I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word “casserole,” I instantly think of comfort food. And as a self-proclaimed “cook,” I also associate casseroles with an easy and relaxing cooking experience. Trust me, I love to cook, but I will never ever complain about a simple and easy recipe :). This Green Chile Seitan Casserole definitely lives up to all of my expectations for what a casserole “should” be. The ingredient list is simplistic, the prep work and assembly is quick and easy, and the taste…well, it is just down right good!
Over the past year I have cooked with several new-to-me ingredients, like tofu and tempeh, and have substituted them in the place of meat in many recipes. This, however, was the first time that I had cooked with seitan. Seitan is a protein-rich staple in many vegetarian and vegan diets, and is great to utilize in recipes that call for chicken.
Green Chile Seitan Casserole
Adapted from Kristin’s recipe for Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
EVOO cooking spray
water, for cooking
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large parsnip, diced
1/2 an 8 ounce package of ground seitan
1/2 cup green enchilada sauce
1/2 cup vegan sour cream
1/2 cup salsa verde green salsa
1/2 of a 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
3 large whole wheat tortilla, torn into pieces
1/2 cup vegan shredded “cheese” (I used Daiya pepperjack “cheese”)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a small baking dish (I think that mine is a 2 QT baking dish) with cooking spray.
2. Line a large skillet with a thin layer of water. Heat over medium-high heat until very hot. Once hot, lower the heat to medium and add garlic and parsnips. Cook for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until the parsnips have softened.
3. Add seitan to the skillet. Cook for approximately 3 to 5 minutes, or until the seitan is heated through.
4. While the seitan is cooking, combine the enchilada sauce, sour cream, and salsa into a large bowl. Stir until well-combined.
5. Add black beans, tortillas, and the parsnip and seitan mixture to the bowl. Stir to combine.
6. Pour the casserole ingredients into the baking dish. Top with “cheese.”
7. Bake, uncovered, for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tortillas become golden brown and the “cheese” melts.
The Green Chile Seitan Casserole will look like this right out of the oven. Daiya cheese does not melt as well as dairy cheese, but trust me, the taste is still there!
I ate half of the casserole for dinner and took the other half to work for lunch. The recipe makes for a pretty large serving, so if you plan to serve it with sides then you can likely expect to yield three servings instead of two. Or, you just might find it to be so tasty that you have to clean up the dish in two servings. Trust me, after I finished my dinner portion I so wanted to eat more, but I forced myself to practice some self-control so that I would have something to eat for lunch!
The crispness of the tortillas combined with the melted “cheese,” spicy flavors of the sauce and salsa, and the meaty texture and taste of the seitan was phenomenal. The addition of the parsnips really added a lot to this dish. I know that many traditional enchiladas are stuffed with potatoes, but I was loving the taste and texture of the parsnips in this casserole. You could use potatoes, but parsnips are definitely the healthier and (in my opinion) tastier way to go!
Oh, and did I mention that this dish is vegan? Now how is that for a completely plant-based meal? This is definitely going on my “to make again” list!
Happy April Fools Day!! Seriously…it is April already??
