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Cheesy Vegetarian

Roasted Vegetable Enchilada Casserole

This enchilada casserole tastes like my favourite vegetarian enchiladas, but only takes 15 minutes of effort – no rolling or layering! The perfect veggie-packed comfort food.

A baking dish of enchilada casserole, with a large scoop removed.

Some of my favourite dinners are those that can be a bit of a faff to make – lasagne, shepherd’s pie, enchiladas… They’re always worth it in the end, but sometimes I just don’t want to stand there for half an hour preparing my dinner.

Luckily, I’m the queen of a shortcut – and this enchilada casserole is a much quicker way to make vegetarian enchiladas, without all the fiddly rolling!

A large spoon taking a scoop of enchilada casserole from a blue baking dish.

What are enchiladas?

Just in case you’ve never had enchiladas before (what have you been doing all your life?), I’ll give you a brief description.

Regular enchiladas consist of vegetables and beans (or whatever other fillings you fancy), rolled up in large tortillas, and coated in enchilada sauce. They’re then baked in the oven until they’re hot and bubbly.

They’re one of my all-time favourite Tex-Mex meals – not only do you get all the incredible Tex-Mex flavours of a burrito or a quesadilla, but you also get the added bonus of a tasty sauce and a crispy cheese topping.

Enchiladas are all sorts of good bits, rolled up in one incredible dish.

A portion of enchilada casserole with black beans, vegetables and a cheese topping.

Vegetarian enchilada casserole

This enchilada casserole is basically the low effort way to make vegetarian enchiladas. Instead of rolling the veggies and beans up into individual tortillas, I just mixed it all together (including bitesized pieces of tortilla), casserole-style.

Why does it matter whether the ‘filling’ is actually wrapped in a tortilla, or if it’s underneath it, or on top of it? It all tastes the same once you’re eating it, so why bother faffing around rolling each enchilada up separately?

This version takes less time, involves less hands-on prep work, and creates less washing up.

Win win win!

Close-up of a spoon scooping an enchilada casserole, with roasted vegetables and black beans.

How to make roasted vegetable enchilada casserole

Step 1: Roast the vegetables

As you might guess from the name of this dish, it begins with roasted vegetables.

Roasting is by far my favourite way to cook the majority of vegetables. It’s hands-off, and it always gives the veg a really lovely flavour. They end up soft in the middle, with nice little crispy bits around the edges.

You can pretty much roast up whatever vegetables you like for this enchilada casserole. I stuck with my favourite Tex-Mex veggies – peppers (red and yellow), mushrooms, and courgette (zucchini).

A collage showing peppers, mushrooms and courgette before and after roasting.

Step 2: Prepare the enchilada sauce

There’s absolutely no reason why you couldn’t use a shop-bought enchilada sauce for this casserole, if you can find one you like. This is meant to be a low effort dinner, after all – and in fact, if you do just use a jar, this will end up being a one pot dinner, which is always good!

However, enchilada sauce is actually not that easy to find in the UK – and when I do spot it somewhere, it’s always super expensive. So, since homemade enchilada sauce literally takes just a few minutes to make, and the ingredients are things I always have in the kitchen anyway, I decided to make my own. Either way works just fine.

I’ve previously written a whole post about my homemade enchilada sauce, if you’d like to see step-by-step photos. It’s basically the same process as making a white sauce.

You’ll also need to cut up some flour tortillas, ready for adding to the casserole.

A collage showing homemade enchilada sauce and a tortilla cut into pieces.

Step 3: Mix everything together

When the vegetables are nice and roasty, it’s time to mix everything together:

  • the roasted vegetables
  • your (shop-bought or homemade) enchilada sauce
  • pieces of flour tortilla
  • a tin of black beans

I mix it all straight in the baking dish, so it doesn’t create any additional washing up.

An uncooked enchilada casserole with pieces of tortilla and black beans in enchilada sauce.

