Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
This roasted veggie enchilada casserole recipe is a hearty, vegetable-packed dinner loaded with fresh Mexican flavors! It's a great gluten-free main dish.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
It’s about time you met the vegetarian option at my family’s Thanksgiving—enchilada casserole! When I stopped eating meat several years ago, my mom was totally flummoxed on how to feed me. Granted, I was already a full-grown adult at this point, but she’s my mom and she likes to make sure I’m well fed.
Mom has a small repertoire of go-to recipes, and while we were growing up, Mexican “lasagna” was one of them. I always refused to eat it because I didn’t like ground beef (picky little Kate strikes again).
When I came across this recipe for a stacked enchilada casserole full of roasted vegetables and spinach, I sent it her way. It was a hit with the whole family, and so it joined her repertoire of recipes. She makes it (or just the roasted vegetables) for Christmas and birthdays, too.
Of course, I couldn’t help but tinker with the original recipe. I simplified the veggies a bit and divided them across two pans for maximum caramelization. Then I added some black beans for protein, and discovered that Monterey Jack produces an infinitely better end result than cheddar does.
Watch How to Make Enchilada Casserole
I wasn’t really sure what to call this recipe—Mexican casserole? Enchilada casserole? Stacked enchiladas? I’m leaning toward “enchilada casserole recipe,” even though this recipe calls for salsa instead of enchilada sauce. I tried it with both, but it’s easier to make and turns out better with salsa.
I hope this one’s a hit at your house! Please let me know how it turns out in the comments.
Enchilada Casserole Serving Suggestions
Round out your meal with any of the following recipes.
- Cilantro Lime Brown Rice
- Fresh Herbed Avocado Salad
- Mexican Brown Rice, as shown in these photos
- Mexican Green Salad with Jalapeño-Cilantro Dressing, or a simple green salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Skinny Margaritas
More Mexican-ish Recipes to Try
If you love this recipe, check out the following recipes with Mexican influences, or browse all of my Mexican recipes here.
- Loaded Veggie Nachos
- Spinach Artichoke Enchiladas
- Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
- Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
- Veggie Black Bean Enchiladas
Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
This roasted veggie enchilada casserole recipe is a hearty, vegetable-packed dinner loaded with fresh Mexican flavors! It’s a great gluten-free main dish. Recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.
Ingredients
Roasted veggies
- ½ medium head of cauliflower, cut into ½-inch chunks
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
- 2 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch squares
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced into wedges about ½-inch wide
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Remaining ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (18 ounces) red salsa, either homemade or jarred*
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
- 9 to 10 corn tortillas**, halved
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
- 2 big handfuls (about 2 ounces) baby spinach leaves
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
- To roast the veggies (this can be done up to 2 days in advance): Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with racks in the middle and upper third of the oven. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent the vegetables from sticking.
- On one pan, combine the cauliflower and sweet potato. On the other pan, combine the bell peppers and onion. Drizzle half of the olive oil over one pan, and the other half over the other pan. Same with the cumin.
- Sprinkle both pans lightly with salt and pepper, then toss each one until the vegetables are lightly coated in oil and spices, adding another light drizzle of olive oil if necessary. Arrange the vegetables in an even layer across each pan. Bake until the vegetables are tender and caramelized on the edges, about 30 to 35 minutes, tossing the veggies and swapping the pans halfway.
- When you’re ready to assemble, reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 9″ square baker. Stir the cilantro into the salsa.
- To assemble, spread ½ cup salsa evenly over the bottom of the baking pan. Add a single layer of halved tortilla pieces, arranging them so they completely cover the salsa.
- Top with ½ of the beans, ⅓ of the vegetables, ½ of the of spinach, and ⅓ of the cheese.
- Make a second layer of tortillas (I pressed down on the mixture a little here to make room for the next layers). Top with ½ of the remaining salsa, all of the remaining beans, ½ of the remaining vegetables, all of the remaining spinach, and ½ of the remaining cheese.
- Make a third layer of tortillas (again, I pressed down to make more room). Top with the remaining salsa, vegetables, and cheese.
- Cover the pan with parchment paper (I tent mine in the middle and wrap the edges around the handles) or aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the parchment paper or aluminum foil and bake for 10 more minutes, or until heated through.
- Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes, to give it time to set and reach a palatable temperature. Before serving, sprinkle the top lightly with additional chopped cilantro.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Perry’s Plate.
*Salsa suggestions: I recommend a mild to medium salsa here, depending on your heat preferences. I used Trader Joe’s basic “Salsa Authentica” option here, which I don’t love on its own, but it was great mixed with cilantro and the other ingredients. My mom loves Target’s medium roasted tomato and chipotle salsa (Archer Farms brand), which lends a smoky note. Or, make your own salsa—here’s my favorite salsa recipe—and you can really minimize the sodium content by choosing low-sodium tomatoes and keeping the salt low.
Make it dairy free/vegan: I haven’t tried (let me know if you do), but I’m confident that you could replace the cheese with cashew sour cream. If the end result is a little dry, just top individual servings with a little more salsa.
**Make it gluten free: Be sure to use 100% corn/certified gluten-free tortillas.
Storage suggestions: This casserole keeps well, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.
Change it up: You can change the vegetables used here as long as you use about the same volume. You could also add another can of beans to increase the protein content.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This recipe tastes amazing! My daughter recommended cookie and kate and gave me this recipe. I have ordered the cookbook…..definitely trying to eat more plant based/vegetable meals and this recipe was a great start. Can’t wait to try more.
Thank you so much, Kathleen! This is so kind of you. I’m excited for you to see the book!
Hi Kate,
This will be the second time making this recipe. Very Yummy!
I need to make this recipe for 16 people. Can I double ingredients?
Just made vegan lentil soup and family loved it. I love cooking but it is so much easier cooking with recipes from great chefs!
Thanks for all your delicious recipes!
Amy
Yes, this should work out just fine when you double the ingredients!
Amy,
Recipes can always be doubled.
LOVE this! So yummy! My son has a GI syndrome, and can’t eat dairy, soy, wheat, or oats. I made this gluten free and used the cashew sour cream. SO good! The cashew sour cream was perfect and not too dry. Thanks for this great recipe!
Oh, I’m so glad this fit your family’s needs, Audra!
I’m new cooking. This recipe was very easy in both ingredients and steps/layout! That said, I made a big mistake by following it to the letter: I didn’t drain my salsa. As a result my lower 2 tortilla layers are very, very soggy and falling apart.
My only changes were using frozen butternut squash instead of sweet potato, and I completely omitted the cilantro. Still delicious, but next time I’ll make sure it’s not drowning in juices!
Well, I hope it still tasted great, Mary! Let me know if it goes a bit smoother next time.
I messed up a few of the steps but it still turned out delicious. This is one of the tastiest meals I have made.
Awesome! I’m so glad it worked out, regardless of your mishaps.
I can see why this became a staple holiday dish in your family! It’s delicious! We tried this last night for the first time and were blown away! Both of us took it for lunch today and I can’t wait to eat it again.
I’m so glad, Elizabeth!
Dear Kate, from a beautiful island off the south of Australia called Tasmania I am writing to thank you for this recipe. We have tried several others with great success as well. We are an island that produces some of the worlds finest produce and I hope you will visit us one day. 40% of our State is natural world heritage. Thank you again we love your work.
So wonderful to hear from you, Philip! I’m hoping to travel more, and I’ve added Tasmania to my list of destinations! You’re so lucky to have such fresh, delicious produce. Thanks so much for reading!
My husband and I loved this dinner!! It was so delicious!! This was our first meal we have tried from your site and we can’t wait to try more!!
I’m so glad the first try was such a hit, Julie! Let me know which other recipes you try.
I made this for dinner last night and it was so good! I loved the roasted veggies and I’m pretty sure my husband did too since he ate half of them off the pan as I was assembling the dish! I had some fresh corn so I threw that in with the black beans. Thanks for a great recipe!
Awesome! It sounds like the two of you enjoyed it. :)
It was amazing, I changed the sweet potato out for red potatoes since that was what I had and threw in poblanos and green and yellow squash since I had some in the fridge, my husband loved it. I might get him on the vegetarian train yet.
