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    Home » International » Mexican » Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole | Enchilada Bake

    Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole | Enchilada Bake

    Posted on May 2, 2021 · Last Updated on May 1, 2021 · By Srividhya G · 36 Comments

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    enchilada served with guac, beans and sour cream with text overlay for pinterest

    Vegetarian enchilada casserole or the enchilada bake made with mixed vegetables stuffed in hard taco shells along with refried beans covered with enchilada sauce and cheese.

    enchiladas baked in glassware and served on a white plate with sides

    As much as I love to make recipes from scratch, at times, I look out for semi-homemade recipes. On a busy weekday or for a quick get-together where you have a million things to plan and coordinate, these semi-homemade dishes can come in handy!

    Jump to:
    • Semi-Homemade Enchilada
    • Ingredients required
    • Dietary Specifications 
    • How I serve my enchiladas
    • How to make vegetarian enchilada casserole
    • Recipe Notes
    • Explore other Mexican recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    Semi-Homemade Enchilada

    This veggie enchilada casserole is one such semi-homemade Mexican recipe you can assemble and prepare quickly! This enchilada bake is full of flavors, and it’s too hard to resist. It’s our family favorite. I am calling it a quick weekday dinner recipe, but trust me, you can easily make this for a party or a get-together, and I can assure you that it will be a huge hit. 

    You need some taco shells, enchilada sauce, refried beans, black beans, and cheese for this casserole. Even though I have shared homemade enchilada sauce and refried beans on my blog, I went with store-bought ones for this recipe. Now you know why I am calling this a semi-homemade recipe. 

    Let’s see the ingredients in detail!

    PS – I am not calling this a traditional or authentic enchilada casserole. It’s just my take on the vegetarian casserole with Mexican flavors. 

    Ingredients required

    Note – This is not a sponsored post, and I am sharing the products that I used for reference.

    Veggies: I used a mix of onions, mushrooms, bell peppers(red, green and orange), and corn. Also used fresh cilantro to enhance the flavor.

    Taco shells: I used hard taco shells as we like them more than the soft ones. We like the hard taco texture after baking. It becomes soft but still has that slight crunch, and it’s fantastic. Also, it’s easy to stuff the beans and veggies with taco shells. You can also use corn tortillas instead. 

    Enchilada Sauce: I used a 15.5oz can of store-bought mild enchilada sauce. It’s the 365 Whole Foods brand. You need 14 to 16 oz of sauce for this casserole recipe. If you want to make it from scratch, check my Instant Pot enchilada sauce recipe. 

    Refried beans: It’s easy to find vegetarian refried beans these days, and that’s what I used for this recipe too. A 16oz can of store-bought refried beans is more than sufficient for this recipe. I have homemade refried beans in the Instant Pot recipe, too, and please do check if you want to make it from scratch. Instead of refried beans, you can use cooked black or pinto or red kidney beans or a combination of all. 

    Cheese: I can’t imagine my casserole without the cheese. You can opt for a Mexican blend cheese or mild or sharp cheddar. I used a Mexican blend and some cheddar as well. For the vegan version, you can use vegan cheese or skip the cheese too.

    Apart from these, you need salt, pepper, and oil.

    Dietary Specifications 

    It’s a vegetarian recipe without any nuts. I have used cheese and sour cream while serving. You can skip them and also use homemade sauce and beans for the vegan version. 

    Storing enchiladas: Let the enchiladas cool to room temperature, then cover the pan tightly with a wrap or aluminum foil and reheat before serving. You can store up to 2 days. You can also freeze them, but I have never tried freezing the enchiladas.

    How I serve my enchiladas

    I usually serve my enchiladas with few sides, but I skip the rice. Here are our favorite sides,

    1. Guacamole
    2. Black beans / Black bean taco salad
    3. Sour cream
    4. Raw vegetables like red radishes, bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, etc. I just used red radishes this time.
    enchilada served with guac, beans and sour cream

    Optionally, you can add some tortilla chips too. You can serve the enchiladas in your preferred way with some salsa, rice, etc. 

