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Cheesy Vegetarian

One Pot Baked Fajita Rice

As you may know, I adore all things Tex-Mex. It’s hard to go wrong with plenty of veggies, black beans (the GOAT of all legumes), rice, gooey cheese, and a bit of tasty spice to bring everything to life. And this baked fajita rice has all of the above!

Best of all, it’s super easy to make, because everything cooks at the same time in a big baking dish (got to love a one pot meal). Just mix everything together – including raw veggies and uncooked rice! – and come back half an hour later to find your dinner has cooked itself. If that isn’t appealing, I don’t know what is.

Cheesy fajita baked rice in a large baking dish with a spoon.

All of my favourite vegetarian Tex-Mex recipes are easy to adapt, because you can usually swap in different vegetables if you like, and adjust the spice level to your preferences. Plus, you can top your meal with whatever you like – I served my baked rice with a couple of good dollops of sour cream and guacamole.

A bowl of baked fajita rice with a cheesy topping.

⭐ What Makes it Fajita Rice?

I’ve called this baked rice ‘fajita rice’, because it’s reminiscent of my favourite vegetarian fajitas, and it uses my favourite fajita veggies – peppers and red onion. Some mushrooms would also be great in this!

I also added some black beans for extra vegetarian protein, and swapped the tortilla that you’d usually use to wrap up your fajitas for some rice instead. If you’re bored of your usual fajitas, this is a great way to mix things up a bit!

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🥗 Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for baked fajita rice laid out with text overlay.
  • rice – any long grain white rice will be fine. I used basmati rice.
  • black beans (canned)
  • fajita-style vegetables – I used peppers and red onion. Mushrooms would also work really well, or whatever else you usually like to serve in vegetarian fajitas.
  • canned tomatoes
  • vegetable stock – I used a stock cube (plus water), but you could use the equivalent amount of liquid stock if you prefer.
  • spices – I used smoked paprika, chilli powder and ground cumin, which is my favourite combination for Tex-Mex recipes (you can find all three in my homemade enchilada sauce recipe too!).
  • grated cheese – I used mozzarella as I find it melts really nicely.

Becca’s Top Tip

I love serving this baked rice with some extra toppings, like sour cream, guacamole, some chopped cilantro or spring onions, or sliced avocado. So remember to buy whatever toppings you’d like as well!


📹 Recipe Video





A portion of fajita baked rice with guacamole and sour cream.

🖨 Printable Instructions

A large spoon taking a scoop of cheesy baked fajita rice.

Print

One Pot Baked Fajita Rice

This vegetarian baked fajita rice all cooks in one pot, so it couldn’t be easier! It has plenty of vegetables and a tasty cheesy topping.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican, Tex-Mex
Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 people
Calories 477kcal
Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 1 red onion, sliced or diced
  • 2 bell peppers, sliced or diced (I used red and orange)
  • 300 g (~ 10 1/2 oz / ~ 1 1/2 cups) long grain white rice (I used basmati rice)
  • 400 g tin black beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
  • 400 g tin (~ 1 1/3 cups) chopped tomatoes
  • 500 ml (~ 2 cups) vegetable stock (I used a crumbled stock cube and water)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon mild chilli powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 150 g (~ 1 1/2 cups) grated mozzarella cheese
  • To serve: sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, etc. (optional)

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 180°C (Gas Mark 4 / 350°F). Add the sliced red onion and peppers to a large baking dish – mine measured approximately 11 x 9 inches, and was quite deep. If you don’t have a large enough baking dish, you’ll need to spread the ingredients across two dishes.
    Chopped peppers and red onion in a large baking dish.
  • Add all the other ingredients, apart from the mozzarella cheese.
    Uncooked rice, beans, vegetables and tomatoes in a baking dish.
  • Mix well to combine, making sure the rice is submerged in liquid.
    Uncooked rice, beans, vegetables and tomatoes in a baking dish.
  • Bake for around 30 minutes, then mix well. The rice should be almost cooked.
    Baked rice with beans and vegetables in a large baking dish.
  • Top with grated mozzarella, and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes, or until the cheese has crisped up to your liking. Serve with guacamole, sour cream, or any other additional toppings, if you like.
    Cheesy baked rice with vegetables and black beans.

Video





Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 82.1g | Protein: 20.5g | Fat: 7.1g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 263mg | Potassium: 568mg | Fiber: 7.9g | Sugar: 6.3g | Calcium: 356mg | Iron: 3mg

💭 Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare this baked rice in advance?

If needed, you can mix all the ingredients in advance, store in the fridge, then bake just before serving.

How should I reheat leftover fajita rice?

This baked rice can easily be reheated in the microwave until piping hot. Be aware that rice must be stored in the fridge as soon as it has cooled, for up to 2 days, and reheated thoroughly to avoid food poisoning.

How should I serve baked fajita rice?

This recipe already contains protein, carbs and vegetables, so it’s a full meal on its own. However, I love to serve it with some guacamole and sour cream on the side, to add interest. A green salad would also be a great side dish for this recipe.

Can I make vegan baked rice?

Sure – just swap the mozzarella cheese for your favourite vegan cheese. The rest of the recipe is already vegan.

🍚 Other Rice Recipes

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A large spoon taking a scoop of cheesy baked fajita rice.

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The post One Pot Baked Fajita Rice appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Air Fryer Gnocchi (with Pesto and Mozzarella)

Ahh, gnocchi! Adorable little potato dumplings that taste like little pillowy clouds – soft and fluffy, like little hugs for your mouth. I adore gnocchi cooked with all sorts of flavours, and this easy air fryer recipe involves:

  • crispy gnocchi cooked in a creamy pesto sauce
  • roasted vegetables that are sweet and tender
  • gooey little pockets of mozzarella cheese
  • a layer of rich tomato sauce to bring it all together

Doesn’t it just sound irresistible?! It couldn’t be easier to make, and the classic Italian flavours are just incredible.

