Healthy Tex-Mex-Inspired Vegetarian Casserole

Sautéing the veggies.

So you’re not a vegetarian, you say? Neither am I. In fact, I tend to shy away from vegetarian dishes. Maybe it’s the native Texan in me, but I just love meat too much. That said, this dish is a keeper that’s going into my regular rotation. It was healthy, easy to whip up, and, most importantly, delicious. The black beans added an element of meatiness that balanced perfectly with the crisp freshness of the vegetables. Give this one a try — it won’t disappoint!

Ingredients

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, deseeded and diced
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 cups frozen roasted corn (I used this one from Trader Joe’s)
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
• Shredded Mexican cheese, to taste (I used a whole bag of Trader Joe’s Mexican Blend)
• 16 corn tortillas
• 1 can refried beans (I used Ducal’s refried black beans)
• 2 cups red enchilada sauce (I used the Trader Joe brand)
• cilantro, guacamole, sour cream, hot sauce, or chives for topping (optional)

Method

1. Heat a large skillet with oil over medium-high heat. If you’re using a non-stick pan, you’ll need just a little oil. But if you’re using stainless steel cookware, like I do, then you’ll need quite a lot of oil. I used olive oil. Add the onion and peppers to the pan. Sprinkle with chili and paprika. Stir occasionally until the edges of the peppers start to brown. Remove and set aside (I put them in a small mixing bowl).
2. Repeat the roasting process with the corn, sprinkling with the spices. Remove from heat when the corn starts to brown. If you’re using a pre-roasted frozen corn, like I did, this process will be very quick.
3. Add the roasted peppers to the roasted corn. Sprinkle with salt to taste and toss.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
5. Cut the tortillas into thin strips.
6. Spread a small amount of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan — just enough to cover it.
7. On top of the sauce, layer half of the tortilla strips. Then layer on all the beans. Then cover the beans with half of the veggies. Pout half of the remaining sauce over the vegetables. On top of that, sprinkle half of the cheese. Then, repeat the layers: the rest of the tortilla strips, the rest of the veggies, the rest of the sauce, and, finally, the rest of the cheese.
8. Bake on the middle rack for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted.
9. If you want, top it off with guac, cilantro, hot sauce, sour cream, etc. I didn’t add any of these to mine, and it was flavorful enough that I felt it didn’t need any toppings.
10. Enjoy!

Let me know if you try this recipe out, and don’t forget to tag #lepetitgourmand on Instagram and/or Twitter!

Recipe adapted from this one by Pinch of Yum.