Black Bean Quinoa Casserole

Makes 6 generous servings

Recipe from Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD of Cozy Peach Kitchen

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This vegetarian casserole combines Mexican-inspired flavors with healthful ingredients like quinoa and black beans. No dicing or chopping required! My oven is a little hinky, so I added more time to the baking.  The original recipe mentions “slices”, but mine never firmed up enough for slices.  I just let the casserole cool for about 10 minutes and then dipped out the servings.  

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1¼ cups vegetable broth

10 ounce can diced tomatoes and green chiles

10 ounce can red enchilada sauce

15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen or fresh sweet corn

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon salt

1½ cups Mexican blend shredded cheese (Use dairy free cheese if desired to make this vegan.)

Optional garnish toppings: avocado or guacamole, salsa, diced jalapeno, cilantro, lime, scallions

Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish. Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh sieve until the water runs clear. Heat the vegetable broth until simmering.

Combine all ingredients, except for the cheese and garnishes, in the 9x13 baking dish. Stir to combine.

Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 375F for 35 minutes on the middle oven rack. Remove the foil and stir. The quinoa should be cooked through but the casserole will still be liquidy.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the quinoa is firm and the excess liquid evaporates.

Top with the shredded cheese and return to the oven for 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Remove from oven and let set for 10 minutes before serving. Serve along with avocado or guacamole, lime wedges, fresh cilantro, scallions and salsa, if desired.

Notes:

Mexican blend cheese: Usually includes Sharp Cheddar, Colby Jack and Monterey Jack. Any of these three cheese can be used in place of a cheese blend. Use vegan cheese to make dairy-free.

Substitutions:  You can use taco seasoning in place of the individual spices. I couldn’t find tomatoes with green chilis, so I used one can of tomatoes and one can of green chilis.

Storage and reheating: Let cool to room temp, then cover the baking dish with foil or a lid. Keep refrigerated for 3-4 days for best quality. Reheat individual portions in the microwave. Reheat the entire casserole in the oven at 325 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Freeze for later: Let cool completely. Transfer individual portions into freezer safe containers or cover the casserole dish tightly. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw completely in the fridge before reheating. 

Additions:  Feel free to add other veggies (zucchini, bell peppers, etc.) to this dish.  You can substitute other beans such as pinto beans or kidney beans.  You can add extra protein by including Soyrizo or vegan tempeh taco meat.

Nutritional Information: (1 of 6 servings) Calories: 357kcal; Carbohydrates: 49g; Protein: 19g; Fat: 10g; Saturated Fat: 5g;  Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3g; Cholesterol: 27mg; Sodium: 788mg; Potassium: 617mm; Fiber: 11g; Sugar: 5g; Vitamin A: 668IU; Vitamin C: 8mg; Calcium: 236mg; Iron: 4mg