Yes! This one is so good for using whatever you have on hand. I’m so glad the two of you enjoyed this, Sean!
Another awesome recipe, Kate. You have a true gift!! We have a border collie-black lab mix and she also loves veggies! Do you have any dog-friendly recipes?
I made this today. AMAZING! I can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Great! Thanks, Sandy.
This was so delicious! It took quite a while to make, but it was worth it. It’s so flavorful, and I love that it’s full of veggies. Yum!
Yes, this one is a Put-On-Your-Favorite-Audiobook-Or-Podcast recipe, for sure. Lots of prep to do, but I’m glad it was worth it!
I just made this tonight for my whole family. It was a hit! So much easier to assemble than I was expecting as well. I don’t believe we ended up using as much cheese as the recipe indicated and omitted the spinach but it still tasted great! I paired with a simple cilantro lime sweet corn salad. Would recommend fresh cilantro and used medium store-bought chunky salsa.
Thanks, Sofie! That salad sounds delicious, too.
Hi Kate,
I made your lentil soup and fell completely in love with it so I’ve been going through and trying your other recipes and am never disappointed. This one looks amazing but I’ve looked everywhere and can’t find corn tortillas and saw in the comments that the flour ones don’t work. Any suggestions for a substitute. Wanted to make for my new brother in law tonight who is Mexican and think he’d love it too.
Thank you for sharing all these yummy recipes :)
Absolutely amazing! Will be making this again this weekend!
Awesome! Thanks, Amanda!
I made this! Exactly as instructed. Light on the cheese a bit. Accompanied by the Mexican brown rice, a few florets of steamed broccoli, and a Boulevard IPA. All was magical and delicious.
My wife was happy.
I was happy.
The cat was happy. Well…content. Momentarily.
Finally made this recipe, it’s delicious and filling! It didn’t take as long as I thought to make, but I recommend roasting the veggies a day before just to spread the work.
Personally I’d like some more heat in the dish. Between the tomatoes in the salsa and the sweet potato, the overall flavor was a bit sweet. The next time I make this, I think I will sprinkle some pepper flakes on the salsa layers. Or I might replace one salsa layer with a spicy chimichurri to up the spice and add some more flavor!
Overall, a great recipe that packs really well for lunch!
I haven’t made this yet, but I’m planning on bringing it to a friends house when I’m staying over for a few days. Has anyone tried freezing this?
Thanks!
I have this all assembled and ready to go in the oven for dinner and can’t wait! You had me at roasted sweet potatoes, lol. I ended up using broccoli instead of cauliflower and since I’m vegan I made a creamy cheese sauce out of nutritional yeast and I can just tell it’s going to be divine! Thanks so much for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Sheree! I hope it turned out as you hoped.
Loved this recipe! I can’t eat onions, so I left that out and used a whole head of cauliflower (it was small). I also used 2 jars of salsa instead of 18oz, left out the cilantro (don’t like the taste), used tortilla scoops instead of corn tortillas and also left out the spinach. I used a casserole dish that was just a little smaller than 13×9″ – it has the best aroma and taste! Sharing with friends and will definitely make again.
Hooray! Your version sounds delicious, P. Thanks!
I made this recipe for dinner this evening (following a successful vegetable fried rice… I’m slowly working my way through!) – but didn’t have cauliflower so doubled up the sweet potato. It was delicious, and the recipe was very easy to follow – I am in the UK so made some conversions and swaps but found it was simple to do so. Even my veggie phobic boyfriend loved it. It was deceptively filling – so I’m looking forward to leftovers. I love the blog – and can’t wait to try more recipes. As a fellow vegetarian who has made the switch to whole foods (I also have a dog named Cookie!) this has been a great find!
I’m laughing over “veggie-phobic”! That’s too good. I’m so glad you found the conversions weren’t too annoying! Hello to your Cookie!
Made this tonight but substituted chickpeas in for black beans and it was absolutely delicious! Definitely ate way more than I should have, can’t wait to make for family! Thanks Kate!!
This was so good that my husband has requested it become a weekly meal! I followed the recipe but omitted the cilantro. It was great cold for lunch the next day too!
