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.
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
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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.
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!!