    Now without any further ado, let’s see how to make this vegetarian enchilada casserole with details step-wise pictures.

    How to make vegetarian enchilada casserole

    • In a mixing bowl, add all the veggies – corn, onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms, along with cilantro. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set it aside.
    mixed vegetables for enchiladas
    • Preheat the oven at 375 deg F. I used 9×13 bakeware for this casserole. Make sure you can keep 6 to 8 taco shells in a single layer. Overlapping is ok. (Refer notes for layering) Grease the pan and add ¼ measure of the enchilada sauce and about ⅓ to ½ cup of cheese.
    adding the bottom layer of cheese and sauce
    • Now take one taco shell and first fill with 2 to 3 tbsps of refried beans.
    adding refried beans to the taco shells
    • Then top it with the prepared vegetables. Similarly, fill all the taco shells evenly with refried beans and vegetables.
    taco shells filled with vegetables
    • Place the taco shells flat in the baking tray fill with enchilada sauce. I arranged them in a single layer like below.
    tacos arranged
    • Now add the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the arranged tacos and sprinkle the cheese evenly. If there are any remaining vegetables, add them on the top.
    sauce and cheese added
    • Bake uncovered at 375 deg F for 25 to 30 minutes. Please refer to notes for more details. 
    • Carefully remove it from the oven and let it cool a bit. Then serve it hot with your favorite sides. 
    Vegetarian enchilada casserole baked in a glassware dish

    Recipe Notes

    • Sauteing the vegetables: I did not saute the vegetables on the stove-top. The veggies were pretty tender and soft when baked, so I have been stuffing raw vegetables in taco shells. You can also saute them separately with Mexican seasoning or spices before stuffing.
    • Instead of refried beans, you can use cooked or canned beans like pinto, black, or red kidney beans.
    • I used mild enchilada sauce for this recipe. Buy the ones according to your spice preference.
    • For layering the tacos: If your bakeware is small, you can also layer the tacos. Let’s say you layer four first, then you would add some enchilada sauce and half of the cheese and then place the remaining three or four. Add the remaining enchilada sauce and cheese and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
    • We like our enchiladas when baked uncovered, especially with taco shells. You can also cover it with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes and remove the foil and bake again for 10 to 15 minutes. I have always baked my enchiladas uncovered. 

    Explore other Mexican recipes

    • Rotimatic Flour Tortillas | Veggie Tacos
    • Jalapeno Cheese Quesadilla
    • Vegetarian Jambalaya
    • Queso Mushroom Quesadilla

    If you try this enchilada bake, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it asap.  Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas! Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more gardening and recipe updates.

    📖 Recipe

    square image of enchiladas served with guac, beans and sour cream
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    5 from 4 votes

    Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole | Enchilada Bake

    Vegetarian enchilada casserole or the enchilada bake made with mixed vegetables stuffed in hard taco shells along with refried beans covered with enchilada sauce and cheese.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time45 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 662kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Equipment

    • 9 X 13 bakeware
    • Mixing bowl
    • conventional oven

    Ingredients

    Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5 ml;

    • ½ cup corn kernels frozen or fresh. If using frozen, thaw it to room temperature
    • 100 grams onion chopped
    • 150 grams bell peppers chopped
    • 100 grams mushroom chopped
    • ¼ cup cilantro chopped
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • ¼ tsp pepper
    • 2 tbsp olive oil divided
    • 7 taco shells you can fill eight taco shells with the beans and vegetables
    • 15.5 oz enchilada sauce
    • 16 oz refried beans
    • 2 cups cheese

    To serve

    • ½ cup guacamole 2 tbsp for each plate
    • ½ cup black beans 2 tbsp for each plate
    • sliced red radishes
    • ¼ cup sour cream 1 tbsp for each plate

