Today I’m bringing back one of my favorite meals on this earth: ENCHILADA CASSEROLE. My mom used to make it all the time for church gatherings and parties when she didn’t want to roll up tortillas for enchiladas. It’s a crowd-pleaser or a homemade weeknight dinner. AND SO EASY TOO!
This flavorful, absolutely delicious vegetarian enchilada casserole packs protein from black beans, a rainbow of roasted veggies, a kick of heat from chipotle, and layers of melty cheese. This wonderful dish 100% belongs on your Meatless Monday menu. It’s freezer-friendly and would make such a great meal for new mamas or to keep in the freezer for quick meals down the road!
Vegetarian enchilada casserole ingredients
I opted to make this healthy enchilada casserole recipe vegetarian because I had recently been to a Mexican restaurant that served mushroom and cheese enchiladas and they were SO ridiculously good. Anyway, roasted veggies = the best thing ever, especially in enchiladas. Here’s everything you need:
- For the veggies: we’re getting a full rainbow of vegetables by roasting up red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, red onion, baby bella mushrooms, and zucchini. You’ll roast them in a little olive or avocado oil, garlic, salt & pepper.
- For the sauce: the chipotle enchilada sauce is made with tomato sauce, garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (from the can), and milk (I like using almond or cashew milk) or you can use greek yogurt.
- For the layers: we’re loading the layers with black beans, shredded Monterey jack cheese (or Mexican blend), and corn tortillas.
- For topping: I love topping this casserole with diced avocado, jalapeños, and cilantro. You could also add a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream!
Customize this vegetarian enchilada casserole
This easy enchilada casserole is great for customizing with ingredients you have on hand:
- To keep it dairy free. Simply use a dairy free cheese, my cashew cheese sauce or you can leave out the cheese completely.
- Switch up your tortillas. I use corn tortillas because it’s my preference flavor-wise and keeps the enchilada casserole gluten-free, but feel free to use any flour tortillas if you’d like.
- Choose the veggies. Feel free to mix it up with any veggies you have on hand! I think sweet potato or butternut squash would be delicious in here.
- Mix up the enchilada sauce. If you’re not a fan of chipotle flavors, feel free to use this basic enchilada sauce recipe instead.
Can I add meat to this enchilada casserole?
Absolutely! If you’re not vegetarian, feel free to throw in some cooked, shredded chicken, cooked ground chicken or ground turkey, or even ground beef for an extra boost of protein.
How to make chipotle enchilada sauce
This healthy enchilada casserole is made with a life-changing homemade creamy enchilada chipotle sauce. It’s seriously delicious and perfect for slathering on scrambled eggs, throwing in burritos, slow-cooking chicken, OR drizzling all over your enchiladas. To make it:
- Simply add the sauce ingredients to the bowl of a food processor.
- Process for 30 seconds or until smooth. Done!
SO easy and so delicious!
Make this enchilada casserole ahead of time
Yes, you can easily prep this dish 1-2 days ahead of time and bake it when you’re ready to eat! There are a couple of ways to do it:
- Prep the ingredients. You can easily chop all of your veggies and make the enchilada sauce, then store them separately in airtight containers until you’re ready to assemble and bake the casserole.
- Prep the whole casserole. Another option is to roast the veggies, make the sauce, fully assemble the casserole, and then cover your baking dish and store the casserole in the refrigerator. Once you’re ready to bake it, uncover the baking dish and bake as directed!
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: let the enchilada casserole cool completely and then either cover the whole pan and place it in the fridge or put individual slices into airtight container and place them in the fridge. This casserole will stay good for up to 3-4 days in the fridge. To reheat, simply add a slice to a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute or until heated through.
- To freeze: you can either bake the casserole first, cool it to room temperature, slice into servings, place in freezer safe containers and then freeze. Or, to freeze the whole pan, you can bake it, bring it to room temp, and then freeze the entire pan. Once ready to reheat, thaw it out in the fridge, then bake it, covered at 350 degrees F for 30-45 minutes or until heated through.
More vegetarian meals you’ll love
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
- Roasted Rainbow Vegetable Pasta with Cashew Pesto + Goat Cheese
- One Pan Tomato Basil Baked Orzo
- Chipotle Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Quinoa Chili
- Sheet Pan Roasted Veggie Tacos (with yummy sauce options!)
Get all of my vegetarian dinner recipes here!
I hope you guys love this easy, healthy vegetarian enchilada casserole and get a chance to make it soon! Please leave a comment below if you make it and/or upload a photo and tag #ambitiouskitchen.
