Baked Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

An overhead shot of a rectangular baking dish with a cooked vegetarian enchilada casserole. There are lime slices, sprigs of cilantro, and small bowls with jalapeños and cilantro around them.

Baked Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

This baked vegetarian enchilada casserole is a hearty and flavorful vegetarian meal that's packed with colorful veggies like bell pepper and corn, hearty black beans, gooey melted cheese, all layered together with flour tortillas and smothered in smokey red enchilada sauce. It's a family-favorite and so EASY to make.

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword Enchilada, vegetarian enchiladas

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 188

Author Robyn Conley Downs

Equipment

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 large bell pepper (red, orange, or yellow), finely diced
1 medium zucchini, finely diced
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup fresh or frozen-defrosted corn kernels
1 (4-oz) can diced green chilis
3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
2 (15-oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
2 cups red enchilada sauce
12 small flour tortillas, cut into halves

Instructions

Heat the oven to 375F.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, zucchini, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
When the vegetables are tender, turn the heat to medium low, then add the garlic powder, spinach, corn, black beans, green chilis, 1 teaspoon salt, and cream cheese, stirring to combine. Cook until the spinach is completely wilted and the cream cheese is evenly distributed, about 2-3 minutes.
Turn off the heat, and lightly mash some of the black beans with the back of a fork. Add 1 cup cheese, stirring until well combined.
Add 1 cup enchilada sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Add a layer of overlapping tortillas to cover. Spoon ⅓ of the vegetable bean mixture on top. Add a second layer of overlapping tortillas, cover evenly with ½ cup enchilada sauce, then spoon ⅓ vegetable bean mixture on top. Add the final layer of overlapping tortillas, cover with the remaining ½ cup enchilada sauce, and the remaining ⅓ cup vegetable bean mixture.
Top with 1 cup shredded cheese, then cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbling. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned.

Notes

See blog post, above, for substitution suggestions including dairy free and vegan, storage, and more.
For gluten-free: Be sure to use gluten-free flour or corn tortillas and gluten-free enchilada sauce.

Nutrition