Vegetarian Mexican Casserole
on Apr 10, 2019, Updated May 17, 2024
This vegetarian mexican rice casserole is packed full of veggies, cheese, and black beans. An easy meatless dinner that is sure to be a family favorite!
You will love this Mexican rice casserole!
This family favorite casserole is packed full of veggies, cheese, black beans and enchilada sauce. Serve it with sour cream and tortilla chips for a delicious meatless dinner that everyone will love!
This mexican rice casserole is one of our favorite vegetarian mexican style dinners, just like these vegetarian stuffed peppers. It is incredibly filling, delicious, and so easy to make!
Packed full of protein, veggies, and a delicious cheesy combo of cream cheese and mexican cheese. Fresh lime juice and enchilada sauce round it all out for an incredible flavor!
Here are the ingredients that you will need to make this casserole (the full recipe and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post).
Ingredients needed
- red onion
- garlic
- red bell pepper
- frozen corn
- enchilada sauce
- diced fire roasted tomatoes
- lime
- cream cheese
- cooked white rice: or substitute another kind of rice
- black beans
- spices: chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt
- mexican cheese
How to make vegetarian mexican rice casserole
Step 1: Cook the white rice. I prefer to use a rice cooker as it is just so easy and I don’t have to do anything but set it and forget it. You will need 4 cups of cooked rice.
While the rice is cooking, you will make the rest of the casserole on the stove.
Step 2: While rice is cooking, heat a large heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat. I like using a dutch oven for this recipe, but any large pot will work.
Step 3: Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and sauté the red onion, garlic, and bell pepper for 8-12 minutes, or until onion becomes translucent.
Step 4: Add the corn and fire roasted tomatoes and stir an additional 3 minutes.
Step 5: Add the drained black beans, cooked rice, lime juice, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, cream cheese, and ½ cup of mexican cheese.
Step 6: Stir well to combine and heat through, then salt the mexican rice casserole to taste.
For this recipe I used pre shredded mexican cheese, but any cheese will work.
Mix up the flavors by using colby jack, pepper jack, or a mix of your favorite mexican cheeses!
How to serve
The easiest way to serve this casserole is with sour cream on top and tortilla chips on the side for added crunch. Squeezing some fresh lime juice on top is always a great idea!
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Vegetarian Mexican Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 8 oz enchilada sauce
- 14 oz diced fire roasted tomatoes
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 4 cups cooked white rice
- 1 can black beans, drained
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 3 teaspoons cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup mexican cheese , plus more for topping
- sour cream, for serving
- tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- Cook your rice according to instructions (I used a rice cooker) You will need 4 cups of cooked rice to add to the recipe
- While your rice is cooking, heat a large heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat (I used a dutch oven, but any large pot or deep skillet is fine to use)
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and sauté the red onion, garlic, and bell pepper for 8-12 minutes, until the onion softens
- Add the corn and fire roasted tomatoes and stir an additional 3 minutes
- Add the drained black beans, cooked rice, lime juice, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, cream cheese, and ½ cup of the mexican cheese
- Stir the casserole and salt to taste (I used 1 teaspoon of salt)
- Serve hot topped with additional mexican cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips
was thinking of adding refried beans and wanted to add ground beef as well, it doesn’t have to be vegeterian for my family
It was amazing and delicious.
is this for cooking in 8×8 or 9×13 baking dish?
This recipe is cooked in a dutch oven on the stove, and not baked in the oven. If you wish to bake it for a few minutes once it’s done, I would top with cheese and bake in a 9 X 13 dish at 350 for around 10 minutes.
Oh this looks so good! I will have to make it FODMAP-able. Looking forward to that challenge!
Making this yummy dish tonight! Did you cook 4 cups of dry rice in your rice cooker? I wasn’t sure if I should do 2 or 4 since it normally doubles. Thanks!
@Hannah, I think you are right to cook 2 cups of uncooked rice in your rice cooker. It does usually double.
I’m missing the casserole part of the recipe … Do you add the rice then mix it all.and bake ?
This is so tasty!! I substituted 4 cups of quinoa instead of the rice, and the texture and flavor is still fantastic! Also, if you don’t want to use separate spices, I used a packet worth of taco seasoning with a little extra cumin. Delish!!
Thanks so much for this recipe, it is endlessly “tweakable”. The first time I made it as written, with the addition of a pound of ground turkey, Delicious, but a bit much rice for my crew. Second time reduced the rice, excellent! Tonight I’m making it with a pound of bulk chorizo because that’s what I had in the freezer. We’ll see how that goes! I serve with sour cream, jalapeños, and tortilla chips for those who want them. This is an all-around winner.
Just made this for my neighbors who are quarantined. They love Mexican food. I thought this would be a perfect dish for them as it is versatile in how it can be served – as is out of the pan (it’s delicious), as a dip for chips, on chips with extra cheese as nachos With sour cream, avocado, more salsa, jalapeños, black olives, some cooked ground beef or chicken.. even with some shredded lettuce. Thank you so much for sharing it. I liked it so much I hand wrote It into a recipe journal I keep for recipes I don’t want to forget.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Joy!
My husband hates cheese. Can I make it and add cheese just to mine
I think the cream cheese adds a nice creaminess to it, personally. If I don’t have that on hand, I use sour cream or plain Greek yogurt and get a similar effect! Just a suggestion. 🙂
@Karen, I don’t see why not. Cook all the ingredients together and then take his portion and put it into another dish. Then add the cheese to your’s.
What is Mexican cheese? Mexican here, and I can’t think of any except queso fresco.
It’s usually a pre packaged blend of some mixture of monterey jack, colby jack, cheddar, or sometimes another cheese. Definitely not authentic!