Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole -

Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

Upgrade your enchiladas with this vegetarian enchilada casserole. Delicious layers of veggies and black beans in a tasty sauce tucked into corn tortillas make this casserole tasty and filling.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Fusion, Mexican

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 20

Servings

Calories 441kcal

Author Michelle Alston

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