Step 4: Bake until crispy

Top the dish with a bit of grated cheese, and pop it back in the oven for about another 15 minutes, until it’s all nice and crispy.

Enchilada casserole in a baking dish with a crispy cheese topping.

The end result tastes just like my favourite vegetarian enchiladas. The pieces of tortilla soak up a little of the sauce, just like in ‘real’ enchiladas – and by the time you’ve scooped up a big forkful, it’s totally irrelevant that they weren’t neatly rolled.

A large spoon digging into a baking dish of vegetarian enchilada casserole.

How to serve enchilada casserole

This enchilada casserole doesn’t really require any side dishes – it’s already a full meal in itself.

However, it’s sometimes nice to prepare some side dishes, if only so you can have a bit of variety on the plate. I probably wouldn’t bother if I was just making this for my family, but if we had guests, I’d probably choose one or two of these to serve alongside:

  • green salad
  • guacamole
  • sour cream
  • corn on the cob
  • garlic bread (if you don’t mind double carbs…)
A portion of vegetarian enchilada casserole in a bowl with lettuce leaves.

What vegetables can you use in enchiladas?

To make my enchilada casserole, I used mushrooms, courgette (zucchini), and red and yellow peppers. These are my go-to veggies for Tex-Mex cooking.

You could also use:

  • onion / red onion
  • eggplant (aubergine)
  • tinned sweetcorn (add along with the black beans)
  • potatoes
  • tomatoes
  • sweet potato

Or, to be honest, pretty much anything else that roasts up nicely. For example, carrot may not be a vegetable I would often put in enchiladas, but it does roast up really nicely, so there’s no reason you couldn’t add that too.

Just be aware that some vegetables roast more quickly or more slowly than others, so bear that in mind – you may need to add some veg to the dish a little later than others.

A cheesy enchilada casserole in a baking dish with a spoon.

Can you freeze vegetarian enchilada casserole?

Yep! Vegetarian enchiladas (including this casserole version) are just the sort of meal that can be frozen easily – so they’re perfect for batch cooking. Just transfer the cooked casserole to a freezer-safe tub, and pop it in the freezer.

I’d personally reheat it thoroughly in the microwave. You could reheat it in the oven instead if you prefer, but it may dry out a little.

Enchilada casserole in a baking dish with a large scoop removed.

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Roasted Vegetable Enchilada Casserole

This enchilada casserole tastes like my favourite vegetarian enchiladas, but only takes 15 minutes of effort – no rolling or layering! The perfect veggie-packed comfort food.
Course Main meals
Cuisine Mexican, Tex-Mex
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 3 people
Calories 485kcal
Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 yellow pepper
  • 1 small (or 1/2 large) courgette (zucchini)
  • 100 g (~ 3 1/2 oz) mushrooms (~ 6 medium mushrooms)
  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 250 ml (~ 1 cup) enchilada sauce (shop-bought or homemade)
  • 400 g tin black beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
  • 4 small flour tortillas, cut into bitesized pieces
  • 75 g cheddar cheese, grated (~ 3/4 cup when grated)
  • Fresh coriander (cilantro), to garnish

Instructions

  • Cut the vegetables into chunky dice, and toss them in a little oil. Place them in a baking dish (mine measured approximately 10 x 7 inches), and roast at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F) for around 30-40 minutes, stirring halfway, until the vegetables are fairly soft.
  • If you’re using homemade enchilada sauce, prepare it while the vegetables are roasting. You can see my full enchilada sauce recipe here. Shop-bought sauce is also fine to use.
  • When the vegetables are fairly soft, add the enchilada sauce, tinned black beans, and the pieces of tortilla. Mix well until everything is coated in the sauce.
  • Sprinkle with some grated cheese, and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes, or until the cheese is crispy and the sauce is hot and bubbly. Garnish with fresh coriander (cilantro), if desired.

