What a delight to have a meal centered around a can’t-get-enough casserole. In this case a great-tasting and good-for-you plant-based enchilada casserole. This one is loaded with flavor from black beans, red bell pepper, corn, zucchini, and spinach. Yum!
Made in a 9” x 13” pan, it serves 6-10, depending on appetites and sides.
*Nan’s vegan sour cream:
https://nansimonsen.com/dishes/nans-vegan-sour-cream/
Heat the oven to 375 F. Prep 9” x 13” baking pan with a bit of non-stick spray, or a wipe of oil. Omit if desired but it will stick a bit.
Add onions to a large skillet, heated to med/high. Stir to prevent sticking and cook until edges are translucent, adding broth or water a couple of tablespoons at a time to prevent sticking and burning. Add the zucchini, bell pepper, and jalapeno pepper, if using. Stir, cover, and cook about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Turn the fire down a bit and add the garlic powder, salt, spinach, corn, black beans, sour cream, and small handful of cheese. Stir well, then cover and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and lightly mash the beans against the pan with the back of a fork. Add another handful of cheese and stir well.
Pour 1 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Add a layer of tortillas, overlapping a bit. Spoon over and evenly distribute the vegetable bean mixture. Add a second layer of the overlapping tortillas, evenly spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, then another 1/3 of the veg/bean mixture on top. Add the final layer of overlapping tortillas, cover with the remaining ½ cup enchilada sauce, and the remaining 1/3 of the veg/bean mixture.
Top with 1 cup shredded cheese, then cover with soil and bake for 25 minutes. Ovens vary, and if you don’t see bubbling along the sides, cover and bake another 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 5 minutes more to lightly brown.
If possible, let set 5-10 minutes to settle. Serve with garnishes, a big salad, salsas, and vegan sour cream.
