Vegetarian Black Bean Quinoa Casserole (Dump and Bake!) Recipe
This Vegetarian Black Bean Quinoa Casserole is a hearty, flavorful, and nutritious one-dish meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights. Combining protein-packed quinoa and black beans with savory enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes with green chiles, and a blend of spices, this dump-and-bake casserole is topped with melted Mexican blend cheese and optional fresh toppings like avocado and salsa for a delicious Tex-Mex twist.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Casserole
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1 and ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 10 ounce can diced tomatoes and green chiles
- 10 ounce can red enchilada sauce
- 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed (about 1.5 cups)
- 1 cup frozen sweet corn (canned or fresh also work)
Spices
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Toppings
- 1 and ½ cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
- Optional toppings: avocado or guacamole, salsa, diced jalapeno, cilantro, lime
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare dish. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly oil a 9×13 inch baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Rinse quinoa. Rinse 1 cup of dry quinoa in a fine mesh sieve under running water for about 30 seconds to remove its natural coating that can taste bitter.
- Heat vegetable broth. Warm 1¼ cups of vegetable broth until simmering using either a small pot on the stove or the microwave to help the quinoa cook evenly.
- Combine ingredients. Place the rinsed quinoa, heated vegetable broth, 10 oz diced tomatoes with green chiles, 10 oz red enchilada sauce, drained and rinsed black beans, frozen sweet corn, and all the spices (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt) into the prepared baking dish. Stir everything together thoroughly.
- First bake with foil. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake in the oven at 375°F on the middle rack for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and stir the mixture—the quinoa should be mostly cooked but the casserole will still have some liquid.
- Continue baking uncovered. Return the uncovered casserole to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes to allow the quinoa to firm up and excess liquid to evaporate.
- Add cheese and melt. Sprinkle 1½ cups of Mexican blend shredded cheese evenly over the top of the casserole and bake for another 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Cool and garnish. Remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with optional toppings like avocado, guacamole, fresh cilantro, diced jalapeno, salsa, or a squeeze of lime for extra flavor.
Notes
- Mexican blend cheese typically includes sharp cheddar, colby jack, and Monterey jack cheese. You can use any of these cheeses individually if you prefer.
- To make this casserole dairy-free, substitute the Mexican blend cheese with your favorite vegan cheese.
- Storage & reheating: Cool the casserole to room temperature, cover tightly with foil or a lid, and refrigerate for 3-4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or reheat the whole casserole in a 325°F oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Freezing: Cool completely, then transfer portions into freezer-safe containers or cover the whole baking dish tightly. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating or add an extra 10-15 minutes to the bake time when reheating from frozen.
