Ready in an hour, this vegetarian black bean enchilada casserole with pumpkin chipotle sauce is a cozy late summer or fall meal. Since everything is layered in a baking dish, there’s no need to worry about rolling tortillas!
A Black Bean Enchilada Casserole that Doesn’t Require Any Tortilla Rolling!
As summer winds down and fall creeps in I want cozier meals like this black bean enchilada casserole with pumpkin chipotle sauce or this pumpkin tofu curry. When I initially started developing this recipe, I wanted to incorporate all of the things I wish enchiladas had: more veggies in the filling, a better-tasting sauce, and absolutely no tortilla rolling!
Nothing against rolling tortillas, but in my experience, corn tortillas tend to break so easily and I just don’t have the patience. So, I decided to layer all of the elements like a casserole and bake it until the cheese is bubbly and golden. This vegetarian enchilada casserole comes together in about an hour and is honestly so perfect as a cozy fall meal. Bonus points – it feeds a crowd and leftovers can easily be frozen!
JUMP STRAIGHT TO:
- Homemade Pumpkin Chipotle Enchilada Sauce
- How to Make the Veggie Filling
- How to Layer Everything for the Casserole
- Customize it With Toppings
- Tips for Freezing and Re-heating
A Case for Making this Homemade Pumpkin Chipotle Enchilada Sauce
I am not a fan of canned enchilada sauce so I came up with my own homemade version! Since this is a cozy fall dinner, I wanted to incorporate canned pumpkin puree into the sauce. It adds a subtle sweet and earthy flavor that is perfect for pairing with smoky chipotle peppers. It also thickens the enchilada sauce naturally which means we don’t have to worry about adding in flour like a traditional enchilada sauce. That makes the sauce naturally gluten free!
The pumpkin puree, veggie stock, and chipotle peppers get blended until smooth. While you heat oil in a pan, you’ll mix together all of the spices and salt in a small bowl. This will make it easier when it’s time to add them to the pan.
The spices are tempered in the hot oil first (this helps awaken their flavors) then tomato paste is added and cooked for a couple of minutes. Don’t panic when you add the tomato paste – it will look clumpy but this is normal (below). It will smooth out once you add the blended pumpkin chipotle mixture!
The sauce can absolutely be made 1-5 days ahead of time and kept in the fridge. The amount of chili powder and chipotle peppers you add will control the spice level – check out the notes section of the recipe card below for tips on making it mild!
You’ll have about 3/4 cup leftover pumpkin puree so I recommend using it in this pumpkin pecan granola or this spiced pumpkin cold brew latte — both are big fall favorites in this house!
A Vegetarian Enchilada Filling that’s Actually Packed with Veggies
You know how vegetarian enchiladas are frequently just all cheese or all beans? While you’ll find both black beans and Monterey jack cheese in this enchilada casserole, there’s also a mix of sauteed onion, corn, zucchini, and red bell pepper. The filling is coloful not to mention super satisfying and more plant-diverse than most enchiladas!
I love using late summer zucchinis and bell pepper here so that this feels more like a transitional summer into fall dish. The veggies are diced then are cooked together in order to help remove some of the moisture so we can avoid a soggy casserole.
How to Get Maximum Enchilada Flavor Without Rolling Any Tortillas
If attempting to warm then roll tortillas is what keeps you from making enchiladas at home, I get it because SAME! For this casserole, we’re simply layering everything into the baking dish just like you would a lasagna. This ensures you get a little of everything in each bite! Here’s how I like to do it:
About half of the sauce goes down first, followed by half of the tortillas (they will overlap which is completely fine!), and half of the veggie and black bean filling.
Half of the shredded cheese goes on top of the veggies, followed by the remaining sauce, and the remaining tortillas.
The remaining veggie and bean filling goes on top of the tortillas, followed by the remaining cheese. Everything gets baked until warmed through and the cheese is melted. I like to pop the enchilada casserole under the broiler at the very end to ensure the cheese browns a bit!
Customize it With Your Favorite Enchilada Toppings
This vegetarian enchilada casserole is really dang delicious on its own, but you can absolutely add some toppings to customize it. I really love a sprinkle of cilantro and a dollop of sour cream. Diced avocado is also great! If you happen to have some on hand, pickled onions or shallots complement the enchilada flavors really well. Want more heat? Go for some sliced or pickled jalapenos!
