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Home » Lunch/Dinner Entree » Vegan Enchilada Casserole

Vegan Enchilada Casserole

Published: Jan 27, 2023 · Modified: Mar 11, 2023 by Gigi & Sersie

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This gluten-free, vegan enchilada casserole is made with black beans, sweet potato, and spinach. It's absolutely out-of-this-world delicious! It's healthy comfort food at its best. This casserole is oil-free, soy-free, low-fat, and a meal prep favorite.

side view of vegan enchilada casserole being dished up from casserole pan; bowl with a serving of casserole blurred in the background
this recipe makes four generous servings

This recipe is a take on the sweet potato and black bean enchiladas recipe in the Oh She Glows cookbook by Angela Liddon. I highly recommend adding it to your cookbook library.

What's in this healthy comfort food meal

  1. Red enchilada sauce
  2. Black beans
  3. Corn tortillas
  4. Sweet potato
  5. Spinach
  6. Onion
  7. Bell pepper
  8. Cilantro
  9. Lime
  10. Garlic
  11. Chili powder
  12. Ground cumin
  13. Black pepper
top side view of the key ingredients for the vegan enchilada casserole: red enchilada sauce, diced sweet potato, spinach, chopped onion, lime, fresh cilantro, black beans, chopped red bell pepper, corn tortillas, minced garlic and spices
key ingredients: red enchilada sauce, black beans, corn tortillas, spinach, red (or green) bell pepper, sweet potato, onion, garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, black pepper, cilantro, lime

How to prepare this vegan enchilada casserole

If you don't have the red enchilada sauce on hand, start with that. It takes about 10 minutes to whip up. The instructions for making this delicious healthy comfort food meal are broken down between beans, sweet potatoes, enchilada mixture, assembly, and baking. It might seem a little complicated at first, but after you do it once or twice, you may not even need to refer back to this recipe when you make it again.

Beans

This recipe uses one 15-ounce can of no salt added (or low sodium) black beans. If you decide to make your own from dried black beans, start with that. You'll need 1 ½ cups of cooked black beans for this recipe. Check out this article on how to cook dried beans using the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stovetop methods.

If using canned black beans, drain and rinse and then set aside.

Sweet potatoes

Prepare the sweet potatoes by peeling and dicing them into bite-size pieces (about ½-inch thick). Place the sweet potatoes into a medium pot with about 3 to 4 cups of water. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Remove and drain diced sweet potato and set aside. You don't want the sweet potato to get mushy. They should be tender but still firm.

top view of diced sweet potatoes in a medium pot
1. place peeled and diced sweet potatoes into a medium pot with 4 cups of water
top view of diced sweet potatoes in a pot with water
2. bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes; be careful not to overcook; you want them to be tender but still firm; remove from heat, drain and set aside

Enchilada mixture

Preheat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and dry sauté for 4 minutes or until the onions start to brown.

Add red bell pepper, garlic, and spices, and give it a good stir to incorporate. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Add cooked black beans, sweet potatoes, and about ¼ cup of red enchilada sauce. Carefully stir to incorporate.

To finish off the mixture for this casserole, add the fresh spinach. Put the lid on the sauté pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to let the spinach wilt. Remove the lid and turn off the heat. Stir, so the spinach is combined with the rest of the enchilada casserole mixture. Set the pan aside.

Assemble and bake

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).

Stack and slice the corn tortillas into four or six sections.

Prepare the casserole dish for assembly. An 8x8-, 9x9-, or 10.5x7.5-inch casserole dish works well. Pour a few tablespoons of the red enchilada sauce into the bottom of the dish and swirl around, so it coats the entire bottom. Add a layer of the corn tortillas directly onto the sauce at the bottom. Then spoon on a layer of the enchilada mixture. Add another layer of corn tortillas and pour a few more tablespoons of red enchilada sauce on top. Spoon more mixture and repeat until you've used up the rest of the corn tortillas and enchilada mixture. Finally, pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the entire casserole.