Air fryer gnocchi and vegetables with mozzarella and pesto.

If you’re a regular reader here on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian, you might know that I’m not a fan of boiling gnocchi, and I usually cook it in a frying pan (see my instructions for frying gnocchi!). However, lately I’ve been experimenting with different methods – like baked gnocchi, and oven-roasted gnocchi. This time, I thought I’d use the air fryer!

❓ Why Cook Gnocchi in an Air Fryer?

I use my air fryer several times a week, and I love it. An air fryer is essentially just a mini oven, so whatever you can cook in an oven, you can cook in an air fryer instead (and vice versa) – but it’s a lot quicker when there’s a smaller space to heat up.

Cooking this pesto gnocchi in an air fryer means you can turn it on, leave it to do its thing for a while, and return to perfectly cooked gnocchi. It’s a lot less labour intensive than cooking the gnocchi in a frying pan, and it’s quicker than using the oven. Best of both worlds!

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🥗 Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for air fryer gnocchi laid out with text overlay.
  • gnocchi – any shop-bought gnocchi will work. I haven’t tested this recipe using homemade gnocchi, but I imagine that would work well too (though you’ll probably need to boil the gnocchi first).
  • vegetables – I used mushrooms, red onion and a yellow pepper. Any similar Italian-style veggies will work well.
  • pesto – I used a creamy basil pesto, but use whatever you like the sound of.
  • fresh mozzarella cheese
  • tomato sauce – choose your favourite tomato-based pasta sauce, or use your own homemade tomato sauce! It’s worth choosing a good quality sauce for this recipe.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you don’t have an air fryer, you could cook this recipe in a regular oven instead, or in a frying pan on the stovetop.


📹 Recipe Video





🔪 Equipment

My air fryer is the Ninja Foodi MAX air fryer, which I really love, and I use it several times a week. I love how it has two separate baskets, so you can cook small or large meals easily. One of the baskets was enough to cook this air fryer gnocchi.

Here’s the one I have on Amazon:

Ninja Dual Air Fryer

Ninja Dual Air Fryer

I love the two separate zones in this air fryer!

If you’re in the UK or Canada, click the link to see a local product.

A bowl of air fryer gnocchi on tomato sauce.

🖨 Printable Instructions

Air fryer gnocchi and vegetables on tomato sauce.

Print

Air Fryer Gnocchi with Pesto and Mozzarella

Air fryer gnocchi, with creamy pesto sauce, gooey pockets of mozzarella, and roasted veggies. This vegetarian meal is so easy!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Diet Vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings 2 people
Calories 663kcal
Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp pesto (I used a creamy basil pesto)
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 120 g mushrooms (~ 6 medium mushrooms)
  • 1 bell pepper (I used yellow)
  • 1 red onion
  • 500 g (~1 lb) gnocchi
  • 250 g (~ 9 oz) fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into pieces
  • 340 g (~ 1 cup) good quality tomato pasta sauce

Instructions

  • Add the pesto and a splash of water to a mixing bowl, and mix well to thin out the pesto a little. This will help it to coat the gnocchi nicely.
    Watered down pesto in a mixing bowl.
  • Chop the mushrooms, pepper and red onion into bitesized pieces, and add them to the bowl, along with the gnocchi. Mix well to coat everything in the sauce.
    Gnocchi and raw vegetables coated in pesto in a mixing bowl.
  • Transfer the mixture to your air fryer, and cook at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes. Stir the gnocchi, and cook for a further 10 minutes.
    Crispy gnocchi and vegetables in an air fryer.
  • When the gnocchi and vegetables are nicely crisped up, add the torn up mozzarella cheese to the air fryer, and cook for 2 more minutes, until the cheese has melted.
    Air fryer gnocchi and vegetables topped with melted mozzarella.
  • Heat up the tomato sauce – I warmed it in a bowl in the microwave, but you could use a pan on the stovetop instead, if you prefer. Serve the crispy air fried gnocchi on top of the hot tomato sauce.
    Air fried gnocchi and vegetables served on tomato sauce.

Video





Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 663kcal | Carbohydrates: 99.5g | Protein: 34.4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6.3g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 1237mg | Potassium: 1265mg | Fiber: 6.2g | Sugar: 10.6g | Calcium: 202mg | Iron: 10mg

💭 Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare this recipe in advance?

You could easily mix up the gnocchi / vegetables / pesto in advance, then store the mixture in the fridge until you’re ready to air fry, just before serving.

How should I reheat any leftovers?

I generally reheat any leftovers in the microwave. If you don’t have a microwave, you could also reheat in the air fryer or in a frying pan, but bear in mind that the sauce will dry up a bit if using these methods, so you may need to mix in a little water to freshen it up.

How should I serve air fried gnocchi?

This recipe can be served on its own, without any additional side dishes. However, if you’d like to serve something on the side, a simple salad would be a great addition.

🥔 Other Gnocchi Recipes

Vegetarian Air Fryer Recipes
Air fryer gnocchi and vegetables on tomato sauce.

Air Fryer Gnocchi (with Pesto and Mozzarella)

Sheet pan gnocchi with pumpkin.

Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Pumpkin and Feta

Pizza baked gnocchi topped with peppers, mushrooms and black olives.

Cheesy Pizza Baked Gnocchi

Easy Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi

Easy Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi

The post Air Fryer Gnocchi (with Pesto and Mozzarella) appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

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