Tips for Freezing and Re-heating Leftovers
Once the enchilada casserole is baked, it can easily be frozen. If you want to freeze the whole thing, I recommend making it in a freezer and heat-safe baking dish or one of those disposable foil ones if you don’t have any extras to spare. Allow the baked casserole to cool fully, then wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil. If you are freezing individual slices, I recommend using freezer safe containers.
In my opinion, this freezer-friendly casserole will be good for 2 to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat it, remove and discard the plastic wrap then secure foil on top of the baking pan. If you’re reheating the entire casserole, bake it at 350 degrees for about 1 and a half hours until fully warmed through. For individual slices, it will only take about 35-50 minutes.
For leftovers that have been stored in the fridge, you can reheat invidivual slices in the air-fryer if you prefer – go with 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes. You can also reheat leftovers in the microwave if you have one.
Black Bean Enchilada Casserole with Pumpkin Chipotle Sauce
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 1x
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Description
Ready in an hour, this vegetarian black bean enchilada casserole with pumpkin chipotle sauce is a cozy late summer or fall meal. Since everything is layered in a baking dish, there’s no need to worry about rolling tortillas!
Ingredients
for the pumpkin chipotle sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, from the can of chipotle peppers
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
for the enchilada casserole
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- Sea salt, to taste
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 large zucchini, or 2 small zucchinis, diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups corn, fresh or frozen (if frozen, thaw first)
- 12 corn tortillas
- 3 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
- optional for serving: cilantro, sour cream, avocado, sliced jalapeno, etc.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make the sauce first. Heat a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat with the olive oil. While the oil heats up, add the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, vegetable broth, and pumpkin puree to a blender and blend until smooth. Mix the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and sea salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Once the oil is shimmering, add the spice mixture. Mix continuously for 30 seconds then add the tomato paste. Keep mixing and cook for about 2 more minutes. It will look clumpy which is fine. Pour in the blended pumpkin chipotle mixture and whisk until the sauce is smooth. Bring the sauce to a simmer then remove it from the heat. Pour the sauce into a bowl, wipe out the skillet, then return it to the burner over medium.
Make the veggie filling next. Add the tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Once it shimmers, add the onion along with a big pinch of salt. Cook until translucent, about 3 minutes, then add the diced bell pepper, zucchini, and garlic. Stir, then cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Remove from heat and stir in the black beans and corn. Taste, then add salt as needed.
Pour about half of the sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish and spread into an even layer. Arrange half of the tortillas on top, gently pressing into the sauce.
Top with half of the black bean and veggie filling, then sprinkle half of the shredded cheese over the top. Spoon the remaining sauce over the top of the cheese, then gently press the remaining tortillas on top, making sure they make contact with the sauce below. Add the remaining filling on top, followed by the remaining shredded cheese.
Cover the baking dish with foil, then bake the casserole for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven, remove the foil, then return the casserole to the oven for 10-15 more minutes until the cheese is melted. If you want the cheese to brown, put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes. Let the casserole sit for 5 minutes once you remove it from the oven then slice and serve!
Garnish with chopped cilantro, sour cream, avocado, or sliced jalapenos as desired.
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat leftovers in the microwave, air fryer, or oven. For instructions on freezing, see the post!
Notes
- You can use 1 can of corn to keep it pantry-staple friendly if you prefer. Drain it before using it in the recipe.
- Use standard 6-inch corn tortillas. If your tortillas are smaller, you might want to use more to make sure the bottom of the dish is fully covered. You can make this casserole with flour tortillas if you like but the texture and taste will be different.
- If you want to save some time, you can use about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of store-bought enchilada sauce.
- If you are only cooking for 1 or 2 people and don’t want to freeze leftovers, you can halve the recipe and make it in an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish.
- The cheese will melt better if you shred or grate it yourself. You’ll need about 12 ounces of Monterey jack cheese in order to yield about 3 cups shredded. Measure it by lightly packing it into the measuring cup. If you want it extra cheesy, use 4 cups!
- If you prefer a sharper cheese, use shredded sharp cheddar or a mix of Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar.
- If you are using fresh corn off the cob, you’ll need 3-4 cobs to yield enough corn for the recipe.
- As written, the recipe has a medium spice level. If you want it mild, use only 1 tablespoon of chili powder and 1 chipotle pepper in the sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dinner
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