Cover the casserole dish with foil, put it in the oven, and bake at 350 F (180 C) for 15 to 17 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking for another 5 minutes to get that deep rich color on top.

Remove from the oven and enjoy with fresh chopped cilantro, lime juice, and any optional toppings.

Leftovers for this casserole keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This recipe is also great for meal prep. Portion out the casserole put it into airtight containers, and freeze for up to 4 months. Reheat from frozen in the microwave (at reduced power) or oven (at 325 F (160 C) for 15 to 20 minutes) for a convenient, healthy, and delicious weeknight meal.

Step-by-step instructions

chopped onions being added to a hot pan
3. preheat a large saute pan over medium-high heat; add the chopped onion and dry saute for 4 minutes or until the onions start to brown
chopped red bell pepper being added to hot pan with onions
4. add chopped red bell pepper
minced garlic being added to pan with onion and red bell pepper
5. add minced garlic
spices being added to a pan with onion, red bell pepper and minced garlic
6. add chili powder, cumin, and black pepper
wooden spoon stirring veggies and spices in pan on the stovetop
7. stir and continue cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes
black beans and sweet potato added to the pan with other veggies
8. add cooked sweet potatoes and black beans
a little bit of the red enchilada sauce being added to the pan with veggies, beans and sweet potato
9. pour in about ¼ cup of red enchilada sauce
a wooden spoon stirring the veggies, beans and sweet potato with sauce
10. stir to incorporate the sauce with the veggies, black beans, and sweet potatoes
woman's hand adding fresh spinach to the pan with enchilada mixture
11. add fresh spinach
lid covering the pan with fresh spinach
12. cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to allow spinach to wilt
wilted spinach in the pan with enchilada mixture; wooden spoon stirring
13. remove the lid and stir to incorporate
top view of completed enchilada mixture with spinach, sweet potato, black beans and veggies in pan with wooden spoon
14. turn off the heat and let sit until you're ready to assemble the casserole
top view of a few tablespoons of red enchilada sauce being added to the casserole dish
15. pour a few tablespoons of the red enchilada sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish; tilt the dish to coat the entire surface of the bottom
top view of corn tortillas being stacked and cut into 4 pieces on a white cutting board
16. stack and slice corn tortillas into 4 or 6 pieces (per tortilla)
top view of corn tortilla slices being arranged in casserole dish on top of red sauce
17. layer the sliced corn tortillas onto the sauce in the casserole dish
top view of enchilada mixture being spread on the arranged corn tortilla slices
18. spoon and carefully spread an even layer of the enchilada mixture on top of the corn tortillas
top view of corn tortilla slices being arranged on top of the enchilada mixture for another layer
19. add another layer of corn tortillas; repeat the last two steps until you either reach the top of the casserole dish or run out of tortillas and enchilada mixture
red sauce being poured over the assembled enchilada casserole
20. pour the remaining red enchilada sauce over the top; cover with foil and bake at 350 F (180 C) for 20 to 23 minutes; remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking
top side view close up of vegan enchilada casserole coming out of the oven
removing the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking gives this casserole a beautiful deep color on top

Optional toppings for this vegan enchilada casserole

  • Sliced avocado or guacamole
  • Diced red onion
  • Cashew cream sauce (contains nuts)
  • Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • Diced jalapeno with seeds for heat!

Other healthy comfort food recipes

Check out these comfort food favorites. They're all made with whole plant foods, oil-free and delicious!

  • Vegan Mac and Cheese
  • Vegan Spaghetti with "Magic" Meatballs
  • Veggie Lasagna with Tofu Ricotta (Vegan)
top side close up of vegan enchilada casserole in a white bowl with lime wedge on the side
this delicious healthy comfort food is low-fat and easy on the waistline

We hope you love this vegan enchilada casserole recipe as much as we do. Please rate and leave a comment below. Be sure to share a picture on Instagram and tag us @danielsplaterecipes so we can see your creation!

