Vegan Enchilada Casserole

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 10

Servings:8 servings

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

This Vegan Enchilada Casserole is a versatile, comfort-food meal you'll return to again and again! With layers of corn tortillas, plant-based taco meat, veggies, cheese, and enchilada sauce, it has all of the flavor of enchiladas but none of the fuss. Easily scale the recipe depending on the amount you need, and customize it to suit your tastes. Gluten-free with an oil-free option.

Ingredients
US Customary | Metric

15 corn tortillas
3 cups enchilada sauce
4 cups seasoned and pre-cooked vegan taco meat - Tap for recipe; see Notes for options
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
½ large onion, chopped
1¼ cups corn kernels - thawed if using frozen
½ cup sliced black olives
7 ounces vegan cheese of choice - see Notes for suggestions

For serving (optional):

avocado or guacamole
chopped cilantro
pico de gallo

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190°C), and find a 13x9 casserole dish (or smaller if adjusting batch size).
Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the dish (about ½ cup for a 13x9 dish). Arrange 5 corn tortillas so that they slightly overlap and fully cover the bottom. Cut the tortillas into any shapes you need. Refer to photos above.
Spread half of the taco meat, beans, onion, corn, and olives, over the tortillas. Scatter about a third of the cheese on top.
Repeat the layering process, this time using: 1 cup sauce, 5 tortillas, the remaining taco meat, most of the beans and veggies (reserving a handful of beans, corn, and olives for the top), and about half of the remaining cheese.
Be sure to reserve enough sauce to completely cover a final layer of tortillas.
Add a drizzle of sauce over the cheese, then arrange the last 5 tortillas. Add enough sauce to completely cover the tortillas, using a spoon to spread it out. Sprinkle the reserved beans and veggies on top, and cover the dish tightly with foil.
Bake covered for 35 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until hot in the center. For a smaller dish (half batch), bake time is reduced to about 35 minutes total.
Let the casserole rest 10 minutes before slicing. If using my almond queso fresco, crumble it on top before serving. If using store-bought vegan cheese, see melting tips below.
For melted cheese as pictured, pour about ⅔ cup vegan shredded cheese in a bowl, and add a splash of water (about 3 Tbsp; doesn't need to be exact). Microwave in 15-20 second intervals, stirring in between, until the cheese smooth and creamy. Spread the melted cheese on top of the casserole just before serving.
Serve enchilada casserole hot with your favorite toppings.

Notes

Be sure to review the Subs and Variations in the post above.

Taco meat: If using store-bought vegan beefy crumbles, crumbled tofu, seitan, or other homemade veggie ground instead of my vegan taco meat, you'll need to saute it first with taco seasoning. Store-bought seasoning blend is fine, or use the homemade spice blend mentioned in this taco bowl recipe. TVP taco meat and lentil taco meat are also good here!

Cheese: This recipe was originally published as a smaller, tortilla pie, using only my homemade oil-free vegan queso fresco. For the updated, larger version (new photos) I used half queso fresco plus about 4 ounces vegan shredded cheddar (such as Violife, Follow Your Heart, Daiya). This is the gooey, melted cheese on top of the casserole. For an oil-free option, use my liquid vegan mozz, cashew queso, or cashew cheese sauce.

Store leftover enchilada casserole in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or covered in the oven.

Nutrition