Can you put it all together and bake it later? I have to make a dish for a grieving family and they requested vegetarian. This sounds amazing, but I think they should do the bake at home so it will be fresh when they have dinner. Have you ever done everything up until the bake and waited for a couple hours? THANKS!
Hi Janet, so sorry for the slow response. I believe that you can. My mom has made it a day in advance and baked it the following day.
This was really delicious! I was afraid it wasn’t going to fit, but took your advice to press it down some and it worked just fine.
Also, I just wanted to send you a giant thank you. This is one of several of your recipes that I’ve tried now, and my husband – lover of bacon and the pickiest eater I know – has enjoyed every one of them! He’ll never go full vegetarian, but I’m so pleased that we eat vegetarian at least a few times a week now thanks to you and your recipes.
Your cookbook just arrived yesterday – can’t wait to dive in!
Michelle, you are so kind! I am glad you are having success with my recipes and that your husband is liking them too! Your comment and review are truly appreciated. Let me know what you think of the cookbook. I am pretty excited about it for sure!
We loved it! I was pressed for time so I sautéed my veggies (minus bell peppers since i forgot them) in olive oil, parsley and basil and a touch of lime juice for taste. I also used a cilantro salsa instead. My fiancé dug right in which says he appreciated this veggie filled dish. So far we don’t miss meat ! Thanks!
Win! Thanks for sharing, Xica.
This dish is amazing! I brought it to a Thanksgiving party. Everyone that has tried it says it is delicious. It has a really nice flavor and is full of a good array of vegetables. Thanks so much for the recipe!
You are welcome, Monika! I am glad it was a hit :) Thanks so much for your review.
I made the Vegetable Enchilada Casserole and your Mexican Rice for my meat-eating sister and brother-in-law and their family. They tend to be skeptical of my food and often provide me with some gentle teasing!
Their response to this offering of healthy comfort food,
“Your dinner was amazing!”
No teasing! The kitchen smelled delicious! Will make it again, for us this time!
That’s so great! Thank you, Renee for your comment and review. I am happy you were able to please :)
How can I adapt this recipe to my crockpot casserole model?
Hi Carolyn – I don’t try all my recipes this way so I can’t speak to that. Sorry!
i made this with brussel sprouts instead of cauliflower and mole sauce instead of salsa and it was over the top. I tinkered with Dona Maria mole sauce adding crushed tomatoes and unsweetened chocolate and vegetable broth is proportions recommended on chowhound and it was a crowd pleaser. I love the ease of a casserole compared with rolling out the enchiladas! It took a while to put it all together, but it was worth it.
Tasty! Thanks for the review, Liz.
Hi Kate,
This is an amazing recipe! I love how it all comes together. So full of flavour!
I love all your recipes. I came across your blog about two years ago when I tasted one of your kale salads at a friend’s place. (Sorry, never had time to leave a comment until now.) So far, I’ve probably made about 40 different recipes (or more?) from your blog, and I yet have to cook something that isn’t delicious! You have a very sophisticated sense of taste, and in their sophistication, your recipes remind me of the recipes of a world-renowned chef Yotam Ottolenghi (“Plenty”)! This comes from a big-time cook who now also has your cookbook in her collection.
Your blog is very professional, with absolutely beautiful photography and nice stories. A pleasure to look at and read! Thank you, Kate, and keep going!
You are so kind, Sandra! I am happy you have tried so many recipes and keep coming back. I really appreciate the words and review. :)
Wow, this was delicious! The flavors were incredible together and we made it with all organic, gluten free and vegan goodness. My husband loves sweet potatoes and I was looking for an entree recipe, and so glad we found yours Cookie and Kate!
I made this tonight and it was amazing. I made no changes. I’m keeping this to make again. Yum.
Happy to hear that!
Sounds delicious, I want yo make it with enchilada sauce since I got 3 cans I. My pantry and I want to use them before they get outdated. I will let you know how it turns.
Yes, please do Caroline!
I’m new to your site and this was the first recipe I tried. It was not only delicious, but beautiful! I was even to sell my husband on this meatless meal – he loved it!
Question for you Kate – do you think it is freezer friendly?
Welcome, Karen! Thank you so much. I haven’t tried freezing all my recipes, but I do know that some readers have tried and it has worked out well.
