Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

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.

1. 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.
2. Add the spices, dried herbs, garlic and chopped chilli. Stir well and cook for a minute or two.
3. Now, add in the sweet corn, black beans and the fresh cilantro/coriander and stir well.
4. Add the spinach to the pan and stir until wilted. Squeeze in the juice of half a lime.
5. 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.
6. 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!

*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.