Enchilada Casserole is such a classic. I’ve seen a million different interpretations of this dish over the years. Why? Because it’s easy and it’s satisfying. So I figured I’d make a vegetarian version, full of colorful vegetables, but still every bit as warm and comforting. This Vegetable Enchilada Casserole hits two birds with one stone.
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What’s In Vegetable Enchilada Casserole?
For this version of enchilada casserole, I began with a simple mix of black beans, corn, green chiles, green onion, and cilantro. To up the vegetable content, I also added a diced zucchini. I layered the vegetable mix between corn tortillas, cheese, and my Easy Red Enchilada Sauce.
After a little time in the oven to make sure the vegetables are nice and tender and everything gets infused with the flavorful sauce, you’ve got a warm, filling, and insanely delicious casserole. And that’s something that everyone deserves at the end of the day.
What Other Vegetables Can I Use?
Don’t like zucchini? Other vegetables that would be quite good in this include: red bell pepper, poblano peppers, or avocado. Mix it up and make it your own! :D
Take Your Enchilada Casserole to the Next Level
If you want to go the extra mile and really take this vegetable enchilada casserole to the next level, there are a few more steps you can take:
- Stir 1/2 cup of sour cream into the enchilada sauce to make it extra creamy.
- Toast the corn tortillas in a dry skillet until golden brown before layering them into the casserole. This will heighten the toasty corn flavor of the tortillas.
- Add ground beef or diced chicken to the layers.
Vegetable Enchilada Casserole
Servings 6Ingredients
- 12 small corn tortillas ($0.64)
- 1.5 cups shredded “taco blend” cheese ($0.94)
- 1 zucchini (about 3/4 lb.) ($0.95)
- 1 15oz. can black beans, drained* ($0.55)
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels ($0.63)
- 1 4oz. can diced green chiles ($0.87)
- 1/2 bunch (3-4 each) green onions ($0.38)
- 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro (optional) ($0.22)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
Enchilada Sauce
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
- 2 Tbsp chili powder ($0.30)
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.02)
- 2 cups water ($0.00)
- 3 oz. tomato paste ($0.33)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- 3/4 tsp salt ($0.03)
Instructions
- Cut the zucchini into small cubes. Rinse and drain the black beans. Slice the green onions (both green and white portions). Pull the cilantro leaves from the stems and give them a rough chop. Combine the zucchini, black beans, frozen corn kernels, green onions, cilantro, and diced green chiles in a bowl. Add 1/4 tsp salt and stir until evenly combined.
- To make the enchilada sauce, combine the oil, chili powder, and flour in a small sauce pot. Whisk them together over medium heat and allow it to begin to bubble. Let the mixture bubble while whisking for about one minute. Add the water, tomato paste, cumin, garlic, cayenne, and salt. Whisk until smooth. Heat the sauce until thick and bubbly (about 3-5 minutes).
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×9 casserole dish by coating lightly with non-stick spray. Spread a 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the dish. Arrange 1/3 of the tortillas over the sauce, followed by 1/3 of the vegetable mixture. Drizzle 1/2 cup of the sauce over the vegetables, then top with 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat these layers two more times, or until the vegetable mix, sauce, and cheese are gone.
- Bake the casserole for 40-45 minutes, or until the edges are bubbly and the cheese just begins to brown on top. Slice into six portions and top with extra green onions and cilantro, if desired.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Vegetable Enchilada Casserole – Step by Step Photos
Cut a 3/4 lb. zucchini into a small dice. The small size of the cubes is important so that they cook through and don’t create huge lumps in the casserole.
Combine the diced zucchini (they’re on the bottom) with a 15oz. can of black beans (rinsed and drained), 1 cup frozen corn, 4oz. can diced green chiles, 3-4 sliced green onions, and about 1/4 bunch chopped fresh cilantro in a large bowl.
Add 1/4 tsp salt and stir the vegetables until they’re well mixed.
