Vegetarian Taco Casserole
This dump & bake casserole is made with Tex-Mex inspired seasonings and features brown rice, lentils, and refried beans.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 441kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes or regular tomatoes
- 10 ounce can red enchilada sauce
- 4 ounce can green chiles optional
- 1 cup dry brown rice rinsed well; see note 1
- ¾ cup dry brown lentils rinsed and sorted; see note 2
- 16 ounce can vegetarian refried beans
- 1 medium yellow pepper diced; any color works
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion diced; red or white also work
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ounces tortilla chips
- 1 cup Monterey blend cheese
- pepitas, cilantro, and lime, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- To a medium sauce pot add the vegetable broth, tomatoes with juices, enchilada sauce, and green chiles. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Meanwhile, to a 9x13-inch baking dish add the rinsed and uncooked brown rice, brown lentils, refried beans, pepper, onion, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Carefully pour in the boiling liquid. Stir to combine again. Cover the baking dish tightly with a lid, foil, or an upside-down sheet pan.
- Bake at 375F for 55 minutes, then remove from the oven. The rice should be cooked through. If not, cover the casserole and return to the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes.
- Stir the rice and lentils. Top with the tortilla chips, then the shredded cheese. Return to the oven, uncovered, to bake for 5 to 10 minutes. The casserole is ready when the chips are golden and the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven and garnish with pepitas and fresh chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Rice: This recipe only works as written with brown rice. If you prefer to use white rice, decrease the broth to 1 ½ cups and bake for 25-30 minutes, covered. Add additional broth as needed. Remove the lid and add the chips and cheese, baking those until golden and melted. *Note that I have not tested this white rice method but this is how I would try it first*
- Lentils: Choose brown lentils. Orange, red, and black lentils do not work here.
- Freezing: I have not tested freezing this recipe but it should work. If freezing the entire casserole, I recommend freezing after baking but before adding the chips and cheese. Let thaw overnight in the fridge. Cover and reheat in the oven at 325F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until hot throughout. Top with the chips and cheese and bake, uncovered, until melted and golden.
- To limit sodium, I recommend using low-sodium vegetable broth and low-sodium canned ingredients, where possible. The tortilla chips can be omitted if desired.
- Nutrition calculations are estimated and vary depending on the brands used.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 441kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 1370mg | Potassium: 487mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1054IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 246mg | Iron: 5mg