    Instructions

    • In a mixing bowl, add all the veggies – corn, onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms, along with cilantro. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set it aside.
      mixed vegetables for enchiladas
    • Preheat the oven at 375 deg F. I used 9X13 bakeware for this casserole. Make sure you can keep 6 to 8 taco shells in a single layer. Overlapping is ok. (Refer notes for layering) Grease the pan and add ¼ measure of the enchilada sauce and about ⅓ to ½ cup of cheese.
      adding the bottom layer of cheese and sauce
    • Now take one taco shell and first fill with 2 to 3 tbsps of refried beans.
      adding refried beans to the taco shells
    • Then top it with the prepared vegetables. Similarly, fill all the taco shells evenly with refried beans and vegetables.
      taco shells filled with vegetables
    • Place the taco shells flat in the baking tray fill with enchilada sauce. I arranged them in a single layer like below.
      tacos arranged
    • Now add the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the arranged tacos and sprinkle the cheese evenly. If there are any remaining vegetables, add them on the top.
      sauce and cheese added
    • Bake uncovered at 375 deg F for 25 to 30 minutes. Please refer to notes for more details. Carefully remove it from the oven and let it cool a bit. Then serve it hot with your favorite sides.

    Notes

    • Sauteing the vegetables: I did not saute the vegetables on the stove-top. The veggies were pretty tender and soft when baked, so I have been stuffing raw vegetables in taco shells. You can also saute them separately with Mexican seasoning or spices before stuffing.
    • Instead of refried beans, you can use cooked or canned beans like pinto, black, or red kidney beans.
    • I used mild enchilada sauce for this recipe. Buy the ones according to your spice preference.
    • For layering the tacos: If your bakeware is small, you can also layer the tacos. Let’s say your layer four first, then add some enchilada sauce and half of the cheese and then place the remaining three or four. Add the remaining enchilada sauce and cheese and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
    • We like our enchiladas when baked uncovered, especially with taco shells. You can also cover it with aluminium foil and bake for 15 minutes and remove the foil and bake again for 10 to 15 minutes. I have always baked my enchiladas uncovered. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 662kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 2209mg | Potassium: 579mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 2785IU | Vitamin C: 56mg | Calcium: 502mg | Iron: 4mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
    For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel

    Update Notes: The recipe was originally posted in April 2015 but updated to include new photos, content, and recipe cards. 

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    Filed Under: Blogging Marathon, International, Mexican Tagged With: Blogging Marathon, enchilada caserrole, fire up the oven, how to prepare Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole, mexican, semi home made, vegetarian

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Laura says

      December 07, 2021 at 4:06 pm

      5 stars
      My first vegetarian cooking attempt…thanks to you a roaring success it was delicious!!!!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        December 07, 2021 at 5:17 pm

        Thanks so much. Glad to hear the feedback.

        Reply
    2. Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      May 15, 2015 at 9:32 am

      Using taco shells is an interesting idea. I make enchiladas a lot but never tried with taco shells. Lovely!

      Reply
    3. saras says

      May 06, 2015 at 3:22 pm

      Vidhya, I am not able to view any of your picture..But I am sure this casserole would have tasted great with the ingredients added in!!

      Reply
    4. themadscientistskitchen says

      May 03, 2015 at 9:06 am

      Kids have their won personality we try to force them in a mould. Anyway I am sure he loved this a lot.

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        May 03, 2015 at 9:01 pm

        I agree ;-) yeah he likes this

        Reply
    5. Sneha datar says

      May 01, 2015 at 12:23 am

      Very delicious and filling meal.

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        May 01, 2015 at 10:01 am

        Thanks Sneha

        Reply
    6. Suma Gandlur says

      April 28, 2015 at 3:57 pm

      That’s a filling meal and you gave an interesting twist of using taco shells for this casserole.