Next make the enchilada sauce. In a small sauce pot combine 2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil, 2 Tbsp chili powder, and 2 Tbsp flour.
Whisk the oil, flour, and chili powder together over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Let it bubble, while whisking, for about one minute.
Next add 2 cups water, 3oz. tomato paste (half of a 6oz. can), 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, and 3/4 tsp salt. Whisk until smooth and heat over medium flame until it thickens. It will begin to thicken as it approaches a simmer (thanks to the flour-chili powder roux created in the first step).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and begin to layer the casserole. Start by coating the inside of a 9×9 casserole dish with non-stick spray. Spread 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce over the bottom.
Next, add a layer of corn tortillas. I like to cut some in half so that I have a straight edge to line the dish. I used four tortillas per layer.
Add 1/3 of the vegetable mixture on top of the tortillas, then drizzle 1/2 cup of the sauce over top.
Finally, add 1/2 cup of shredded cheese on top of the vegetables and sauce. Repeat these layers two more times (tortillas-vegetables-sauce-cheese).
Until all the vegetables are used up and the casserole dish is full.
Bake the casserole in the preheated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the edges are really bubbly and the cheese just begins to brown on top. Warning: it smells AH-MAZ-ING. Top with extra cilantro and green onion if desired.
Holy yum.
Would it work to freeze this casserole?
It should freeze well!
I made this for my meat eating family. It was easy and delicious. Everyone enjoyed it, and even better the second time!
Very good! I increased recipe to make it in a 9×13 (don’t own a 9×9 and I wanted leftovers haha). Used about 6 corn tortillas per layer and doubled sauce. I added ground turkey (if you do same make sure to increase volume of sauce). I think next time I’ll add a layer of refried beans to see how that turns out. Very happy with this recipe, it’s a keeper :). Might add that elote seasoning blend from Trader Joe’s next time. Served with plain yogurt.
My family really enjoyed this. I accidentally used five tortillas per layer {two halves per side and one in the middle}. Love the homemade enchilada sauce. I never knew it was so easy to make, and tastes wA y better than store-bought. I did add a little chili lime seasoning to the vegetable mixture, just because. I think this would be great with other veggies added to it, like red onion, tomatoes, and even sweet potatoes! Next time, I’ll double it and use a 9×13 dish.
So I ran across this recipe on a Buzzfeed article and I’m wondering if it’s possible to make without the tortillas. Would you still bake it for the same amount of time? I would also omit the cheese because we don’t eat a lot of dairy. Does everything else stay the same?
Well tortillas and cheese are what make it an enchilada. So while you can make it without those ingredients, it would no longer be an enchilada casserole, and honestly wouldn’t need to be baked. The cook time will change, and as we have not tested it without the two most important ingredients, I couldn’t give you more than a guess. I would sauté the veg until tender and then mix in the sauce. If you want to bake it, understand it will not hold together, as that’s what the tortillas and cheese are for. I wouldn’t bake for longer than 30 minutes. XOXO -Monti
I made this recipe exactly as written except for adding a diced jalapeño to the vegetable mixture for more heat. This recipe is phenomenal. So flavorful and delicious.
This was so good! I made it in a 9×13 pan with more ingredients. I probably used an unreasonable amount of cheese. Delicious.
I’ve made this twice now– once without sour cream in the sauce, and one with. We definitely loved it more with sour cream, but it was great either way! A great way to get some veggies in your dinner, and reheats well.
I made this because I had leftover zucchini and corn tortillas. I wasn’t expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised. This is one of my favorite budget bytes recipes so far. Bonus is that it tastes even better heated up the next day.
This was so good! I substituted flour tortillas for corn tortillas and put less salt, but otherwise followed the recipe. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
This is one of those meals that you eat on for several days and still feel heartbroken when you eat the last serving. I just made it the Monday before Christmas, and I already want to make it again!
Can you freeze this before you bake it? If so, how would you reheat it? Or is it best to freeze right after making it? (I’ve made this several times but always eaten immediately! Love it.)
