This One-Skillet Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole is Full of Tex-Mex Flavors

An easy-to-prepare meal that’s full of Tex-Mex flavor!

I’m always looking for an excuse to make Mexican-inspired food and this one-skillet vegetarian enchilada casserole gives me all the excuses I need. Only one pan needed? Check. Easy to make? Check. Quick to make? Check. Healthy? Delicious? Check and check! That’s pretty much every box you want checked when you’re deciding on a weeknight meal to make.

Enchiladas are probably my favorite Mexican dish but they always take more time to make than I’m willing to spend. Like most of us, my weekdays are busy, and I don’t have time to be playing around in the kitchen every evening. So when I discovered there was a way to speed up the process and still enjoy all those enchilada flavors that I love, I couldn’t be happier.

What’s Great About a Casserole

I like making casseroles because everyone loves them and nobody cares about the presentation. With your normal enchilada recipe, presentation is a major part of preparation. You have to prep the tortillas for rolling, then roll the tortillas around the filling just right, get the sauce and the cheese on top just right, and serve them with rice and beans. I don’t know about you, but that’s more than I can do on an average eventing. I’ll leave that up to the restaurants!

With a casserole, you throw everything in a skillet, mix it up, and bake it in the oven. Easy peasy. And the best part about this recipe is that it only takes 15 minutes. Yes, really.

Most casseroles have pasta or other ingredients, such as meats or other proteins, that can take an hour to assemble and cook. With this one-skillet vegetarian enchilada casserole, you cook the veggies, add the black beans and corn, mix in the seasoning, add the sauce and tortillas, top with cheese, and then bake. No muss, no fuss!

Top it with green onions, cilantro, and lime, — even sour cream, if you like, — and you got a pretty good-looking casserole, too. 

Make this Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole Anywhere!

I recently went up to the mountains and rented a house with some friends. Each person needed to cook one night and I decided to make this recipe. I figured since it’s a vegetarian dish, it can be broadly accepted by most everyone. And, since it only uses one pan, you don’t need to worry about having a bunch of equipment necessary to put it together.

Anyway, on the night that it was my turn to cook, I chopped up the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and zucchini in a few minutes. I then sautéed them, threw in all the other ingredients and stirred, baked it for 7-8 minutes, and then it was done. My friends couldn’t believe I made such a delicious meal in under 30 minutes!

You could even make this a camping meal, if you can believe it. Since you likely won’t have an oven to bake it in, after you’ve sautéed and mixed in your other ingredients, cover the pan with heavy duty foil and place it on your campstove or even campfire to finish cooking. Since there’s no meat, you don’t have to worry about under-cooking the protein. Now this is one deluxe camping meal, right? Beats hot dogs on a stick by a clear mile.

Need Some Sides?

Whenever it’s your turn to cook, make sure you remember this meal! You can keep it vegetarian-friendly by preparing a side like this Cilantro Lime Rice. Or, add variety with your favorite chips and some homemade Guacamole. Of course, if you’re cooking for meat-eaters, you can serve this casserole as a side to our Slow Cooker Jalapeno Chicken Flautas or these Authentic Everything Beef Tacos.

Whether you make this in your own kitchen or on the road, you can depend on a hot, delicious Mexican-inspired dish that will have everyone saying Olé! 

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