Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
by Chungah
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A lightened-up, healthy enchilada bake that you can enjoy guilt-free, chockfull of quinoa, black beans and cheesy goodness. And the leftovers taste even better!
Featured Comment
I think it’s safe to say that I have somewhat of a love affair with Mexican food. Whether it’s fish tacos, cheesy enchiladas or a giant burrito the size of my forearm, I could honestly live off of all of these for the rest of my life.
So when Old El Paso asked me to be their brand ambassador for the next year, well, how could I say no? It just gives me an excuse to make even more of my favorite Mexican-inspired dishes to share with you all! And to start things off, I just had to share my favorite Mexican comfort food lightened-up.
Now this is a super easy enchilada bake with quinoa instead of tortilla. By using quinoa, we’re adding in some fun healthy goodies, like protein and fiber, and there’s absolutely no rolling or wrapping of any kind. You can simply throw everything into a bowl, mix it up, and bake it from there. Yes, it doesn’t get easier than that!
After you let this bake through, you’ll have the most amazing cheesy enchilada bake! It’s so good, you’ll never want to have traditional enchiladas ever again!
Quinoa Enchilada Casserole: Frequently Asked Questions
You can use about 2 cups cooked quinoa.
Absolutely! This is our favorite recipe for homemade enchilada sauce.
Mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, and/or carrots would be great additions.
Ground taco meat and/or leftover rotisserie chicken can get mixed in with your quinoa-enchilada-sauce mixture.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat in the oven until completely warmed through.
You can substitute vegan cheeses for the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses to make this a vegan quinoa enchilada casserole.
Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce
- 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles, drained
- ½ cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
- ½ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
- 1 Roma tomato, diced
Instructions
- In a large saucepan of 2 cups water, cook quinoa according to package instructions; set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, combine quinoa, enchilada sauce, green chiles, corn, black beans, cilantro, cumin and chili powder; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
- Spread quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cheeses. Place into oven and bake until bubbly and cheeses have melted, about 15 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with avocado and tomato, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Old El Paso. All opinions expressed are my own.
OMG – Thank you so much… I just made this and it is absolutely amazing!!! Super easy and quick to make and I could eat it all day!!!!!
Is there another type of sauce besides enchilada (from Old El Paso, of course) that I could use instead? Do they make a green sauce? (not a fan of traditional red sauce). Thanks!
Yes! They have a mild green enchilada sauce.
this was great i just made it tonight. i topped mine with tomatoes and red onions and a dollop of sour cream. this is a keeper. it would go well in wraps and to stuff vegetables with as well. like stuffed peppers etc. i will make this again. thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing! I made this last night and it was delicious and super simple, even someone who avoids the kitchen (like me) can figure it out. Thanks!
I wanted to tell you that I made this tonight and it was SO good! The flavors and texture were spot on, and I enjoyed every bite, especially with the avocado and tomato on top. Great meatless Monday dinner. 🙂
I made this tonight and it was so delicious. My husband loved it too. Great mix of spices and textures. Will definitely be making this again. Thanks for the recipe.
Looks delicious! Your pictures look so bright and crisp! Pinned!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was wonderful! I added some shredded chicken thighs as my husband prefers non vegetarian dishes, and mashed up the avocado with some spices and mixed it right in. My husband and I both loved it. Will definitely be making again!
When you added the chicken how long did you bake it for? I want to try the same thing!
Anyone figured our the calories yet? Maybe per oz served?
Leah, it is best to use online resources at your discretion to obtain caloric information.
haha I know! I was being lazy and hoping someone already had. 🙂
Using myfitnesspal.com it calculated 313 calories per serving (using 6 total servings)
According to the above label, it has 285.1 calories in it.
Wow! I’m so glad I stumbled across the photo for this recipe on pinterest. I just made this for dinner tonight and it tastes Ah-mazing! At first my husband eyed it dubiously (because there was no meat) but after a few mouthfuls he said it was delicious too and told me I could make it again (win!) Thanks so much for creating a healthy and nutritious vegetarian meal 🙂 I’m always on the look out for healthy meal ideas and I’m so glad I’ve found your site. I’ll be back to check out more recipes soon!
This is the first recipe I’ve made from your blog & I absolutely loved it! I was hesitant to make it at first only because my last experience with quinoa was not a good one (it was NOT one of your recipes) & I wasn’t sure if I actually liked it. When I saw this recipe, though, with all of the favors I love, I decided to go for it. I can’t wait to get into the rest of the recipes here to make more of them!!! Thanks…
I made this for lunch earlier and it was fantastic!! Added a small zucchini (diced) and a diced onion and it was wonderful!! Super easy and the family loved it! This will be lunch for the next couple days and I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you!
Question: any reason why you are using canned corn, over your usual grilled or frozen??…This recipe will be an introduction to quinoa to me and the DH (dear hubby)….wish us luck…teehee
I used canned because that is what I had on hand. But feel free to use frozen, grilled or corn!
Thanks so much for your prompt reply…….Very much enjoying your recipes and “getting to know you”……
Hi! I’m hoping to make this week, but I have had such horrible experiences with quinoa…is there a brand that’s your favorite? I followed step by step instructions and always end up with runny uncooked quinoa. Thanks
I personally love to use the Trader Joe’s brand.
Trader Joe’s brand is not only the atstiest, it’s also well priced compared to other stores!
I make mine in the steamer just like rice, one part quinoa one part water, steam for about 30 minutes. Perfect every time.
The best tip for tasty quinoa is to rinse it beforehand. It has a bitter coating that rinses easily. Then cook at a 1:1 ratio (eg 1 cup water to 1 cup quinoa). Boil water, add quinoa and return to a boil, then lower heat and cook on low until water is absorbed.
Making it right now, can’t wait to try it, smells delish!!
Made it; liked it a lot.
Just made this and it is oh so delish!! My husband and I like spicy food and so we added diced jalepenos and used pepper jack cheese instead of mozzarella. I can’t find hot enchilada sauce or hot diced green chilis in Virginia like I can in California or I would have bought those instead of mild! Oh well just added extra chili powder and some red pepper powder. I will definitely be making this again!!
Did you measure the quinoa after it was cooked? Or before?That part has me confused. Because if I cook 1cup of quinoa, after it’s cooked it makes a lot more.
Bonne, you will be starting with 1 cup uncooked quinoa and using all of the quinoa it yields (about 2 cups).
I made this last night and it was delicious!! I added 1 cup of cooked quinoa (had leftovers) and I noticed it was a little runny, but still tasted delicious. Next time, I’ll try with 2 cups cooked. I really enjoyed this reciepe! Thank you!!
Did anyone else’s look really runny at first? Baking mine now!
Thank you for your review, I’m glad you actually made the recipe and took the time to comment. It’s very frustrating when readers post comments like….”this looks good” but didn’t actually make the recipe. Yeah…we all know it LOOKS good, but how does it taste?
I’ve tried quinoa several times but haven’t really cared for it. This looks like something i would love though. Love all the healthy ingredients!
I’m loving all the new ways I’m finding to enjoy quinoa. This recipe is at the top of my list. Can’t wait to try it…maybe tonight!
I love love love mexican food and this recipe proves why! This looks amazing, love the added beans!
Love this vegetarian spin on enchiladas, great flavors!