Unfortunately, I’ve never tried freezing this before, so I’m not sure how it would turn out and I can’t offer any specific instructions.
I’ve frozen it a couple of times and it works okay, not great. The tortillas absorb too much moisture. Freezing individual portions worked better for me rather than freezing half a batch. I also tried freezing the sauce but it completely separated!
YUM! The enchilada sauce is amazing – never buying it from the store again! Yet another Budget Bytes recipe that is going into my rotation.
I make this recipe all the time. It is is so good! I recommend letting it set for 15-20 minutes before eating. It’s best that way!
This was pretty easy and tasty. I’d never made my own enchilada sauce before so was surprised how well it turned out. (Reduced the cayenne just a tad.) My family, who says they’d like me to make it again, would prefer it with shredded chicken added, but I was perfectly happy with it as-is.
This was such a beautiful recipe. We ate it for lunch and dinner. Satisfying.
I cheated and used canned enchilada sauce haha but wow we loved this!!!! Thanks!!
I really enjoyed this and felt pretty empowered by making my own enchilada sauce! Thanks!
This was sooo good. As I was cooking the sauce, I was smelling it and thinking “is this me? Am I really cooking this??” And when it came out of the oven I was so impressed.
I didn’t add the diced chilis because I don’t like spicy. I also added a sweet potato/black bean mixture with the rest of the filling because I had it left over from another recipe. I also cooked it in two layers in a 9×13 pan because that’s what I had. I refrigerated leftovers and froze two servings, but I haven’t thawed them out yet so don’t know how they turn out.
Definitely recommend this recipe! Would be really great for having guests over too.
I live in a rural area, so couldn’t find most of these ingredients at my local grocery store – so I subbed flour tortillas for corn tortillas, yellow onion for scallions, and canned enchilada sauce for homemade (didn’t have chili spice to make my own). Also don’t have access to cilantro (did I say rural…), so skipped that. I added chopped fresh jalepeno. Used sour cream as a garnish and served with some sauteed garlicky kale (the grocery store has kale, but not scallions… go figure). Came out nicely; next time, will add some cumin, smoked paprika, and dried oregano to the veggie mixture. Thanks for a good recipe!
I made this tonight…I do not like Black Beans so I browned 1/2 lb of ground chuck and added it to the vegetable mixture. It was absolutely delicious. Since it is just me, next time I make this I will cut the recipe in half.
I have made this a few times and my family loves it! If I wanted to freeze it do you think it should thaw in the fridge before baking or could it go in the oven straight from the freezer? Would the oven temp & cooking time stay the same?
Yes I’d thaw before baking.
I made this recipe for dinner tonight. I followed the recipe by your directions, with no exceptions or substitutions and it was absolutely delicious. I love the way the corn tortillas absorb the sauce and there is just the right amount of “heat”. I added some fresh diced pepper to the top for a little crunch. Next time I will try making this casserole with green enchilada sauce. This casserole with a nice garden salad and/or tortilla chips and guacamole is a perfect meal. Thanks so much for a great recipe!!!
With everything going on, I only have flour tortillas to use. Do you think flour tortillas will work in place of the corn? Any change with subbing these? Thank you so much!
Yes flour would be just fine to substitute.
I made this not long ago, messed up, and it was STILL delicious! I was sure I had cheddar cheese but I didn’t so I used sliced white American, cut into small pieces. I also forgot to put the bottom layer of tortillas on it. Regardless, it still turned out amazingly filling and good tasting and it’s in my oven again this morning.
Delicious! We added browned ground beef into the veggie mixture for added protein and satiation. Instead of buying tortillas, we used up a partial bag of toastadas from Aldi that we’d used for your slow cooker chicken tortilla soup earlier in the week. I think the extra crunch favor gave it a bit more texture and was SO good. The addition of zucchini was an unexpected hit for us, again adding to the texture. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch!