Notes

Feel free to use different vegetables if you like – there are some more ideas in the blog post.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 485kcal | Carbohydrates: 56.1g | Protein: 19.8g | Fat: 21.8g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 1119mg | Potassium: 664mg | Fiber: 10.6g | Sugar: 7.9g | Calcium: 235mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition Facts
Roasted Vegetable Enchilada Casserole
Amount Per Serving (1 portion)
Calories 485
Calories from Fat 196
% Daily Value*
Fat 21.8g34%
Saturated Fat 6g30%
Cholesterol 26mg9%
Sodium 1119mg47%
Potassium 664mg19%
Carbohydrates 56.1g19%
Fiber 10.6g42%
Sugar 7.9g9%
Protein 19.8g40%
Calcium 235mg24%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for 1/3 of the recipe.

Here’s another really easy Tex-Mex inspired recipe – slow cooker black bean soup (with heaps of hidden veggies!)

The post Roasted Vegetable Enchilada Casserole appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Creamy Three Bean Stew

This creamy three bean stew is the ideal healthy comfort food – with fresh veg and three types of beans, in a luxurious creamy tomato sauce!

Overhead shot of a bowl of creamy three bean stew with a dollop of sour cream.

This creamy three bean stew is basically my perfect dinner. It feels like a luxurious, comforting meal, but is packed with fresh vegetables and protein-rich beans (three kinds, in case you couldn’t have guessed) – all coated in a creamy, silky sauce with heaps of flavour (swoooon).

It ticks all the boxes!

A bowlful of creamy three bean stew topped with parsley and a dollop of sour cream.

Healthy comfort food

Veggie-packed comfort food has got to be my all-time favourite food category, and it doesn’t get much better than this creamy three bean stew. It’s absolutely full of goodness, but is about as far from rabbit food as you can get (I’ve never been much of a salad person).

After eating a meal like this, you feel totally satisfied, and your body thanks you too.

Close up photo of a spoon being dipped into a bowl of creamy bean stew.

What’s in this creamy three bean stew?

There are 3 main elements to this hearty vegetarian stew:

  1. the vegetables – I chose carrots, courgette (zucchini) and mushrooms
  2. the beans – three different types! I used black beans, kidney beans and cannellini beans
  3. the sauce – made with tomatoes, creamy tomato soup, and an extra dollop of cream for good measure

As long as you make sure your bean stew contains these three elements, it will be a success – even if you decide to switch things up a bit (see below for some ideas for how to adapt the recipe!).

A spoon taking a scoop of vegetarian bean stew from a bowl.

How to make creamy three bean stew

Step 1: Fry off the vegetables

Start by dicing your veggies, and adding them to a large saucepan. Cook them for a few minutes until they’re just starting to soften.

Diced vegetables being cooked in a saucepan.

Step 2: Add most of the remaining ingredients

We’re already at the ‘add everything else’ stage – this recipe really couldn’t get much simpler.

Add the beans and sauce ingredients to the pan, and leave everything to simmer for a little while, until the sauce has thickened nicely and the vegetables and beans are totally soft.

Three bean stew being cooked in a saucepan.

Step 3: Make it extra creamy

As a little finishing touch, I like to add one more little dollop of something to make it extra creamy. To be honest, there are lots of ingredients you could use for this purpose, which would all have pretty much the same effect:

  • cream
  • sour cream
  • Greek yogurt
  • cream cheese

Just be careful if you’re using the low fat version of any of these ingredients, as low fat dairy products can sometimes split and curdle in this kind of situation.

It’s best to stick to the full fat version if you can, or if you really want to use low fat, temper the ingredient first. To do this, mix a spoonful of your hot stew into the yogurt (or whatever you’re using) first, then add it all back into the pot. This helps to minimise the temperature shock, and reduces the risk of curdling.

A dollop of sour cream being added to a rich tomatoey bean stew in a saucepan.

