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).
- 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
- 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper
- For the chipotle enchilada sauce:
- 1 (15 oz can) tomato sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 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 almond or cashew)
- For the layers:
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
- 9 corn tortillas
- To garnish:
- Diced avocado, jalapenos and cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 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. Generously toss with your hands to coat the veggies with garlic and oil. Roast vegetables for 20-25 minutes.
- While the veggies are roasting prepare the chipotle enchilada sauce: In the bowl of a food processor, add the sauce ingredients and 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 1/2 cup enchilada sauce to the bottom of the pan and spread out evenly. Place 3 corn 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 cup cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serves 6.
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.
149 comments
what is adobo sauce?
Adobo sauce is a sauce that comes with the canned chipotles. The sauce itself is a sweet and tangy purée of tomato, vinegar, garlic, and some other spices!
Love this idea! Sounds so yummy!!
Going to use one of your enchilada recipes as my first foray into vegan cheese! My kids love your enchiladas and hopefully they won’t notice the difference…
Does this freeze well?
Yes it does! 🙂
I can’t wait to meal prep this for next week! Definitely a great lunch option to brighten your workday. Thanks for sharing!
Such a great lunch option! I hope you love it!
Probably one of the best meals I have ever had! 😍 I am a beginner OMAD Vegetarian and this is such a winner!! It is filling and ticks all the right boxes for me. Thank you!
Amazing!! So happy to hear that, Sonja 🙂
[…] Weeknight Dinner: Chipotle Black Bean Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole. I need some Mexican-inspired food in my life. This could do the […]
It is so good. Thank you for sharing this post.
A mistake I made which also should probably be put in notes somewhere is to de-seed the chipotles for less spicy….I can handle mild but this is way to spicy for me.
Hi Celia: The peppers typically aren’t that spicy especially when mixed in tomato sauce. Traditionally you do not deseed them.
Can you use FAt Free mozzarella cheese. My husband is on a cardiac diet so not a lot saturated fat for him, and I really wanna try this. Also I’m not a fan of mushrooms is there something you can suggest to substitute them with. Thanks!
You bet! And if you’re not a fan of mushrooms feel free to just leave them out or add in another veggie of your choice 🙂
This is a wonderful, quick and easy recipe! Made it last night as my lunch meal-prep for the week, and it’s delicious! I couldn’t find chipotle peppers at Trader Joe’s so just used your 10-minute enchilada sauce. So good, so flavorful, and reheats well! Will definitely add this to my rotation. Thanks, Monique!
I’m so glad you loved this one! I’ve made it a few times for lunches / dinners and agree that it reheats so well. Thank you, Rosette!
[…] Read More: Chipotle Black Bean Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole video! […]
So much protein and fiber in this meal I love it!
[…] I learned? Tony hates zucchini. He told me this after he picked the roasted zucchini out of the enchilada casserole I made. Funny enough, he did completely demolished several slices of my chocolate zucchini cake […]
I don’t tend to like a ton of heat so I used 2 tbsp of adobo sauce instead of the actual peppers. It was perfect! 10/10 Loved it.
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed.
Incredibly tasty meal! I used half the amount of tortillas to cut down on calories (still covered everything fine!), and ate it with a squeeze of fresh lime and sour cream. Absolutely will be adding this to the recipe collection!
Cheers!
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed this one, Chelsea!
This was yummy but 2 x TBS of chilli powder plus chipotle in just one can of tomatoes makes it HOT. I only used 1 x TBS chilli powder and it was still quite spicy.
Hi Linda! The great thing about this is that you can adjust the spice to your tastes (I have a huge love for spicy food myself 🙂 ). Feel free to go light on the chili powder!
*This really answered my problem, thank you!
[…] Ambitious Kitchen / Via ambitiouskitchen.com […]
I just made this and it came out extremely well. I love that the sauce comes together in the food processor/blender, rather than requiring lengthy simmering. So tasty, and just the right balance of spiciness and cheesiness :). Thanks for the recipe!
Perfect! I’m so glad you enjoyed this one. And yes, such a delicious, quick sauce!
Delicious! Even my meat loving husband declared this a winner!
So happy to hear that! One of the best way to sneak those veggies in 😉
Does this freeze well? I was thinking about making it in two smaller dishes and freezing one….
