Vegetarian Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

The air conditioner has arrived! It. is. AMAZING! I can finally live life again aka I can finally cook again. First meal: easy peezy Vegetarian Black Bean Enchilada Casserole. Fast, simple, and delicious! Omit the cheese and you’ve got a vegan situation, but man do I love my cheese.

I make this dish at work but it’s just not quite the same. Why you ask? El Pato. That’s right. El Pato. This dish needs HEAT! And preschoolers may be iffy on that statement so I skip the El Pato addition. However, I’m a firm believer in spicy mexican food because come on. Mild? Please. Now I know not everyone agrees, which is why I separate the sauce and the spice.

INGREDIENTS

• 24-28 corn tortillas
• 3 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce
• 1 tablespoon El Pato or your favorite Jalapeño sauce
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper diced
• 1 1/2 cups sweet yellow corn kernels, cooked
• 2 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese and monterey jack cheese blend
• Fresh cilantro, diced for garnish
• Green onion, thinly sliced for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Grease a 9X13 casserole dish and set aside.
2. Combine enchilada sauce and El Pato in a bowl until fully mixed.
3. Lay 8 tortillas on the bottom of the pan (overlapping is fine).
4. Spread about 1 1/2 cup of the mixed sauce onto the tortillas, fully coating them.
5. Sprinkle half the beans, half the corn, and half the of the bell pepper on top of the sauced tortillas and top with a third of the cheese blend.
6. Repeat the layering process starting again with the tortillas, then add sauce, then the rest of the beans, bell pepper, corn, and another third of the cheese.
7. Please visit Vegetarian Black Bean Enchilada Casserole for full instructions.