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

Units Scale

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.

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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