vegetarian-enchilada-casserole The beauty of this easy vegetarian enchilada casserole is that you can make it vegan and it’s gluten-free! Tofu adds plenty of protein.

Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

Name: Easy Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 16
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 12 dried sweet red chilies; 6 small dried Japonés or other hot chili pods; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon oregano; 2 cups very hot water; 1 large onion; 3 jalapeños; 10 cloves of garlic; 1 lb. mushrooms (optional); 1 Tablespoon olive oil; 2 lbs. of super-firm tofu, grated (I prefer the brick kind, if you use the other kind, make sure you drain and press it first).; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast; 20 white corn tortillas; 1 cup grated cheese (optional); 1 8-ounce can of sliced olives (optional); 2 ounces crushed tortilla chips.

vegen-enchilada-casserole I love enchiladas, but as a vegetarian, I find it hard to stomach the cheese enchilada offerings in restaurants. My body isn’t used to huge amounts of cheese. I could just make enchiladas at home, but I rarely have the time (or patience) to fry the corn tortillas in oil, wrap each enchilada individually, and repeat. That’s why I came up with this quick and easy vegetarian enchilada casserole!

The recipe will serve 16, so I usually divide it into two 8×8 casserole dishes. That way I have one for now and one to stick in the freezer for emergencies (unexpected guests or days when I have no energy to cook). I usually freeze the second dish without the cheese sprinkled on top just in case I need a quick vegan dish.

You can control the spiciness of the dish by adjusting how many chilies you add. You can also omit the jalapeños altogether to help bring the heat down. If you buy brick tofu, you won’t need to waste time pressing and draining it.

You can find other vegetarian and vegan recipes by visiting the landing page for this series: The Beginner’s Guide to Eating Vegetarian.

Easy Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

Author: Anita Ojeda
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 45
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 16 1x

Print Recipe

Description

You can adjust this versatile gluten-free casserole to make it vegan or vegetarian, mild or spicy.

Scale

Ingredients

12 dried sweet red chilies
6 small dried Japonés or other hot chili pods
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
2 cups very hot water
1 large onion
3 jalapeños
10 cloves of garlic
1 lb. mushrooms (optional)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 lbs. of super-firm tofu, grated (I prefer the brick kind, if you use the other kind, make sure you drain and press it first).
2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
20 white corn tortillas
1 cup grated cheese (optional)
1 8-ounce can of sliced olives (optional)
2 ounces crushed tortilla chips.

Instructions

Place the dried chilies, salt, and oregano in a blender jar and add the hot water. Allow this to soak while you prepare the vegetables.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet and add the onion, jalapeños, and garlic. These can all be in big chunks. Once the onion looks limp, add the vegetables to the blender jar and blend on high speed until the contents resemble a soup.

Add the chopped mushrooms to the frying pan and sauté until tender. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Add the grated tofu to the frying pan and sauté for five minutes. Sprinkle the nutritional yeast and salt over the tofu as it fries. Once it starts to brown a bit, pour the chili mixture on top and let it simmer for five minutes. Stir occasionally.

Spray a 13X9 inch casserole dish (or use two 8X8 dishes if you’re feeding a smaller crowd) with non-stick spray.

Cut or tear the corn tortillas into 1-inch pieces. Add them to the mixing bowl.

Pour the chili and tofu mixture on top and stir well.

Transfer the contents to the casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with crushed tortilla chips and cheese (if you want to make it vegan, use vegan cheese or omit all together), garnish with olives, and bake at 350˚ for 45 minutes.