I made this recipe and added room temp cream cheese to the veggie mixture. It added an extra level of creaminess for it and it was such a hit! My boyfriend is asking me to make it for every dinner party we have.
I’m attempting it tomorrow for his parents. Thank you for sharing! So yummy.
This is the perfect lazy comfort meal. It isn’t the prettiest, but it tastes SO good! The way the corn tortillas soaks up all the sauce reminds me of tamales.
I love this recipe!! I keep coming back to it and it never disappoints. Delicious, savory, and my vegetarian friends can enjoy it as well. You can easily modify it or follow the recipe exactly; it comes out fantastic every time. Thank you for this!
Very very good! I made it exactly as advised except I used a can of tomato sauce and 1 cup water. The enchilada sauce is definitely the star
We recently gave up all meat after watching Netflix’s Forks over Knives so we’ve been scouring the internet for good, easy vegetarian or vegan recipes. THIS ONE HIT IT OUT OF THE BALL PARK FOR US!!!! omg, my husband commented, if THIS is what a zero meat diet is going to taste like, then, it’s going to be easy to stay on it!!” And, even the enchiladas sauce, alone, should be what cooks use rather than the packaged or bottled stuff, it is delicious!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!! We were satisfied, amazed and healthier for it. I’ve sent the name of your website to many friends & family telling them this gal has some good recipes for everyone.
Thank you, Ellis!!
Came out perfect! And it definitely was Yummy 😋
Good recipe. The only problem with it was that even with light toasting, the tortillas turned to complete mush. Tasty mush, but mush nonetheless. I did add a little sour cream to the vegetable mixture rather than using cheese, except on top, so that may have been part of the problem. I added some red bell pepper and pasilla pepper to the mixture, which added nicely to texture and color. Very small pieces of zucchini and pepper were key to being able to avoid the step of sautéing; even small pieces kept a bit of firmness after baking. Next time, I’ll leave out the sour cream and toast the tortillas more.
This was really, really good. I forgot to get a can of chilis at the supermarket (and they’re about $5 each so I wasn’t going back just for one) so added a bunch of pickled jalapeno slices from the fridge, and mixed some sour cream through the veggies (for the sauciness). Yum!!
This was pretty good but mine turned out a bit dry… any tips on increasing gooey-ness? I like the idea that one of the other reviewers mentioned of adding sour cream into the layers. Or perhaps I left it in the oven too long?
Yep, for more gooeyness you’ll need something like sour cream and *definitely* more cheese. :)
Family favorite!!!! Best part is you can literally throw whatever veggies you have on hand in it. We regularly make this, it’s delicious!!
I have been making more of your recipes lately, and I was craving Mexican food. Since I had most of the items on hand, I decided to give this a try. However, I was a skeptic with the enchilada sauce. Having lived in TX for a few years, I have my own recipe for enchilada sauce that I was prepared to use. However, this one wasn’t as involved, so I figured I had a stash of sauce if I needed it, so I would give this a try. I have tried a couple of other sauces before with flour and they turned out horrible, but I figured I would have an open mind and give this a try. Worse case if I didn’t like the sauce, I would use the filling for something else. Hubby was working late, so this was on the menu last night for a quick and healthy dinner for me.
Your sauce shocked me…in a good way! I am gluten intolerant, so I used corn starch instead of flour to make the sauce. We eat Mexican food pretty regularly, so I doubled the sauce just to give it a try. I am truly amazed how well this turned out. Normally, I soak dried chiles and go through a bigger ordeal for my sauce, but this was really flavorful in no time at all! I am happy glad I doubled it, because I now have a quart jar of this tasty sauce waiting in the fridge. This sauce is a keeper, and will definitely be my go-to recipe when I don’t feel like hunting for the ingredients for my other recipe!