The difference that one good dollop of sour cream had on my three bean stew was really pretty amazing:

Creamy three bean stew in a saucepan.

It makes the whole thing so much more luxurious, and transforms a simple bean stew into something seriously tempting.

A bowlful of creamy vegetarian three bean stew topped with parsley and sour cream.

How to serve three bean stew

This stew already contains all the most important food groups, so there’s no need to serve anything alongside it if you don’t want to. Just a nice big bowl and a spoon are all you need.

Personally though, I think a bit of garlic bread or some crusty bread and butter are absolutely perfect for mopping up the bowl and adding a nice bit of crunch…

A hand using a piece of garlic bread to scoop up some three bean stew.

How to adapt the recipe

One of the best things about this recipe is that it’s endlessly adaptable – it’s such a good fridge clearer. I would be willing to bet that almost all of you could make this three bean stew entirely from ingredients you already have in the house.

Who doesn’t already have a cupboard full of random tins of beans? And a fridge full of veggies that could do with being used up?

Just chuck ’em all in – the more the merrier.

You could choose different vegetables, different beans, or adjust the sauce ingredients, and you’ll almost certainly still end up with a really tasty meal. In fact, it’s pretty fun if it ends up slightly different each time you make it.

Overhead shot of a bowl of creamy three bean stew.

Print

Creamy Three Bean Stew

This creamy three bean stew is the ideal healthy comfort food – with fresh veg and three types of beans, in a luxurious creamy tomato sauce!
Course Main meal
Cuisine Mediterranean
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 368kcal
Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 onion, sliced or diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium courgette (zucchini), diced
  • ~ 5 medium mushrooms, diced
  • 400 g tin cannellini beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
  • 400 g tin black beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
  • 400 g tin kidney beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
  • 400 g (~ 1⅓ cups) tinned tomatoes
  • 400 g (~ 1 1/3 cups) tin cream of tomato soup
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 vegetable stock cube, crumbled
  • 2 tbsp cream, cream cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt (full fat versions)
  • Small bunch fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

  • Heat a dash of oil in a large saucepan, and add the diced onion and carrot. Cook over a medium heat for a few minutes, stirring regularly, until the onion has softened slightly. Add the garlic, courgette and mushrooms, and cook for a further 5 minutes, until the vegetables are beginning to soften.
  • Add the three drained tins of beans, tin of tomatoes, and tin of tomato soup. Also add the oregano and black pepper, along with a crumbled stock cube (or just some salt, if you prefer).
  • Bring to a simmer, and cook for around 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced to produce a thick sauce.
  • Add the cream, mix to combine, and serve warm, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.

Notes

Feel free to use different vegetables or different beans, depending on what you have in the kitchen.

It’s best to use full fat dairy products for cooking, as low fat varieties tend to split and curdle when added to heat. If you really need to use a low fat dairy ingredient, temper it before adding it to the stew. To do this, mix one spoonful of the hot stew into the low fat yogurt (or whatever it is), and stir it together. Then add it back into the stew. This reduces the temperature shock to the yogurt, and minimises the risk of curdling.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 60.1g | Protein: 18.6g | Fat: 7.4g | Saturated Fat: 2.5g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 1082mg | Potassium: 1217mg | Fiber: 17.8g | Sugar: 9.8g | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 7mg
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Three Bean Stew
Amount Per Serving (1 portion)
Calories 368
Calories from Fat 67
% Daily Value*
Fat 7.4g11%
Saturated Fat 2.5g13%
Cholesterol 11mg4%
Sodium 1082mg45%
Potassium 1217mg35%
Carbohydrates 60.1g20%
Fiber 17.8g71%
Sugar 9.8g11%
Protein 18.6g37%
Calcium 111mg11%
Iron 7mg39%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for 1/4 of the recipe.

Love healthy comfort food? My veggie-packed slow cooker black bean soup is perfect:

The post Creamy Three Bean Stew appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

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