This dump & bake casserole is inspired by the filling of stuffed peppers. This is a vegetarian casserole that features two types of beans, quinoa, and salsa.
If I know one thing about my readers and myself, it's that we both love easy meals. Better yet, dump & bake casseroles that require minimal prep or active time.
That's exactly what this stuffed pepper casserole is all about: just a few minutes of prep time and then you get to sit back and relax while the quinoa cooks in the oven.
This recipe is basically a combination of my quinoa stuffed bell peppers, quinoa black bean casserole, and quinoa chili. And maybe even this quinoa taco salad. Can you tell I enjoy sharing these types of recipes?
Many stuffed pepper casseroles have ground beef, and as a vegetarian I wanted an option that has all those delicious stuffed pepper flavors, without the meat.
Jump to:
Why this recipe works
- This is my 10th dump & bake casserole recipe, so at this point I consider myself a bit of a vegetarian casserole expert.
- Meatless but still protein-packed, thanks to canned black beans and a can of lentils. Or keep the classic meaty component with this ground tofu taco meat.
- Dump & bake: This means that the quinoa cooks in the oven instead of on the stovetop. I love these types of recipes because they are low prep and use plenty of pantry staples.
- Versatile: There are many ways to make this casserole your own. Choose your favorite salsa, add extra veggies, switch out proteins, or even use rice in place of quinoa.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Quinoa: Any variety or color works.
- Peppers: This casserole uses a red and orange bell pepper and a jalapeno, though the jalapeno is optional. Sauteing the peppers on medium-high heat for just 4-6 minutes softens them slightly and adds some flavor.
- Salsa: I use a standard restaurant-style jar of salsa, but you can use any variety of tomato-based salsa here. The salsa does contribute some liquid, so I don't recommend omitting it. A 10-ounce jar of enchilada sauce is a good substitute.
- Beans: I use a can of black beans and a can of lentils. Pinto beans, chickpeas, and kidney beans, all work here.
- Cheese: I use shredded Mexican blend cheese, but Monterey blend or just shredded cheddar also works. To make this recipe vegan simply use your favorite vegan cheese.
- Spices: These are spices I always keep on hand. If you don't already have these spices, an easy swap is to use a packet of taco seasoning. Just make sure to omit the added salt if the taco seasoning has salt.
How to make
Unlike a lot of my dump & bake casseroles, this stuffed pepper casserole does require some quick prep.
I recommend sauteing the peppers and onions before adding them to the casserole because they retain a lot of their texture in the oven. Sauteing also enhances the flavor of the peppers and onions, which is always a plus.
I love using a cast iron skillet for this step, but any skillet works.
After sauteing the peppers and onions, simply add all of the ingredients to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Stir well.
Cover tightly with a lid, then transfer to the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
The quinoa should be mostly cooked through at this point, but the casserole will still be liquidy. Stir cheese into the casserole and top it with cheese.
Return to the oven to bake for 10-15 minutes. At this point, the casserole should be bubbling and the quinoa should be cooked through.
Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Top tips
- To speed up the cooking time by a few minutes, you can heat up all of the liquids (vegetable broth, tomatoes, salsa) on the stovetop before adding them to the casserole dish. Bring them to a simmer while the peppers saute.
- Heating up the liquids before cooking is optional. Sometimes I don't feel like dirtying another dish and it doesn't affect the end result or casserole quality, just the total cooking time, as in the quinoa takes 25 minutes to cook instead of 30.
- This casserole can also be baked in two 8x8-inch baking dishes or in a baking dish that is a roughly similar size to 9x13-inch.
- If your baking dish doesn't have an oven-safe lid, I recommend covering it tightly with foil. An upside-down sheet pan also works.
Storage tips
- Note that the casserole thickens up as it chills. After removing from the oven it doesn't form neat slices, but it does continue to solidify as it refrigerates.
- Reheating: Reheat individual portions in the microwave. Reheat the entire casserole in the oven at 325F for 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through. Cover with foil if the casserole starts to dry out too much.
- Freezing: This freezes well as a full casserole or as individual slices. Cover the casserole in plastic wrap and foil or plastic wrap and a lid before freezing. If reheating in the oven, add an extra 15 minutes to the reheat time (30-45 minutes total). The casserole can also thaw overnight in the fridge.
