Full of flavor, a little spicy and plenty of cheese, this Mexican inspired vegetarian casserole features zucchini, corn, black beans and seasonings with red enchilada sauce.
While the quinoa cooks, onions, peppers and seasonings are sauteed on the stovetop. All the ingredients are then mixed in a bowl and transferred to a baking dish. Once out of the oven, share this Mexican Quinoa Bake with tortilla chips, guacamole, sour cream, and hot sauce. This recipe is vegetarian and easily gluten free.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recipe Review: “This was delicious! Another great V & B recipe to add to our meal rotation.” ~ Victoria
A Hearty and Flavor Packed Quinoa Casserole
If you’re all in for the bold flavors of Mexican food, put this one on your list! This quinoa enchilada bake recipe is on Rob’s (my husband) top 10. I love it too, but also because it’s versatile and makes for easy leftovers.
Make it with the convenience of canned or home cooked black beans, fresh or frozen corn and prepared red enchilada sauce. You can adjust the spicy to taste too, to quell the heat, or take it up a notch for a good mouth burn!
I’ve been known to stuff the filling into soft tortillas, or top with an egg. Versatile and delicious!
This Recipe Is
- lunch or dinner
- a hearty vegetarian main
- spicy is adjustable to taste
If you make Mexican inspired recipes at home, you’ll enjoy the flavors and textures of this black bean quinoa casserole.
Standout Ingredients
Many of the ingredients may be familiar, but I wanted to share a bit about these three.
- Quinoa – adds bulk and carries the ingredients throughout the casserole. It has nutty undertones and an earthy flavor. You can use white, rainbow or red quinoa. Look for quinoa in the bulk bins for best value.
- Poblano Pepper – I’ve tested this casserole with poblano and green bell pepper. They add texture and mild sweet flavor. I do prefer poblanos in this recipe, and they’re generally mild, but they can carry some heat. So, for a milder casserole, stick with the green bell pepper.
- Jack Cheese – adds a salty, cheesy flavor and gooey texture. I tested this recipe with Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack cheese. For a mild casserole, opt for Monterey Jack. To take the spicy up, look for pepper jack cheese (we’re a spicy household and preferred pepper jack). Buy a block and shred it for best melt and flavor.
______________________
How to Make Mexican Style Quinoa Bake
Step by Step
Pro Tip: while the Mexican quinoa bake is cooking, it’s a good time to whip up a batch of guacamole and gather other condiments like tortilla chips, sour cream, and black olives.
Share This Casserole With
To make this a hearty main, serve this casserole with a few condiments of choice. Here are some ideas:
- Guacamole with Sour Cream or Sliced Avocado
- Avocado Cream Sauce
- Pico de Gallo
- Tortilla Chips
- Hot Sauce (I like Cholula)
- Fresh Sliced Jalapenos or Pickled Jalapenos
- Fresh Cilantro
Cheesy Mexican Quinoa Casserole with Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup (190 grams) Quinoa rinsed and drained, I like tricolor quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups (354 grams) Water
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil like avocado oil
- 1 cup (150 grams) White or Red Onion medium dice, about one medium
- 1 1/3 cups (160 grams) Green Bell or Poblano Pepper medium dice, about one large bell or two medium poblanos
- 2 teaspoons Fine Sea Salt
- 2 teaspoons Cumin ground
- 3 cups (345 grams) Zucchini diced small, about one medium
- 1 1/2 cups (210 grams) Corn Niblets fresh or frozen (thawed), about 1 ear of corn
- 15 ounces (425 grams) Black Beans rinsed and drained, one can
- 2 cups (500 grams) Red Enchilada Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Adobo Sauce for less spicy, use 1 tablespoon
- 2 cups (200 grams) Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack Cheese
Condiments (optional):
- Creamy Guacamole with Sour Cream
- Fresh Pico de Gallo
- Avocado, cilantro, hot sauce, sliced fresh jalapeños, black olives, sour cream, chips, warm tortillas.
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa through a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Alternatively, you can soak the quinoa over night covering it in at least 2 inches of water (if desired). Drain and rinse before cooking.In a medium sauce pot add the quinoa and water. Bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender and the 'tails' are showing. Soaked quinoa will take about 8 minutes and need to be drained while unsoaked quinoa takes about 12-15 minutes to cook (no draining needed). Once cooked, transfer quinoa into a large mixing bowl.
- Set oven rack in center and preheat oven to 350F (180C). Lightly oil a 9" x 13" (22cm x 33cm) baker/casserole. Set asideMeanwhile heat the oil in a medium saute pan until it shimmers. Add the onion and bell (or poblano) pepper and saute on medium heat allowing the veggies to set for 2-3 minutes at a time to sear, for about 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle in the salt and cumin and stir so that the veggies are coated for one minute. Transfer the onion mixture to the bowl of quinoa.
- To the mixing bowl, add the zucchini, corn, black beans, enchilada sauce, adobo sauce and 1 1/2 C (150g) of pepper jack cheese. Stir thoroughly so that all the veggies are evenly distributed. Transfer the mixture the prepared baker/casserole, smooth top and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Cover with foil tenting the center slightly so that it doesn't rest on the cheese and bake for 30-35 minutes until the cheese has melted and it's bubbly. Remove from oven and rest covered for 10 minutes. Garnish as desired or serve garnishes on the side.
- Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. To reheat, cover and bake in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes.
What a flavor explosion. My goal is to introduce a vegetarian meal at least once or twice a week. I know baby steps – and this recipe is awesome. The heat level with the combination of ingredients is spot on. A home run in my book……..
Hey Kermit! So excited to receive your note and the casserole was a hit! Thank you for giving it a go, and letting me know. Hooray for veggie meals!
This was delicious! Another great V & B recipe to add to our meal rotation. I cooked the black beans the day before in my slow cooker per your instructions “How to cook black beans” (My go-to method now) then searched your site for a recipe to use them and chose this one. As there are only 2 of us at home, I divided the mixture into two 9×9 pans before baking so I could freeze one for another day. Served with chips, salsa, guacamole and margaritas. So good! Thanks Traci.
Hi Victoria! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note! So happy to hear you enjoyed the bake. Hooray for having another in the freezer! Love those sides and margaritas.
Imagine my surprise when I was ready to assemble the enchiladas and realized this wasn’t an enchilada recipe at all – but instead a Mexican inspired veggie casserole. My bad for quickly reading the ingredient list, high fiving that I had everything on hand, and jumping in to get dinner on the table. Needless to say, I modified by adding a generous scoop of the filling down the middle of fresh tortillas and baked them as, well, enchiladas. We liked the flavors but without the tortillas I would have been challenged to call this a main course.
Stuffed in enchiladas sounds lovely! Thank you for your tip, but I’m sorry for your disappointment. We love this as a main!
I made this tonight and loved it. I’ve made a few of your recipes and I will definitely be adding this to my repertoire..
Hiii Susan! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a note and your kind words! Sooo happy to hear!
Added diced carrots and mushrooms and a few less zucchini. Tried the homemade enchilada sauce (loved the flavor), as well. I had a hard time not eating the quinoa/vege mix before it went in the oven! Will definitely share this recipe. It was delicious!
Hi Diana! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note! The sauce, right? I’ve been double batching it for the freezer. I love how you added some winter veggies (what a great idea!) :D Thank you for sharing! Day made!