Always struggling to find fresh ideas for my vegetarian daughter. ..this looks amazing!
In the oven now!
What did you think, Nicki?!
Love the chunky vegetables. ..would use less onion…I am not a big fan …ran out of cheese which would have been a great add on…otherwise would recommend!
My husband and I love this recipe!
Wonderful! If you would like to leave a star review, I would appreciate it. :)
Definitely 5 stars!
Just made this and absolutely loved how easy it was to layer rather than roll. I opted for the hatch chile salsa at Trader Joe’s and subbed carrots for cauliflower. Great textures, loads of veggies–I’ve got a new recipe that will be definitely replacing all my enchilada standbys!
That’s great! Thank you, JoAnne.
I made this and it was amazing! Definitely a new favorite. I used a smokey salsa per the suggestion and I feel this put it over the top!
Ways I varied:
I sprinkled a little quinoa to make it more filling.
I used a rectangular casserole dish and only did two layers, still worked proportion wise.
I found a great cashew milk cheese at the store and used this to keep it vegan. I think you could leave out the cheese all together and it would still be fantastic.
Other notes:
When you cut up all your veggies it looks like a lot, but they cook down. Meaning, once they’re all roasted, the volume is much less.
Thanks for this great recipe. I had a vegan/ soy-free couple over for dinner and while it satisfied my guests, it was also tolerated (maybe enjoyed?) by my very picky husband.
Thank you, Shannon for sharing! I love hearing how you make it your own.
Kate, I just made this dish today for a party of 19! I doubled everything, of course. It was a hit- SO GOOD! I actually cooked the beans in a crock-pot with some good spices before I made the dish, which was a great idea. I am dairy-free, so I made half of the dish with vegan cheese and the other half with dairy cheese (for my friends). I think the sweet potato is what did everyone in. Mmm good. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
That’s a large party! Go you, Kayla. Thanks so much for sharing and for your review.
I recently came across your cookbook after my friend recommended it to me and have fallen in love with your recipes. I have made your roasted sweet potato and black bean enchiladas several times! I was just browsing through your blog the other day and saw this recipe, and decided to try it out last night and it was very good! We just ate some leftovers heated up with a fried egg and plenty of hot sauce on top, and it was a delicious savory breakfast! Thank you!
Well thanks so much for your support, Kimberly! I really appreciate it.
Made this last night for my lunches during this work week… so glad I did. The taste is perfectly comforting, without that weighted down feeling I get with usual enchiladas. I did a mix of half salsa, half enchilada sauce… and loved it.
I’m off to comment on another one of your breakfast recipes- it was cooking day yesterday in snowy Oregon- can’t thank you enough for all the yummy recipes! :)
Great one for leftovers! Thanks for taking the time, Shayla.
Sooo delicious! The vegan cashew sour cream was spot on in this recipe (I love it in lasagna too!) and the flavours were amazing.
Loved it! Came out real good! Thanks
Love it! Serving it at large family dinner along side my usual offering of enchiladas with meat. Sure this will be the favorite dish tonight.
This is a super filling, super dense casserole that is packed with nutrition and is gluten free! I only made it once, but I definitely plan to make it many more times. I served it without rice — the casserole is super filling just by itself!
Thanks for the review, Cat! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Roasting veggies allow the individual flavors to come forward like nothing else – this sounds like a terrific method for veggie enchiladas!
Thanks, Renee! I hope you enjoy them!
First time reader and stumbled upon this recipe from another blogger I follow. I made this two night’s ago for dinner and it turned out incredible – I’m still eating (and enjoying!) leftovers.
A few notes on changes I made:
– I used parsnips instead of cauliflower as its not my favorite. The parsnips worked really well in the recipe. They added a subtle sweetness that balanced the flavors really nicely.
– For salsa, I used Whole Foods Chipotle salsa and it was delicious.
– I was thinking of adding corn next time I make it and/or serving with fresh guac. YUM!
Fabulous recipe and a new family favorite. Thank you!
Welcome, Lindsay! Thanks for sharing how you made it work for you. I appreciate the review.
Loved this! Great recipe!Shelly
Thank you, Shelly!