      Reply
    7. Vaishali Sabnani says

      April 27, 2015 at 7:59 pm

      Wow now that is some killer dish. It looks so inviting, I am tempted to take a bite..its breakfast time here :))

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 27, 2015 at 9:10 pm

        :-) :-) I wish I could send some for you

        Reply
    8. Varada says

      April 27, 2015 at 6:29 pm

      Very interesting use of taco shells. Nice quick weekday dinner.

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 27, 2015 at 9:10 pm

        Yeah totally. Quick to assemble.

        Reply
    9. Malar says

      April 27, 2015 at 3:03 pm

      They simply look so yummy Sri!!

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 27, 2015 at 9:11 pm

        Thanks Malar

        Reply
    10. Srivalli says

      April 27, 2015 at 2:08 am

      Its always wonderful when we remember a dish forgotten..very nicely baked..

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 27, 2015 at 9:15 pm

        Thanks a lot valli

        Reply
    11. food passion and love says

      April 26, 2015 at 6:21 pm

      Vidhya..these look amazing!!!!!!!

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 26, 2015 at 9:55 pm

        Thanks Pa

        Reply
    12. Traditionally Modern Food says

      April 25, 2015 at 9:16 pm

      This s something I want to try for q longtime..cheesy enchiladas are tempting me so much

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 25, 2015 at 10:34 pm

        :-) Try it pa.. easy one.. you will love it

        Reply
    13. usha says

      April 25, 2015 at 6:57 pm

      Casserole looks delicious! I guess no matter how hard we try to make a child to like a cuisine he or she would develop her own taste and liking for food.

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 25, 2015 at 10:35 pm

        he he he.. I agree Usha.. These kids naa.. If we plan for one they always go for the other.

        Reply
    14. priya says

      April 25, 2015 at 1:21 pm

      Your enchilada casserole is just inviting me.. Hard to resist to this alluring dish.

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 25, 2015 at 10:35 pm

        :-) Thanks a lot Priya

        Reply
    15. Pavani says

      April 25, 2015 at 12:47 pm

      Using taco shells to make enchiladas sounds interesting. Enchiladas look so hearty & delicious.

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 25, 2015 at 10:36 pm

        Thanks Pavani.

        Reply
    16. farin ahmed says

      April 25, 2015 at 7:59 am

      Looks delicious dear

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 25, 2015 at 10:25 am

        Thanks Farin.. Haven’t visited your space for long. Will hop on soon

        Reply
    17. freakyveggie says

      April 25, 2015 at 7:03 am

      That looks so delicious :)

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 25, 2015 at 10:25 am

        Thanks FV.. how is ur weekend? Read ur post yet to comment.

        Reply
        • freakyveggie says

          April 25, 2015 at 11:02 am

          Not bad, I think am slowly coming out of my hibernation :) I was also hoping to try any of your dishes tomorrow :)

          Reply
          • srividhya says

            April 25, 2015 at 10:37 pm

            Sometimes it takes time to come out hibernation. You know what I am waiting to get into an hibernation mode. Hope you like the dishes. ;-)

            Reply
            • freakyveggie says

              April 25, 2015 at 11:49 pm

              Yeah, you must be quite exhausted with this marathon, I was wondering how you are managing it so sincerely ! All your dishes are really good, am quite enjoying them !

              Take a small hibernation after this and come back very soon :)

            • srividhya says

              April 26, 2015 at 10:29 am

              he he he..Thanks Yaar. If I am not participating in these I am not doing anything. The tuf part with food blog is pictures. Taking pictures adding watermark all that makes is quite tuf.. Wont be a too long hibernation ;-)

            • freakyveggie says

              April 26, 2015 at 10:56 am

              I know, and without pictures, the food blog is never complete I guess :)

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    Hello all, I am Srividhya, the person behind this blog. I firmly believe that the mouth is the way to the heart. My blog is all about vegetarian and vegan food with unique and exciting recipes from all over the world. From traditional, authentic recipes to fusion and eggless bakes, you can find it all here! Read more →

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