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Chipotle Black Bean Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- For the roasted veggies:
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 (8 oz) package sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 1 medium zucchini, quartered
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive or avocado oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- For the chipotle enchilada sauce:
- 1 (15 oz can) tomato sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons chili powder* (I used McCormick chili powder - please read the notes section on this)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (from the can)
- ⅔ cup any milk of choice (we love unsweetened almond or cashew) or sub plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- For the layers:
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese, divided (or pepper jack is delicious!)
- 9 flour or corn tortillas
- To garnish:
- Diced avocado, jalapeno slices, cilantro, pickled red onions and roasted pepitas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, or you can also line two smaller baking sheets if that’s all you have available. Place diced bell pepper, diced onion, mushrooms, and quartered zucchini on prepared baking sheet(s). Drizzle with olive oil and toss garlic on top and generously season with salt and pepper. Toss with your hands to coat the veggies with garlic and oil. Roast vegetables for 25 to 30 minutes.
- While the veggies are roasting prepare the chipotle enchilada sauce: In the bowl of a food processor or in a blender, add the sauce ingredients: tomato sauce, garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle peppers and milk (or yogurt or sour cream). Process for 30 seconds or until smooth.
- Reduce heat in oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add heaping 1/2 cup enchilada sauce to the bottom of the pan and spread out evenly. Place 3 tortillas over the sauce. You may need to cut one tortilla in half to create a single layer. Next add ½ of the roasted veggies and half of the black beans on top of the tortillas. Then drizzle ½ cup of enchilada sauce on top followed by 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
- Repeat the layers again, starting with the 3 corn tortillas, remaining veggies and beans, ½ cup enchilada sauce and 1/2 cup cheese.
- Finally add 3 more corn tortillas on top to evenly cover the veggies and beans, then top with remaining enchilada sauce and 1 12 cups cheese. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and enchiladas are bubbly. Serves 6. Top with diced or sliced avocado, cilantro, pickled red onion and a sprinkle of roasted pepitas. I also love this with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream on top!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on July 17th, 2017, republished on September 8th, 2020, and republished on April 14th, 2024.
Such a delicious vegetarian meal! I noticed in your comments that people thought it was the chili powder that gave too much heat but I actually think it might be the two chipotle peppers in adobo. Having used this ingredient before, I opted for one chipotle pepper and that was PLENTY heat. So for those looking for a little less heat, I recommend trying one chipotle pepper instead of two!
Great tip! Glad you enjoyed!!
This recipe is SO good. It is a regular in my house and I have also made it for guests several times. I do add shredded chicken and use flour tortillas instead, and sometimes I use less chili powder to lower the heat depending on who will be eating it. But it’s such a healthy, filling and delicious meal – definitely try it!
This was delicious! We have issues with cooked peppers so I roasted some extra zucchini and added cherry tomato along with the red onion and mushrooms. I also wanted more protein so I chose ground chicken as suggested and I cooked it with some garlic and shallot and simmered it in some of the enchilada sauce. I used it where the recipe called for sauce in the 1st and 2nd layer.
Perfect! This one’s great for customizing 🙂
I just want the oven temperature. No where in site…
Hi! It’s in Step 1 of the instructions.
Full of flavor and fiber!
The perfect dinner!
Zucchini &sausage baked rice with hot honey &feta
I made this for dinner the other night and kids parents great grandma and papa and yaya loved it ! I used brown rice for gluten free. Thanks so much!!!
So happy to hear that!
Another great veggie-packed recipe from Monique! I used one chipotle and 1 tablespoon of chili powder and it was still plenty spicy. I think it could use a few more tortillas. Next time I will try using 12. I made it in two pans and froze one.
Perfect! Great idea to freeze one for later 🙂
I made this for a meatless Monday dinner and it was delicious. Thank you for another nourishing, flavorful recipe!
The best!!
This looks great. Would it be okay to put it together the day before?.. I have enjoyed every recipe that I’ve made from your cite.. I love the YouTube channel too..
Yes, absolutely! Feel free to assemble it and then bake it the next day 🙂 So glad you’re loving the recipes and my new YouTube channel – appreciate your comment!
What a great recipe!!! Easy to make and follow. I love how easy the enchilada sauce is to make. I tried it before using and decided to add an additional Chipotle. So glad I found this blog. Would recommend!