Yes this will freeze just fine!
i want to try this! it sounds delicious. My son has a nut allergy so any suggestions for avoiding the almond milk?
Thanks!
Nikki
Hey Nikki! You can use regular dairy milk 🙂
Would this work in the slow cooker?
I think so!
Made this today but I replaced the tortillas with sliced zucchini and added in a can of retried pinto beans – delish!
That sounds amazing!!
[…] 1. Chipotle Black Bean Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole […]
[…] 1. Chipotle Black Bean Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole […]
This looks wonderful and perfect for us vegetarians! We live out in the middle of nowhere deep in the Ozark Mountains. It is over an hour drive to the closest grocery store. So I get super excited when I see a recipe that looks delicious and I read thru the ingredients list and find that I have every single item in the house!!! YAY! I’m making it tonight. I’m going to use Queso Fresco cheese instead of Jack. I’ll let you know how we like it! Thanks!
Amazing!! Hope you guys love this one 🙂 all about the simple ingredients for dinner!
This was fantastic! I really enjoyed the corn tortillas in between those cheesy, saucy layers of veggie goodness. They hold up so much better than flour in recipes like this. And the sauce was perfectly spicy when mixed in with all the layers. I will definitely add this to my regular meal rotation!
I love using corn tortillas in this! So happy you liked it 🙂
My corn tortillas were mushy. Was this because I made it, froze it then thawed and baked it? I had read in the comments that it froze well. Perhaps I shouldn’t have thawed it first. What do you think?
Since the tortillas are completely covered in sauce, they will be on the softer side. If you want them to hold up more, you can use less sauce next time! I’m not sure if freezing has a huge result but it definitely could have.
I made this over the weekend and it’s super flavorful! Such a great way to pack in a ton of vegetables. We really enjoyed it ‘as is’ but may also try a version chicken. I will be using this quick and simple enchilada sauce in other recipes too! Thanks!
Love this one for getting plenty of veggies in! It will be delicious with chicken too (and that enchilada sauce is amazing on tons of recipes).
Delicious! Nice, smoky heat (I’m a spice fan) complimented with different textures. I was a bit worried about the corn tortillas but I actually enjoyed the softness and flavor. I’m looking forward to my leftovers. Thanks!
I’m a big spice fan, too 🙂 Glad you loved these!
This is a big favorite at our house. Usually makes two medium size pans and I make two different levels of Spiciness for the enchilada sauce. Thanks for the great simple recipe.
[…] 21. Chipotle Black Bean Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole […]
My boyfriend and I loved this recipe!! All of the veggies made this dish delicious! Great post.
So happy to hear that! Love all of the veggies in here. Perfect dinner!
I’ve made this recipe before and it wAs amazing. If I wanted to add chicken to it how would I go about that?
Great idea! I’d recommend adding a few cups of cooked, shredded chicken in each layer with your roasted veggies beans before you bake it. Delicious!
[…] 18. Chipotle Black Bean Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole […]
Love this recipe! I just made it today but used flour tortillas instead of corn. I never made enchilada sauce before so I was so happy this turned out SO GOOD!
Perfect! So happy you enjoyed (and LOVE homemade enchilada sauce!)
I love every layer of this casserole!
We made this last night and it was AMAZING!! We are new to being vegetarian so I knew id find some awesome recipes here.
I have 2 toddlers so I can “prep” the veggies and the sauce earlier in the day and then assemble it at dinner time. This dish is amazing for leftovers as well.
I did add some sweet potato instead of zucchini because I had one that needed to be cooked. I will be making this pretty often!!
Thanks for the awesome recipes
Love it! So glad you found this recipe – it’s great for adding any veggies in your fridge, too 🙂
this is my favorite recipe from Monique, and I’ve made quite a few of them! its my favorite weeknight dinner. the only thing that I do differently is add an extra chipotle pepper to the sauce (I like spice).
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Hi! I actually found this recipe, while looking to use the last of my chipotles in sauce. I made a great marinara sauce for another vegan dish. Perfect amount of spice!
Hi Claudia! Amazing! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
I have been wanting to include more veggies in my meals and I came across the recipe on Pinterest and I could not resist making it. And OMG! It’s super delicious. I doubled the recipe for the enchilada sauce because I wanted to make sure it was saucy enough for me. I didn’t need all the extra sauce after all, so I froze it for next time. I have extra extra powder chili from New Mexico and the sauce came out delicious. Thank you for this recipe!
