Vegan Enchilada Casserole with Homemade Sauce (oil & gluten-free)
A healthy vegan enchilada casserole that is perfect for parties, weeknight dinners and even meal prep for the week. This recipe is easy to make, free of oil & gluten, and just so dang good!
Recipe by Jasmine @ Sweet Simple Vegan on August 6, 2018
3/4 cup vegan cheese (we used 1/2 recipe of our Chipotle Cheddar Cheese)
11 corn tortillas*
1 (8 oz.) can tomato and chilis* (see notes)
1 (8 oz.) can tomatoes
1 teaspoon ground chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup cilantro
2-3 tablespoons chopped green onions
Categories
Dinner
Cuisine
Gluten Free
Steps
Preheat the oven to 350°F and have a medium-sized casserole dish ready. The baking dish we used was 10×8″.
Prepare the filling: In a medium pan over medium heat, heat about 2-3 tablespoons of water or vegetable broth. Once heated, add the onions and garlic, and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until it begins to become fragrant and translucent. Add in the corn and bell peppers, and continue to saute for 3 more minutes, adding more water or broth as needed to prevent burning. Mix through the black beans and then set aside.
Prepare the sauce: In a high-speed blender, add in all of the ingredients for the sauce except for the salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the sauce into a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and warm, covered, for 8-10 minutes or until thickened. Set aside.
Assemble the casserole: Evenly distribute a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of the baking dish. Douse a tortilla in the sauce, being sure to cover both sides, and then set it into the bottom left of the dish. Repeat with a second tortilla and add that into the top left of the dish. Grab a third tortilla and cut it in half. Douse each half in sauce and then add one half onto the bottom right and the other on the top right. These tortillas are used to help create an even layer and fill any blank space that is not covered since they are round. Refer to the photos in the post if this does not make sense. Add in a layer of the vegetable mixture, along with a handful of chopped cilantro and about 3 tablespoons of cheese. Repeat these layers until you reach the top of the dish, and then add a final layer of wet tortillas. Dump the remaining sauce on top, and then top that with any remaining filling. Liberally add cheese sauce to the top of the casserole.
Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove and allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes.
Top with cilantro and green onions, then dig in!
Nutitrion
Calories: 401 calories
Carbohydrates: 85.1 g
Protein: 16.7 g
Fat: 3.1 g
Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 395.9 mg
Sugar: 4.3 g
Reviews
Michi on 2018-08-27 (5 stars): I just finished making these and popped them into the oven. I added vegan cheese to the top to melt and added the cilantro/ green onion as well. I am going to add you IG so I can tag you. Thanks for such an awesome recipe.
Amanda C on 2018-11-18 (5 stars): I ended up making this as enchilada bowls, since I realized I only had 3 tortillas after I started cooking, haha! Definitely saving this to make again. One question, though. When do the black beans get added? Do they go in to be sautéed with the corn and bell peppers, too? The recipe doesn't specify.
Thanks!!
Julianne on 2019-07-01 (5 stars): Excellent enchilada sauce! Hard to find a great enchilada sauce recipe and we loved it. Made some vegan sour cream to top it with instead of vegan cheese sauce. Kept the filling simple - some salsa, corn, black beans, organic bell peppers and broccoli. Will use this recipe again for certain, thanks so much!
AH on 2019-09-18 (5 stars): Very tasty, thank you for sharing. The only confusing part was how to layer the tortillas- the video goes too fast, not very helpful. Had to read that step a few times before figuring out how to use up the 11 tortillas :)
Angela Andiorio on 2019-10-22 (5 stars): Loved this! Passed it on to all of my vegan friends too! Made with flour tortillas which obviously changes it to contain gluten, but it worked well for me. Also subbed in a red pepper based vegan “cheese” sauce.
Christina P on 2021-09-28 (5 stars): This is the first vegan recipe I made a few years ago and the most requested meal with my family. I have made it with the cheese sauce and also with plant based shredded cheese and both are equally delicious. The spice level is just right for us. I always double this recipe as we love leftovers and it is super easy to make. Thank you for sharing.
Mel on 2022-03-28 (5 stars): This was really delicious! I'm new to plant-based eating and this was my first time making a 'cheese' sauce. I added one small diced zucchini and a jalapeno to the veggie mix, and added the same spice mix to the veggies. The tomatoes available at my store came in larger can sizes than the recipe, so I doubled the spices and figured I'd have too much sauce, but it ended up being the perfect amount. I also used fire roasted diced tomatoes for extra flavor. My non-plant based husband even loved it! I baked it in a deep dish pie plate, and it looked very pretty when sliced into.
Chris Day on 2022-07-13 (5 stars): My husband and I both enjoyed this dish! I didn't have any tomatoes with jalapeños so I used one can of diced tomatoes and about a tablespoon of adobo. I made an oil-free cheese sauce (and old standby recipe) for the inside and top.
I made this about 6 hours before serving and the corn tortillas held up nicely. Thank you for an excellent addition to my repertoire!
Jill La on 2024-04-10 (5 stars): Excellent dish. I made it a day ahead and I turned out perfectly. Leftovers were good too!
An Meersschaut on 2026-03-28 (5 stars): 5 stars definitely!
What a treat! This dish tastes like a Mexican lasagna—rich, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. The recipe is so easy to follow, and I was able to bake it perfectly in my Omnia oven on the gas stove, even while living in a van.
Thank you for sharing such a tasty recipe🥰
Melissa on 2026-04-04 (5 stars): I know this isn't a new recipe, but I came across it yesterday when looking for an enchilada bake. I've had corn tortillas in the freezer that really needed to be used up...I did end up using 12 tortillas vs 11...I think I had a slightly bigger pan than what you mentioned using. I used a can of tomato sauce for the enchilada sauce, and added a mild taco seasoned TVP crumble for more protein, and used a can of tri-blend beans instead of black beans, because that's what I had. This was a little involved but not hard, and so good! I've got lots of leftovers which works out great for meal prep.
