Today I’m bringing back one of my favorite meals on this earth: ENCHILADA CASSEROLE. My mom used to make it all the time for church gatherings and parties when she didn’t want to roll up tortillas for enchiladas. It’s a crowd-pleaser or a homemade weeknight dinner. AND SO EASY TOO!
This flavorful, absolutely delicious vegetarian enchilada casserole packs protein from black beans, a rainbow of roasted veggies, a kick of heat from chipotle, and layers of melty cheese. This wonderful dish 100% belongs on your Meatless Monday menu. It’s freezer-friendly and would make such a great meal for new mamas or to keep in the freezer for quick meals down the road!
Vegetarian enchilada casserole ingredients
I opted to make this healthy enchilada casserole recipe vegetarian because I had recently been to a Mexican restaurant that served mushroom and cheese enchiladas and they were SO ridiculously good. Anyway, roasted veggies = the best thing ever, especially in enchiladas. Here’s everything you need:
- For the veggies: we’re getting a full rainbow of vegetables by roasting up red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, red onion, baby bella mushrooms, and zucchini. You’ll roast them in a little olive or avocado oil, garlic, salt & pepper.
- For the sauce: the chipotle enchilada sauce is made with tomato sauce, garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (from the can), and milk (I like using almond or cashew milk).
- For the layers: we’re loading the layers with black beans, shredded Monterey jack cheese (or Mexican blend), and corn tortillas.
- For topping: I love topping this casserole with diced avocado, jalapeños, and cilantro. You could also add a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream!
Customize this vegetarian enchilada casserole
This easy enchilada casserole is great for customizing with ingredients you have on hand:
- To keep it dairy free. Simply use a dairy free cheese, my cashew cheese sauce or you can leave out the cheese completely.
- Switch up your tortillas. I use corn tortillas because it’s my preference flavor-wise and keeps the enchilada casserole gluten-free, but feel free to use any flour tortillas if you’d like.
- Choose the veggies. Feel free to mix it up with any veggies you have on hand! I think sweet potato or butternut squash would be delicious in here.
- Mix up the enchilada sauce. If you’re not a fan of chipotle flavors, feel free to use this basic enchilada sauce recipe instead.
Can I add meat to this enchilada casserole?
Absolutely! If you’re not vegetarian, feel free to throw in some cooked, shredded chicken, cooked ground chicken or ground turkey, or even ground beef for an extra boost of protein.
How to make chipotle enchilada sauce
This healthy enchilada casserole is made with a life-changing homemade creamy enchilada chipotle sauce. It’s seriously delicious and perfect for slathering on scrambled eggs, throwing in burritos, slow-cooking chicken, OR drizzling all over your enchiladas. To make it:
- Simply add the sauce ingredients to the bowl of a food processor.
- Process for 30 seconds or until smooth. Done!
SO easy and so delicious!
Make this enchilada casserole ahead of time
Yes, you can easily prep this dish 1-2 days ahead of time and bake it when you’re ready to eat! There are a couple of ways to do it:
- Prep the ingredients. You can easily chop all of your veggies and make the enchilada sauce, then store them separately in airtight containers until you’re ready to assemble and bake the casserole.
- Prep the whole casserole. Another option is to roast the veggies, make the sauce, fully assemble the casserole, and then cover your baking dish and store the casserole in the refrigerator. Once you’re ready to bake it, uncover the baking dish and bake as directed!
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: let the enchilada casserole cool completely and then either cover the whole pan and place it in the fridge or put individual slices into airtight container and place them in the fridge. This casserole will stay good for up to 3-4 days in the fridge. To reheat, simply add a slice to a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute or until heated through.
- To freeze: you can either bake the casserole first, cool it to room temperature, slice into servings, place in freezer safe containers and then freeze. Or, to freeze the whole pan, you can bake it, bring it to room temp, and then freeze the entire pan. Once ready to reheat, thaw it out in the fridge, then bake it, covered at 350 degrees F for 30-45 minutes or until heated through.
More vegetarian meals you’ll love
Get all of my vegetarian dinner recipes here!
I hope you guys love this easy, healthy vegetarian enchilada casserole and get a chance to make it soon! Please leave a comment below if you make it and/or upload a photo and tag #ambitiouskitchen.
The
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Chipotle Black Bean Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
Delicious chipotle black bean roasted veggie enchilada casserole with layers of veggies snuggled between black beans, corn tortillas, a homemade chipotle enchilada sauce and cheese. This easy vegetarian enchilada casserole is protein-packed and makes the perfect weeknight dinner for a family or incredible leftovers for meal prep!
Ingredients
- For the roasted veggies:
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 (8 oz) package sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 1 medium zucchini, quartered
- 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper
- For the chipotle enchilada sauce:
- 1 (15 oz can) tomato sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder* (I used McCormick chili powder – please read the notes section on this)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (from the can)
- ⅔ cup any milk of choice (we love almond or cashew)
- For the layers:
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
- 9 corn tortillas
- To garnish:
- Diced avocado, jalapenos and cilantro
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, or you can also line two smaller baking sheets if that’s all you have available. Place diced bell pepper, diced onion, mushrooms, and quartered zucchini on prepared baking sheet(s). Drizzle with olive oil and toss garlic on top. Generously toss with your hands to coat the veggies with garlic and oil. Roast vegetables for 20-25 minutes.
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While the veggies are roasting prepare the chipotle enchilada sauce: In the bowl of a food processor, add the sauce ingredients and process for 30 seconds or until smooth.
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Reduce heat in oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add 1/2 cup enchilada sauce to the bottom of the pan and spread out evenly. Place 3 corn tortillas over the sauce. You may need to cut one tortilla in half to create a single layer. Next add ½ of the roasted veggies and half of the black beans on top of the tortillas. Then drizzle ½ cup of enchilada sauce on top followed by 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
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Repeat the layers again, starting with the 3 corn tortillas, remaining veggies and beans, ½ cup enchilada sauce and 1/2 cup cheese.
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Finally add 3 more corn tortillas on top to evenly cover the veggies and beans, then top with remaining enchilada sauce and 1 cup cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serves 6.
Recipe Notes
To keep it dairy free: simply use a dairy free cheese, my cashew cheese sauce or you can leave out the cheese completely.
See the full post for storing, freezing & reheating instructions!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (based on 6)Calories: 410calCarbohydrates: 49.6gProtein: 23.1gFat: 14.2gSaturated Fat: 6.5gFiber: 8.3gSugar: 5.3g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on July 17th, 2017, republished on September 8th, 2020, and republished on April 14th, 2024.