Now onto the casserole! The only changes I made to the filling were to add mushrooms, since I had some in the fridge I needed to use or lose. I wasn’t sure this would soften up enough and I wanted some color on the mushrooms, so I heated the zucchini and mushrooms in a pan first for about 5 minutes, turned off the heat and threw in the other veggies while I toasted my tortillas. I think next time I will toss in a diced red bell pepper for the color in the mix! My diced green chiles were hot and they helped to flavor the pan of veggies. I did add salt and black pepper to the pan of veggies, even though it just called for salt. i always add salt and pepper together :)
I toasted my corn tortillas in a dry skillet to give them some texture, and to hold up to the sauce. To cut down on the cheese, but give the enchilada casserole a little twist, I used up the last of some reduced fat sour cream I had in the fridge (again, I needed to use it up soon, so why not). I layered the casserole in the pan as follows: sauce/ tortillas/ 1/2 the filling/spread a thin layer sour cream like icing a cake/ sauce/ tortillas/last of the filling/another thin layer of sour cream/ sauce/ tortillas/ sauce/cheese! Since I warmed the filling on the stove, I baked it in the oven for about 25 minutes until bubbly.
This turned out to be a use up stuff in the fridge casserole, and it was delicious! I had 1.5 servings before I realized it, and this is going to be my dinner tonight again! When my husband got home from working late, he had a bag of fast food for his dinner. However, I asked him to try this casserole and tell me what he thought. After the first bite, he said, “This is really good, honey. I bet it was killer right out of the oven! You should make this again” He ate the other 1/2 serving right out of the pan, then snatched 1.5 pieces in a container for his lunch today. Since he pretty picky about vegetarian dishes, that means this is going on the rotation. Very nice recipe for a meatless meal!!!
Made this tonight and it was fantastic! The only changes I made were to add a chopped pasillo pepper to the filling, and I put cheese on top rather than throughout (only had a little chunk of cheese to use). So yummy and filling. I’ve never made my own enchilada sauce before and it was easy and tasty (plus the bonus of knowing exactly what’s in it!) Thanks, Beth for another great recipe!
I prepared this this afternoon with my 4-year-old helper. I subbed cooked sweet potato for the zucchini because that is what I had on hand. Also, I don’t own a microwave so I heated tortillas over the stove. I plan to serve this with avocado and either sour cream or cotija (I have both). I’m trying to serve vegetarian meals 3 nights a week. Happy to add this to my arsenal. *for some reason I am only able to click on 3 stars. Otherwise, I would give 5.
I never write reviews but this was AMAZING! Thank you soo much for sharing your recipe online. I was cooking this with my vegetarian daughter and she failed to include the chilles but they were not missed. In fact, I’m sure if we had remembered, this dish would have been even better! I will repeat this dish for many more dinners to come. Simply the best!
Does anyone know if you can freeze this dish?
Hi! I’ve made this a few times and love it! How do you think this would fare if I assembled the casserole earlier in the day and then baked it at night? Should I cover it?
Hmm, I didn’t cover mine when I baked it and I don’t think having it refrigerated should make that much of a difference, so I’d say no. :)
I want to make this for a friend as her father just passed away. Think this would be OK freezing for a few days?
This one should freeze fairly well. :)
Delicious!! I used whole wheat tortillas and shredded the zucchini and it worked great.
I just became vegan…..best freaking recipe out there for beginners. Thank you!
Took some of Beth’s and reader’s tips– toasted the corn tortillas, sautéed the zucchini and yellow onions to avoid the watery issue, then doubled the spices. Squeeze a lime wedge over a serving makes a world of difference! As with all of Beth’s recipes, we would definitely make this again!
Made this last night for dinner – very good, although my zucchini was not as softly cooked as I would have hoped. This is a very filling recipe and pretty healthy too. I’ll make this again!
I’ve made enchilada sauce before that was way too bitter. This was the bomb!
