Quick and easy vegetarian enchilada casserole recipe. Can easily be made vegan and gluten-free. 
 
Here’s a quick and easy weeknight recipe your family will love. At first glance, our girls said “eh, I don’t think I like this.” But after a minute of picking at it they both decided they actually love it and cleaned their plates. One of my favorite “take out” places is the Whole Foods hot bar/salad bar. The kids love making their own salads, and I often head to the vegan section for the vegan enchilada casserole.
 
It’s so comforting and warm and filled with black beans and sweet bell peppers. I have been recreating the veggie enchilada casserole at home, and it’s incredibly easy. This recipe is perfect for busy nights, as it takes about 10 minutes to assemble and can be made ahead and reheated or assembled early. Top with guacamole, salsa, salsa verde, sour cream, or avocado with a pinch of sea salt. 

Enchilada Casserole Ingredients

Ingredients for this easy enchilada casserole bake in a baking dish: Trader Joe's enchilada sauce, black beans, frozen peppers and onions, tortillas, and Mexican cheese.
 
Part of what makes this recipe so quick and easy is that I took some shortcuts. Since bell peppers aren’t in season anymore I used a bag of frozen fire roasted bell peppers and onions. If you prefer, you can absolutely saute an onion with 3 colorful bell peppers until softened instead. I like the Trader Joe’s enchilada sauce because it’s not too spicy for the kids, however it is not gluten-free, so use a gf sauce if needed. Easy peasy! If you’d like to make your own enchilada sauce, I have a recipe here

How to Make an Enchilada Casserole Bake

A collage of steps showing how to make an enchilada casserole. Layering beans, tortillas, peppers, and cheese.

Here’s a visual of how I layered the casserole: a little sauce, tortillas, beans, cheese, and peppers. 

A slice of enchilada casserole bake with peppers and black beans is topped with avocado and sliced green onion.
 
Serve this easy enchilada casserole with a side salad and a glass of horchata or a blood orange margarita
 
Yield: Serves 6

Enchilada Casserole

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

This easy enchilada casserole bake is a tasty and healthy vegetarian or vegan family dinner recipe.

A piece of vegetarian enchilada casserole with avocado on a white plate.

Ingredients

  • 1 (12 oz.) jar of mild red enchilada sauce (gluten free if needed) 
  • 1 package small corn or flour tortillas (gluten free if needed) 
  • 2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
  • 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (vegan if desired) 
  • 1 (14 oz.) package frozen fire roasted bell peppers and onions, defrosted
  • 1/4 cup sliced black olives (optional)
  • 3 green onions, sliced for garnish
  • 1-2 avocados, sliced for serving (or guacamole) 
  • sour cream (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Coat the bottom of a 9x12" baking dish with a layer of enchilada sauce. Top with a layer of tortillas, cutting if needed to cover the dish. Top tortillas with all of the beans. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cheese and all of the peppers and onions.
  3. Sprinkle a little more cheese over the top and cover with a second layer of tortillas, cutting and fitting them like puzzle pieces. Cover the tortillas with enchilada sauce. Most of the sauce should be used. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over the top and arrange olives on the cheese, if using.
  4. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Notes

This recipe can be made vegetarian or vegan. For vegan, use dairy free cheese such as Daiya, and no sour cream.

Make ahead: You can assemble this enchilada casserole several hours in advance and bake at dinnertime. It also reheats well.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 423Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 364mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 9gSugar: 4gProtein: 19g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your favorite calculator.