Last night I ate one of the latest dinners ever. My boyfriend and I both got off of work at 6 and afterwards we went to visit the puppies that his dog created…so adorable! By the time we got home, I fixed dinner, and we sat down to eat, it was 9:45! As you would probably guess, I was starving! Luckily, the Mexican Vegetable Casserole that I prepared was definitely worth the wait!
I adapted this vegetarian dish from a recipe by Food Babe, found here: http://foodbabe.com/2011/06/14/careful-with-your-corn-non-gmo/.
Ingredients
EVOO cooking spray
3 TB water (more, if needed)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 medium zucchinis, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 15 oz can of no-salt-added or reduced sodium pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 small (approximately 10 oz) can of mild enchilada sauce
7-8 corn tortillas
3/4 cup fat-free or part-skim shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Velveeta queso cheese (if available, otherwise use more cheddar cheese)
salsa (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9 x 13″ baking dish with EVOO cooking spray.
2. Instead of oil, heat approximately 3 tablespoons of water over medium-high heat in a large pan.
3. Once water is heated, cook onions over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, adding more water if necessary
4. Add remaining vegetables (green bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchinis, jalapenos).
5. Cook vegetables for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add garlic, beans, chili powder, and cumin. Cook for approximately 4-5 minutes, or until the beans are heated through.
7. Pour half of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Place a layer of corn tortillas on top of the enchilada sauce. You will need to cut some of the tortillas in order to make this layer.
8. Spoon half of the vegetable mixture on top of the first layer of tortillas. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese on top of the vegetables. Top the vegetables and cheese with an additional layer of tortillas.
9. Place the remaining vegetable mixture on top of the second layer of tortillas. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of shredded Velveeta queso cheese.
10. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
11. Cut the casserole into 6 slices (I recommend using a pizza cutter to do this). If desired, top your slice of Mexican Vegetable Casserole with salsa. I am currently loving this green salsa by Herdez. It is spicy and delicious!
I served my helping of Mexican Vegetable Casserole with steamed broccoli sprinkled with sea salt, nutritional yeast, and Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute.
I really enjoyed this dish. It was easy to make and had just the perfect amount of spiciness that I desired. Plus, it was rich in protein from the beans and cheese, and incorporated several servings of vegetables into one meal.
Enjoy! 🙂