This is a fantastic dinner and I’ve made it several times now. A few changes- I ended up using the whole can of tomato paste with a bit more chili powder and oil (otherwise the half of the can goes to waste). This was great because I was able to freeze half the sauce for the next time! Also, I didn’t have zucchini so I cut up cherry tomatoes and having since used zucchini, I prefer the cherry tomatoes! They add a sweetness to the dish. So so great. Love this blog!!!
If you ever have leftover tomato paste in the future, you can also freeze the tomato paste on its own and use it for future recipes. I’ve almost always got a little Ziploc bag of frozen tomato paste kicking around in the freezer.
Another good one! Budget or no, your recipes are pleasing and not too hard. Love the homemade enchilada sauce!
I toasted the tortillas in the preheated oven (about 15 minutes, but less might work), turning over halfway through.
I was already fixing this when I saw “9 by 9 pan” and had to work something out (don’t have one of that size, and anything near is short). I started in a 7 x 11, but was spooning the first layer of vegetables in when I saw it was too small. I used a 9 x 13. It was rather spread out, but filled the pan to the top. I think I need an in-between size (like, ahem, 9 x 9) with fairly tall sides!
Made this last night and it was awesome!! Had a good spicy kick and went well with Spanish rice on the side :)
Love your blog, thank you!
I made this tonight for guests. They LOVED it. Went back for thirds. Your blog is a huge inspiration. THANKS!
Long-time reader, first-time commenter, thank you for saving me from SO much money I would have spent on fast food . . .
This rocked. I wasn’t too excited about it while I was putting it together, but MAN, that’s some good enchilada sauce. I just inhaled this dish. Yum.
This enchilada sauce is way better than the store bought canned goop. I doubled the tomato paste and mixed in 1/2 cup of sour cream at the end (I like the cooling effect it has) and swapped butternut squash for zucchini- just what I had on hand, and this was awesome! I could eat this several meals in a row and not get tired of it. Great recipe Beth, thank you!
My boyfriend and I loved this recipe .He is already requesting we make it again!
Very good. Next time, I will add a packet of taco season to spice it up a bit. Family loved it. No complaints.
I cannot tell you how much I LOVE and appreciate your blog. I’m not a blog person but this is on my top follow list. My hubby and I love your recipes and I love how easy and delicious they are!!! We eat gluten and dairy free, but that’s no problem I’m able to substitute the necessary things and still stay true to the recipes. We’re also on a budget ourselves, so you can just imagine how much more this blog helps. Please, please, please don’t stop blogging! lol. I’m gonna make this recipe this week and I’m pretty excited!
Hi again!! I haven’t made one of your recipes in a while and I just made this. It was DELICIOUS!! My kids devoured it. I had to make a 13×9, and I added some leftover shredded pork we had. Other than that I followed exactly. We served it with sour cream on top and we just loved it. Will be making it often, and it is gluten free as long as you use cornstarch instead of flour! Thank you!!!
This was amazing….the best thing I made for dinner in a long time. My husband and I could not stop eating it. Next time I will double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13 pan. The only thing I would say would be that it would probably only serve 6 if there were sides. If it were served on it’s own, I think it would serve 4-5 people.
Terrific recipe, Beth. Thanks for the millionth time.
Another vegetable to add to this that makes it AAAAH-mazing: SWEET POTATOES. They go so well with black beans, chiles, and corn!
Did you pre-cook the sweet potatoes? Sliced or diced? Thanks!
This recipe is amazing! I actually shredded the zucchini in my food processor (it makes fairly large shreds, so the pieces were a great size) and then squeezed them to get rid of some of the extra moisture. I’m not sure that I needed to, but it was so delicious. Definitely a keeper.
This recipe is really great. I added diced onion and doubled the zucchini for extra vegetables and it was so good that I’m making it again tonight! I wish it was easier to clean up though!
Tried using flour tortillas. It was a mistake. The came out soggy.
