not too time consuming on the prep, definitely going on my mid week rota, hubby loved it.
Michelle Alston
Hi Jane, thank you so much for your lovely comment! I'm so glad you and your hubby enjoyed it 🙂
Natalie
I absolutely love enchiladas for dinner. My family loves it too. But never made the vegetarian version before. With this veggie and flavor combo I think my family might like it. Looks absolutely delicious. I'll definitely give it a try.
Ruchi
I have couple vegetarian friends who are planning to stop by for dinner next Sunday , and oh i am so glad i found this recipe!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme
I am always looking for new creative recipes to try for dinner. These veggie enchiladas look soo good! The flavour combo is amazing, can't wait to try it!
Amanda Mason
Loving all the vegetables in this dish! I agree on the freezing aspect, I would think it might not be a good freeze and reheat meal so thank for calling that out! Going to be trying this one for sure!!
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking
Enchiladas are a staple in our house. But as many vegetarian dishes as I make, I've never made vegetarian enchiladas. And this casserole version is such a great idea! Also love that it makes enough for leftovers the next day!
Marisa F. Stewart
What a great way to make enchiladas. First off, I have to say we absolutely love them. This is certainly a time saving step instead of rolling them. And the idea of taking a break from meat but still having all of the terrific enchilada flavor is certainly appealing. This recipe is a keeper.
Deseree
This casserole would go perfectly with Meatless Mondays! I am ready to make this next week.
Jacquelyn Hastert
I bet I wouldn't even miss the meat in this casserole dish. It looks delicious!
Katherine | Love In My Oven
This is definitely my kind of meal. I'm always looking for some new meatless Monday ideas, and this checks all of the boxes!! Perfect for the winter weather! 🙂
Amanda
Enchiladas are one of my favorite meals, and this casserole does not disappoint. So full of flavor. Thanks so much for sharing!
Sarah
What size dish did you use?
Michelle Alston
Hi Sarah, my dish measures 8"x 9" and is 2" deep.
Aleta
I never dreamed of having enchiladas this way... but oh boy am I ever excited to give it a try! My family will go nuts over this, 100%, thanks for sharing!
Tina
I have really liked recipes with sweet potato. It used to be a veggie I only cooked or ate at Thanksgiving. I'm so glad that blog like yours are giving this healthy root veggie new life. Your veggie enchiladas look amazing and I'm saving this one, too good to pass up.