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Meatless Mexican Casserole Recipe
Vegetarians and anyone else looking to add some meatless meals into their diet will find many meatless Mexican casseroles to experiment and savor. Mexican cuisine offers plenty of meatless recipes of its own and Mexican-inspired meatless casseroles are numerous. There are a number of vegetables, which take naturally to Mexican flavors; and beans of various sorts make a hearty, healthy, protein rich stand-in for meat.
When looking for a meatless Mexican casserole recipe, do not count out the dishes, which traditionally contain meat. You can almost always find a meat substitute to take its place; meat alternatives have made their way into the mainstream and most grocery stores stock these products. Even vegetarian chorizo, the spicy Mexican sausage is available at some stores; if you can find it, it is great in this recipe! Vegetarian products have actually come a long way and some taste pretty much identical to meat, making them ideal for making meatless Mexican casseroles for people who love the meat flavor but do not actually want to eat meat.
This meatless casserole concentrates on some of the basics of Mexican cuisine: tortillas, beans, rice, salsa, and cheese for a flavorful casserole everyone will love, vegetarian or not.
Meatless Mexican Casserole
Ingredients -
6 large flour tortillas
16 ounces (1 large can) refried pinto or black beans
1 small white or yellow onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 cup salsa
1 small can plain tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 cup each sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1 tsp epazote (if unavailable, this can be omitted)
Sliced avocado and minced fresh cilantro for garnish
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Sauté onions and pepper in a saucepan until the onions have just begun to turn translucent and add the beans, stirring constantly.
Cook just until the beans are softened, about 3 minutes.
Lightly oil a 9" pie pan or cast iron skillet (cooking spray works well for this) and place a tortilla in the pan.
Spread ⅓ of the beans on this tortilla, then ⅓ of the tomato sauce and ¼ of the salsa.
Make your next layer the same way, but adding a generous handful of cheese after the salsa.
Continue layering and make sure to save plenty of salsa and cheese for the last layer.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheese bubbles.
Slice into wedges and serve with sliced avocado, cilantro, and more salsa.
(Serves 4)