Oh no! I just bought all the ingredients for this but couldn’t find corn tortillas so bought flour ones! I guess I’m on the hunt for corn tortillas now….. ;/
I made this today in my crock pot. It was warm and comforting but a little bland… I realized too late that I forgot the green chiles! :’-(
Will definitely have to try this!! A couple suggestions:
1) I’d recommend folk sautee the zucchini some before mixing in, especially if the zucchini you are using was large. They contain a good deal of water and the wrong zucchini can make your casserole turn out watery #lessonslearnedthehardway
2) I’d also suggest keeping your eye out for frozen southwestern veggie mix. I get the C&W version which has corn, onions, black beans, poblanos and red bell peppers. I’d probably still add the can of black beans, but the frozen mix may actually save you some money (especially if you can snag it when its on sale and then save for when you need it!) and a whole lot of time chopping.
I’ve also done this type of recipe using whole roasted chiles (canned or home roasted) in place of the tortillas. More veg (tho likely a bit more expensive) but still very delicious!
Thanks, Beth! This looks really good and I’m excited to try it. Any recommendations for using a 9″x13″ pan instead of a 9″x9″? I don’t have a 9″x9″ casserole dish and I honestly don’t have room to store another dish in my kitchen at the moment. I’m sure the amounts would increase or I’d just have to play with the way I layer it. Maybe just two layers instead of three? How do you think cook time might be affected?
Thanks again!!
If you do two layers, it will cook much faster. You’ll just have to keep an eye on it and watch for the bubbling all around the edges and the cheese browning on top. :) Or you could double the recipe and I’m sure that would still fit in the 9×13 dish.
I did it in a 9×13 pan and doubled it and it turned out great. Plus, I can eat it all week!
How long did you cook it for after doubling?
made this today – added some shredded chicken i had on hand – it was very good.
I’ve done this with your vegan enchilada recipe before, and made it gluten free by whisking a corn starch slurry into the sauce at the end, instead of using flour for a roux. SO GOOD. (Even better with cheese…) Actually, I might have to make them tomorrow. I have everything except avocado.
I was wondering if diced butternut squash might work in place of the zucchini? Would I need to pre-roast it? I wonder if it would cook enough from raw. Any thoughts? I have literally 3 huge squash in my pantry and am trying to use them up! :)
Yes, I would definitely say that it would need to be pre-roasted, since butternut tends to be really hard. Other than that, I think it would make an interesting flavor addition! :)
Great recipe. I love it.
I have made it with 4 times with slight changes.
Chili powder is usually made from: paprika, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne. By looking at your costs, you could probably save additional money by making homemade chili powder—it is super easy. The added benefit is you can really tweak the ‘heat’ by varying paprika and cayenne quantities. Varying the type of paprika can add extra dimensions.
Many store chili powders also add salt. If using homemade chili powder, the amount of salt for the casserole needs to be increased. I found 1/2 tsp salt in the vegetable mix to be sufficient, and maintaining 1/2 tsp in the sauce with homemade chili powder enchilada sauce.
The vegetable mix needs an acid. Squeezing a slice of lime over the serving of casserole works in a pinch (and gives that mexican flavour). In Canada, limes are not as cheap as the US. Adding 1/2 cup 7% sour cream to the vegetable mix is a good increase in the flavour, adding both creaminess and acid punch.
If the casserole is to be stored (i.e. not devoured in one sitting, frozen and/or reheated leftovers), it is critical to really toast the tortillas. As you mentioned, the tortillas will soak up a lot of liquid. Fresh out of the oven, the casserole is really delicious regardless of the toasting. The longer the time between removing from the oven to eating decreases the tastiness and texture of the tortillas.
I opted for a single 1/3 cup cheese on the top layer (omitting cheese from middle layers) with the addition of the sour cream. I did this for nutrition balance, since cheese is rather high in fat.
As a scientist, I really love your site.
This was excellent! I wouldn’t usually make enchiladas for weekday lunches since they get soggy, but I took a chance on this. Toasting the tortillas definitely helped the texture. It was delicious and satisfying. The only addition I made was a red pepper.
