June 9, 2014

Vegetable Enchilada Casserole

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Cheesy and delicious, this vegetable enchilada casserole is a fun twist on the classic dish! With layers of tortillas, veggies, beans, salsa verde and cheese, you get all the goodness of enchiladas without the rolling. Vegetarian with gluten free option.

A purple baking dish filled with Vegetable Enchilada Casserole.

Note: This recipe is NOT dairy free. It was published before Cook Nourish Bliss transitioned to dairy free recipes and remains popular with long time readers. You can try using substitutions to make it dairy free, however I have not tested this myself and can’t say how it will turn out.

Meet my new favorite dinner.

It’s good.  Really good.  And my impatient self has a really hard time letting it rest for about 15 minutes before digging in.

To the point where several times I’ve just said screw it and cut a big piece before it had time to set up.  And then proceeded to drop it all over the counter.

Messy?  Yes.  But so delicious I couldn’t care one little bit.  

Two pieces on Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole on white plates.

It’s like enchiladas without having to go through the trouble of rolling them up.  Lazy man enchiladas.  I like it.  Just layer and bake.

And those layers?  Yeah – those are filled with crunchy veggies, black beans, salsa verde and cheese.  Cheese me please.

Now don’t get all weirded out when you see there is cottage cheese in the ingredient list.  It doesn’t taste like cottage cheese at all – it just sort of makes it all nice and slightly creamy and plenty cheesy. 

For the final touch you’ll broil the casserole at the very end so the top layer gets just a tad bit crunchy … kinda sorta.  Oh so good.

And then you’ll top it with plenty of avocado right before serving.  The creaminess is the perfect finishing touch.

A slice of Green Enchilada Casserole on a plate with the baking dish to the side.

Additional Enchilada Recipes You Might Enjoy:

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

Vegetable Enchilada Casserole with Salsa Verde | cookiemonstercooking.com

Vegetable Enchilada Casserole

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Cheesy and delicious, this vegetable enchilada casserole is a fun twist on the classic dish! With layers of tortillas, veggies, beans, salsa verde and cheese, you get all the goodness of enchiladas without the rolling. Vegetarian with gluten free option.

Ingredients

For the casserole:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small red onion, chopped
  • 2 small zucchini, chopped
  • ½ cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
  • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 medium green onions, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • ¾ cup cottage cheese
  • 1 ½ cups salsa verde, divided
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced*
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • salt, to taste
  • 8 large flour tortillas**
  • 1 ¼ cups shredded pepper jack cheese, divided***

For serving:

  • additional chopped cilantro
  • diced avocado

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
  2. Set a medium skillet over medium heat. Add in the olive oil. When hot, add in the onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until it starts to soften.
  3. Add in the zucchini and corn. Cook for another 6 to 9 minutes, until all the veggies are nice and tender.
  4. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add in the black beans, green onions, cilantro, cottage cheese, ¼ cup of the salsa, chipotle, cumin and paprika. Mix until well combined. Taste and add salt if needed (it will depend on your salsa).
  5. Add another ¼ cup of the salsa to a square (mine is 9x9) baking dish. Tilt the pan back and forth until it coats the bottom in a thin layer. Top with 2 of the tortillas (I rip them in half so they fit the pan better), ⅓ of the veggie mixture, ¼ cup salsa and ¼ cup of the pepper jack cheese. Repeat this process two more times (tortillas, veggies, salsa, cheese). End with a final layer of tortillas, salsa and then the remaining ½ cup of cheese.
  6. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for about 20 minutes.
  7. Remove the foil, turn on the broiler and then broil for another 5 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbly on top.
  8. Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with the extra cilantro and serve each piece with some diced avocado.

Notes

*If you are gluten free - be sure to check the ingredients on your chipotle peppers as some brands contain wheat.

**To keep this gluten free - use gluten free tortillas of choice (you may need to adjust the amount if they are smaller in size).

***You can also use a different kind of cheese (instead of the pepper jack) to reduce the spice level and/or reduce the minced chipotle, depending on your taste. We think the amounts listed are just right but that’s just us.

Along those lines, make sure that you like whatever salsa you use in this dish (and the spice level of the salsa). The one we use has a bit of kick, so the casserole itself has some kick too.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 334Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 700mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 5gSugar: 4gProtein: 15g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.

© Ashley / Cook Nourish Bliss
Cuisine: Mexican / Category: Main Dish
Gluten Free, Main Dish, Meatless, Recipes (ALL), Vegetarian, Weeknight
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