Perfect! So happy you found this one!
So easy!!! Sauce 10/10. We don’t eat cheese, so left it out and they tasted amazing! Will definitely be making again!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
This recipe blew my mind! With all the flavors of an enchilada and replacing it with delicious roasted made it super flavorful.
Amazing! So glad you liked it 🙂
Would the sauce recipe work with regular milk?
Yes that will work!
Thank you for this absolutely delicious recipe! It has become a staple in my meal routine and even won the hearts of the meat-lovers in the house!!
You’re so welcome! I’m glad everyone loved it!
Delicious!!! Definitely now in our rotation!! I did use canned enchilada sauce 🙂
Perfect! Such a great dinner!
Super easy and delicious! Loved having leftovers for lunch.
The best leftovers! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
This is delicious! I cut up the rest of the chipotle peppers in the can and added them to the layers. I also used pepper jack cheese. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Amazing! Glad you loved it!
This was delicious and easy to pull together! Already looking forward to the leftovers 😉
Making this meal means two or three nights of delicious meals! Also great for having the family over.
I have used both soft tortillas & hard taco shells – I personally prefer the hard shells, especially for leftover re-heats.
We’re meat people, so I use shredded chicken as a layer with the sauce.
Absolutely! Great idea to use hard shells, too 🙂 sounds delicious!
This was so easy to make and packed with veggies! I had it for dinner a few times during the week and froze a few slices for later! Will definitely make again.
Love it – but mine is coming out sooooo spicy. I even left out the jalepenos. It’s gotta be the adobe? Is there a good sub for less spice?
Yes, it’s likely the chipotles you used! Try adding a little yogurt to help cool it down, or reduce the amount of chipotles you use next time.
A regular in my dinner rotation as it’s become an absolute favorite. Didn’t modify anything, as I find it perfect as is
So happy to hear that!
Absolutely fabulous!!! Didn’t even read part about freezing because it will be gone by tomorrow with 2 men in the house!! I better hide a serving for myself. The Chipotle peppers in sauce really gave it a kick!!!
Such a great dinner! Glad everyone enjoyed 🙂
Delicious!! Followed the exact recipe and ingredients and it came out amazing!
So happy to hear that!
DELICIOUS! I didn’t use the adobe chipotles (because i couldn’t find them and because I wanted by 3 year old to eat them) and it was still yummy. And a great one-dish meal. A crowd pleaser, but I’m biased because I love everything by Ambitious Kitchen.
Amazing! So glad this was a hit 🙂
I misread the recipe and instead of 2 chipotle peppers i used two cans (with the sause) too hot to eat! Probably would have been good if I read more clearly
Sorry to hear that! Yes, be sure to use 2 peppers only next time.
I have been following you on Instagram for a while and have been drooling over all your recipes. This is the first one I cooked and it was AMAZING! So excited to keep trying out all the delicious things you post! Thank you so much for all the hard work you do. (PS Sidney is so damn cute 🥰)
So happy to hear that! I hope you find more to try that you love 🙂 and thank you!
This is one of our new favorites! I leave out the mushrooms (husband doesn’t like them… what’s wrong with him anyway?) & add in some vegan chorizo from Trader Joes! Delicious and easy to whip up on a weeknight or for meal prep.
Perfect! 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 🙂
So good. And easy to adjust to what works for you. Left out mushrooms and used canned enchilada sauce.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
Love this casserole so much! I always add some cooked chicken in it for extra protein. Other than that it’s perfect as is!
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!
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!
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!
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 🙂
This recipe is so good and versatile! It is a staple in our household.
Absolutely! Perfect for customizing 🙂
Made this last night for dinner and it was amazing! Topped with some fresh lime juice and yogurt.
So happy to hear that!
Pretty easy and very tasty! Added your avocado lime sauce which went perfectly.
So happy to hear that!
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!
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 🙂
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! 🙂
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!
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!!
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!
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 🙂
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 🙂
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.
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 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 get ideas from people who make new things. How great it is to see something new being made!
The recipe is simple, easy to find ingredients and easy to make. I tried it and it was delicious
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
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 🙂
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!