Made a variation of this tonight and it came out INCREDIBLE. Used a mix of corn, black beans, pineapple and jalapenos instead. The pineapple gloriously caramelizes and the whole thing is a subtly sweet-spicy-cheesy mess of goodness.
This is fantastic. Absolutely. I love how soft the tortillas get – not chewy at all. I used white corn tortillas, not sure if that made a difference at all. I subbed in chopped mushrooms and onion powder, because I didn’t have scallions or chiles. This recipe seems like you could adjust it to the contents of your vegetable crisper very easily. I could see carrot shreds working well in here. This one is a winner!
Is there a reason for using the water + tomato paste in the enchilada sauce or would 2 cans of tomato sauce work instead? I’m planning on using some calabasita, a Mexican squash that is milder than zucchini, just an idea for some of the people who were asking for alternatives. Thank you for this blog I have found it very helpful for delicious nutritious and pocketbook friendly diner ideas.
Hmm, I bet that would work! I just never thought about it before. :)
Could you make this with flour tortillas instead? We tend not to like corn tortillas so I don’t keep them in the fridge.
Yep, the texture/flavor will be a bit different, but I’m sure it will still taste great.
omg! this was SO good even my picky boys ate it! Next time I am going to double the recipe!
This was tasty. Usually I make substitutions here and there but I pretty much followed the recipe exactly and it came out good. I think the only change I would make next time is making the sauce a little less spicy, otherwise it tasted great. Loving your veggie dishes!
I am going to make this with cashew sour cream in place of the cheese. I am excited!!
Any suggestion on what to replace the zucchini with? My husband isn’t a huge fan of zucchini at all.
I would read the section in the introduction where Beth lists potential replacements for zucchini.
Wow… not sure how I missed that before! Thanks!
I made this for dinner tonight, and it was fantastic! Thanks for another great recipe!
This was wonderful. As always, thanks for sharing.
got my meatless Monday recipe!!
Just made this and it’s delicious! My husband gobbled it up. Thanks Beth!
Oh nice! I’ve actually been making something VERY similar to this for a while, but as a nachos dish rather than an enchilada. Looks awesome, good work beth!
Beth, you are my go-to recipe gal! I pinned this.
This looks great. What would you recommend for a substitute for the tortillas? Would rice or quinoa work ok?
Yes, I supposed that could work! But I’d use cooked rice or quinoa. :)
This looks warm and comforting. I will be making this tonight.
To up the creamy factor and the protein I often add cottage cheese to this type of casserole
Looks yummy! Do you think this would freeze well?
Yes, I plan on freezing some of mine and I think it should turn out well. :)
Beth, do you think this will freeze well?
I expect it to freeze well (I haven’t done it yet, but will).
How long will this dish be good in the freezer you reckon? I just put them in those freezer bags that would be okay for this I assume?
Yes, freezer bags will work. Frozen food just kind of slowly degrades in quality over time, so it’s a little subjective (and depends on a few factors like how much air exposure it has in the bag), but I’d say for a couple months at least.
Oh this looks great and I have everything in my house except corn tortillas. I’ll definitely be adding this to the meal plan this week.
Our family is trying to switch to a gluten free plan. what would I replace the regular flower with for the enchilada sauce? LOOKS YUMMY though!
Kelly, I use cornstarch in any recipe that suggests flour for thickening. :)
Seconded, but chickpea flour also works very well and can be used in baking projects too!
I actually haven’t tried making a roux with other types of flours, so I’m not sure how that will turn out. While cornstarch does thicken sauces well, it will definitely have a different texture and flavor than a sauce made with a flour roux.
Wow, that is such a good deal on cheese. Where I live, cheese costs around $6 per pound, and shredded cheese is maybe a bit cheaper. For fancier shredded cheese, I usually buy a block from Trader Joe’s and chop it up myself.
The enchilada casserole looks lovely by the way. I like the cute square of corn tortillas, and this looks like it would freeze really well.