Love it!! So glad you found my site, too 🙂
Great recipe, i am indeed very grateful for all information’s you have provided
Great recipe, i am indeed very grateful for all information’s you have provided
The recipe is simple, easy to find ingredients and easy to make. I tried it and it was delicious
I get ideas from people who make new things. How great it is to see something new being made!
This recipe is a go-to weeknight dinner in my home. It is so easy to adapt to the vegetables you have on hand, control the spice level, everything. It is delicious and the sauce is fantastic for other dishes as well. I have been making it regularly for a few years now.
I love all your recipes but this is one I make time and time again. Easy, healthy, filling, and great for meal prep. It is also super easy to substitute whatever veggies are on hand. This is also my husbands favorite enchilada sauce so we use that for other recipes too. Definite winner.
This recipe was so tasty but WAY too spicy. Definitely cut back the chili powder. The flavor was there but it burned to eat it.
So sorry it was too spicy for you! I always use McCormick chili powder — what brand did you use? Wondering if it was a lot hotter.
This is a great dish to make with friends or family as it has a variety of flavors and textures that everyone can enjoy!
Yes, such a crowd pleaser! Happy you loved it 🙂
Great dish to make for someone who just had a baby. Although it was incredibly spicy, good thing she could handle it. I would replace one tablespoon of the chili powder for ancho for a little less spiciness next time.
Thanks for the feedback! That’s a great swap 🙂
Hi! Loved this!!! I noticed that my corn tortillas seemed on the small side (I used 9 as you say) but they didn’t cover the dish completely. Next time I will seek out larger ones! I wonder if it would be helpful to indicate what size(ish) you recommend. Thank you! Sam
Hi! Sorry if that was confusing — yes the larger ones might be better next time!
We LOVED this dish! Next time I’m going to omit the chipotle peppers because even using just 1 was too spicy for my kids. We also used 2 cans of black beans to add a bit more carbs and protein in. I can’t wait to try it again and make the cashew cheese sauce!!
This is a personal favorite! Give me any enchilada casserole recipe that Monique has created, and it’s a win. But adding in all the veggies is just an extra bonus. It’s delicious!
Made this recipe for the first time tonight and I’ll definitely be making it again! It had just the right amount of spice.
Glad to hear you loved it, Tinsley! 🙂
I have made this regularly since the recipe came out! My local Natural Grocers never has chipotle pepper in Adobo so I substitute that with equal parts of paprika and cayenne pepper and it works well!
Yay! I’m so glad to hear you’re loving it, Lindsey 🙂
I made this tonight and everyone loved it! It is full of flavor. I will make it again. I added cooked ground beef to the recipe since we are not vegetarian.
Perfect! So glad it was a hit!
Pretty easy and very tasty! Added your avocado lime sauce which went perfectly.
So happy to hear that!
Made this last night for dinner and it was amazing! Topped with some fresh lime juice and yogurt.
So happy to hear that!
This recipe is so good and versatile! It is a staple in our household.
Absolutely! Perfect for customizing 🙂
My husband was skeptical of this recipe since he is all about having meat for dinner but this recipe blew us both away! The mushrooms and beans brought a “meat” like texture and it was so filling. The flavor was perfect and this made for easy leftovers. I ended up doubling the recipe and making one pan to freeze, so glad I did! Another delicious recipe!
Amazing! So glad it was a hit 🙂
i’ve never made my own enchiladas before and these were so simple to make! i used flour tortillas (because that’s what i happened to have) and they worked spectacularly. such a good way to get lots of veggie servings into a super delicious meal 🙂 i will definitely be making these again! xo
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
This has become a family favorite. To save prep time, I used store bought enchilada sauce and bought the $5 pre-cut assorted veggies. Once the veggies are roasted, I quickly chopped them in a food processor for a consistent size. Place your layers, and this casserole comes together quickly. So many great flavors with all the veggies- definitely add fun toppings like avocado, sour cream and green onions!
Perfect! So glad it’s a favorite!
These are BOMB! Lots of flavor, easy to make and healthy. This is on our favorite recipe rotation and I’ve also shared this recipe with many friends who have loved it. I love Monique’s recipes as they make weekday cooking enjoyable and we always seem to have leftovers that I am actually excited to eat!
Love this casserole so much! I always add some cooked chicken in it for extra protein. Other than that it’s perfect as is!
So good. And easy to adjust to what works for you. Left out mushrooms and used canned enchilada sauce.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
Can you clarify? 2 cans of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce or 2 peppers from the 7 oz cans (which is like 1/4th of the can)? I think I’ve been going overboard…
Hi! Just 2 peppers from the can 🙂