Chock full of veggies, black beans, cheese and homemade enchilada sauce, Quinoa Enchilada Bake with Black Beans is a fabulous vegetarian casserole to feed a small crowd. This Mexican quinoa recipe is freezer friendly and makes for easy leftovers. This recipe is vegetarian and gluten free.
Seasonal Ingredients
Late summer and early fall veggies continue to make a showing at the farms and farmers markets, so I’m keeping them on the menu as long as I can. Just picked sweet corn from Bell’s Farm is hard to resist right off the cob, but I also love putting it in all things Mexican food. It also makes a great opportunity to whip up a black bean recipe!
Shucking sweet corn is a practice in patience. Removing the silk takes a bit of effort, but worth the pot of gold in the end. But, frozen corn can be easily subbed for fresh!
This vegetarian, gluten free, quinoa enchilada casserole recipe has all the late summer suspects. Fresh corn, zucchini, poblano or green bell pepper, and onions make a showing as well as hearty and texture rich quinoa, black beans and my made-in-a-blender easy homemade enchilada sauce. Best of all, this Quinoa Enchilada Bake gluten free casserole is freezer friendly.
Quick Guide: How to Make Mexican Quinoa Enchilada Bake
Mexican quinoa enchilada bake is super simple to pull together. In summary, here’s how to make this healthy Mexican quinoa casserole (see recipe card for details):
- First, cook the quinoa.
- Meanwhile, saute onions, and poblano adding in cumin towards the end of cooking.
- Next, place the cooked veggies and quinoa in a large mixing bowl along with the raw zucchini, corn, enchilada sauce and cheese.
- Last, throughly mix, then transfer to a baking dish and bake for about 35 minutes.
While this Mexican quinoa casserole is baking, it’s a perfect time to tidy the kitchen and whip up a batch of guacamole. Oh and margaritas if you’re so inclined.
A Few Recipe Notes
- Use fresh or frozen corn niblets in this quinoa enchilada bake. No need to thaw.
- Meal prep ready! Cook the quinoa and chop the veggies ahead of when you need, then assemble the day of baking.
- Freezer friendly? Yes please! Simply store in a covered container for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and rewarm in a 350F oven for about 15 minutes.
- I use Homemade Enchilada Sauce (gluten free or not) for this quinoa enchilada bake. I hope you’ll give it go… it’s made in a blender so it’s super easy.
- Whip up a batch of Charred Jalapeño-Lime Guacamole while this vegetarian casserole bakes then share with your favorite Mexican food toppings. A batch of Mezcal Margarita Fizz would pair quite nicely with quinoa enchilada casserole.
More Vegetarian Mexican Food Recipes to Love:
- Roasted Cauliflower Tinga Tacos
- Skillet Black Bean Vegetarian Enchiladas Verde
- One Pan Mexican Quinoa Recipe – from Foolproof Living
- Sweet Potato Wrapped Black Bean Enchiladas
- Creamy Corn, Zucchini and Poblano Tacos
the recipe
Quinoa Enchilada Bake with Black Beans
Ingredients
- 1 C (190g) Quinoa rinsed and drained, I like tricolor quinoa
- 1 1/2 C (354g) Water
- 1 Tbs Coconut or Olive Oil
- 1 C (150g) White or Purple Onion medium dice, about one medium
- 1 1/3 C (160g) Green Bell or Poblano Pepper medium dice, about one medium
- 2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 2 tsp Cumin ground
- 3 C (345g) Zucchini diced small, about one medium
- 1 1/2 C (210g) Corn Niblets fresh or frozen, about 1 ear of corn
- 15 oz (425g) Black Beans rinsed and drained, one can
- 2 C (500g) Homemade Enchilada Sauce
- 2 Tbs Adobo Sauce
- 2 C (200g) Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack Cheese
For Garnish (optional):
- Avocado, cilantro, salsa, sliced jalapeños, black olives, sour cream
Instructions
- Soak the quinoa over night covering it in at least 2" of water (if desired). Otherwise, simply rinse the quinoa through a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear. In a medium sauce pot add the soaked (or unsoaked) quinoa and water. Stir in a pinch of salt and 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 15 minutes to cook (no draining needed). Drain any excess water and spoon into a large mixing bowl.
- Set oven rack in center and preheat oven to 350F (180C).Meanwhile heat the oil in a medium saute pan until it shimmers. Add the onion and bell (or poblano) pepper and saute 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. Add the 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 into a 9"x13" (22cmx33cm) 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 with options 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.