More vegetarian casseroles
Recipe
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Vegetarian Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium bell peppers I use red & orange, any variety works
- 1 small sweet yellow onion
- 1 jalapeño
- 1-2 teaspoons canola oil
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa rinsed well
- 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can brown lentils drained and rinsed
- 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes with juices
- 1 ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 8 ounces (1 cup) salsa of choice see note #1
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon each cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt see note #2
- 1 ½ cups Mexican blend cheese
- cilantro and salsa, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Chop the bell pepper into 1-inch pieces, finely dice the onion, and mince the jalapeño.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. I like to use my cast iron skillet for this. Drizzle with oil. Once hot, add the peppers and onion. Cook for 4-6 minutes, until the onion is softened and the bell peppers are starting to brown. Note that the peppers don't soften much more in the casserole.
- To a 9x13-inch baking dish add the peppers and onions, rinsed quinoa, drained black beans and lentils, tomatoes, vegetable broth, salsa, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Cover tightly with a lid, foil, or an upside down baking sheet. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir. The quinoa should be mostly cooked at this point and the casserole will be a little liquidy. If the quinoa isn't cooked through, cover and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes.
- Stir ½ cup of cheese into the casserole and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Return the casserole to the oven to bake, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes. The casserole is ready when it's bubbling and the cheese is melted.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy garnished with cilantro and additional salsa.
Notes
- Salsa: This is a major flavor enhancer and it contributes some of the cooking liquid. Any type of tomato-based should work here.
- Salt: Adjust to taste based on the saltiness of the salsa. I actually forgot the salt the first time I baked this and I didn't even notice because the salsa was very salty.
- Optionally, you can speed up the total cooking time by 5-10 minutes by bringing the liquids to a simmer on the stovetop before adding them to the casserole dish.
- Reheating: Reheat individual portions in the microwave. Reheat the entire casserole in the oven at 325F for 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through. Cover with foil if the casserole starts to dry out too much.
- Freezing: This freezes well as a full casserole or as individual slices. Cover the casserole in plastic wrap and foil or plastic wrap and a lid before freezing. If reheating in the oven, add an extra 15 minutes to the reheat time (30-45 minutes total). The casserole can also thaw overnight in the fridge.
Kerri says
This was so good!
I never buy canned lentils so I tried dried red lentils instead and it came out great! Cooked covered for 40 minutes then uncovered with cheese for 15 minutes.
I will be making this regularly
Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD says
Love hearing the swap works, thanks for the review!
Gabby says
This was so good! Cooked it covered for 40 minutes total (quinoa was a bit too undercooked at the 30 minute mark). I will definitely be making this again!
Bailee R. Miller says
I took a different route and cooked everything before throwing it in the casserole dish. I didn't have vegetable stock, so this was the primary reason I opted to pre-cook. Also subbed in white rice, and it turned out great. Thank you for this awesome recipe! I'm trying to find more meatless options that will please my family.
Cassidy Reeser says
So glad you liked it and I'm happy to hear that it worked well with rice instead of quinoa!
Kathleen says
Hi! This recipe sounds great and I’d love to give it a try. If I wanted to substitute brown rice for the quinoa, how long would I cook it?
Thank you!
Cassidy Reeser says
Brown rice needs about 50% more liquid and 50% more cook time, so I would increase liquid to 2 cups (for 1 cup of brown rice) and covered cook time to 45 minutes. Remove the foil, stir, and check the brown rice. If it's not done, cover it again and add 5-10 minutes. If it looks dry, add a little more liquid. Enjoy!
Rachel says
I made this last night and it was absolutely delicious! I found mid-way through cooking I didn't actually have any onion powder or smoked paprika, but I did have a salt/paprika mix that I used instead which still worked great! And I used a chili-cheese mix as mexican cheese mixes are a lot harder to find in the UK but it still tasted great! Have packed it away for easy to reheat dinners after long work days 🙂
Cassidy Reeser says
Chili cheese mix sounds like a perfect swap! Thanks for the review! 🙂
Ali says
We LOVED this one! Such great flavor and the leftovers fed the 2 of us plenty of times. I did add extra of each of the seasonings and topped it with sour cream, cilantro, and hot sauce. As always, I love the casserole dump and baked Cassidy! Thank you!!
Cassidy Reeser says
So happy to hear you loved it! Thanks for the review! Always happy to keep making more dump & bake recipes 🙂