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top side close up of vegan enchilada casserole in a white bowl with lime wedge on the side

Vegan Enchilada Casserole


★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Author: Gigi & Sersie
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This gluten-free, vegan enchilada casserole is made with black beans, sweet potato, and spinach. It's absolutely out-of-this-world delicious! It's healthy comfort food at its best. This casserole is oil-free, soy-free, and a meal prep favorite. 


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 ½ cups red enchilada sauce
  • 2 cups of chopped sweet potato
  • 1-15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 4 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 8 corn tortillas, quartered

For serving

  • 1 lime
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Optional toppings

  • slice avocado or guacamole
  • diced red onion
  • cashew cream sauce
  • pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • diced jalapeno with seeds for heat!

Instructions

If you don't have the red enchilada sauce on hand, start with that. It takes about 10 minutes to whip up. The instructions for making this delicious healthy comfort food meal are broken down between beans, sweet potatoes, enchilada mixture, assembly, and baking. It might seem a little complicated at first, but after you do it once or twice, you may not even need to refer back to this recipe when you make it again.

Beans

This recipe uses one 15-ounce can of no salt added (or low sodium) black beans. If you decide to make your own from dried black beans, start with that. You'll need 1 ½ cups of cooked black beans for this recipe. Check out this article on how to cook dried beans using the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stovetop methods.

If using canned black beans, drain and rinse and then set aside.

Sweet potatoes

Prepare the sweet potatoes by peeling and dicing them into bite-size pieces (about ½-inch thick). Place the sweet potatoes into a medium pot with about 3 to 4 cups of water. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Remove and drain diced sweet potato and set aside. You don't want the sweet potato to get mushy. They should be tender but still firm.

Enchilada mixture

Preheat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and dry saute for 4 minutes or until the onions start to brown.

Add red bell pepper, garlic, and spices, and give it a good stir to incorporate. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Add cooked black beans, sweet potatoes, and about ¼ cup of red enchilada sauce. Carefully stir to incorporate.

To finish off the mixture for this casserole, add the fresh spinach. Put the lid on the saute pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to let the spinach wilt. Remove the lid and turn off the heat. Stir, so the spinach is combined with the rest of the enchilada casserole mixture. Set the pan aside.

Assemble and bake

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).

Stack and slice the corn tortillas into four or six sections.

Prepare the casserole dish for assembly. An 8x8-, 9x9-, or 10.5x7.5-inch casserole dish works well. Pour a few tablespoons of the red enchilada sauce into the bottom of the dish and swirl around, so it coats the entire bottom. Add a layer of the corn tortillas directly onto the sauce at the bottom. Then spoon on a layer of the enchilada mixture. Add another layer of corn tortillas and pour a few more tablespoons of red enchilada sauce on top. Spoon more mixture and repeat until you've used up the rest of the corn tortillas and enchilada mixture. Finally, pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the entire casserole.

Cover the casserole dish with foil, put it into the preheated oven, and bake at 350 F (180 C) for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking for another 5 minutes to get that deep rich color on top.

Remove from the oven and enjoy with fresh chopped cilantro, lime juice, and any optional toppings.

Leftovers for this casserole keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This recipe is also great for meal prep. Portion out the casserole put it into airtight containers, and freeze for up to 4 months. Reheat from frozen in the microwave (at reduced power) or oven (at 325 F (160 C) for 15 to 20 minutes) for a convenient, healthy, and delicious weeknight meal.

Notes

EQUIPMENT / SUPPLIES

  1. Knife
  2. Cutting board
  3. Measuring cup
  4. Measuring spoons
  5. Can opener
  6. Medium pot (for sweet potatoes)
  7. Strainer/colander
  8. Large saute pan with lid
  9. Cooking spoon
  10. Casserole dish (8x8, 9x9, or 7.5x10.5-inch)
  11. Foil
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Lunch/Dinner Entrée
  • Method: Stovetop & Oven
  • Cuisine: Southwestern

Keywords: black bean enchiladas, vegan enchiladas, sweet potato, spinach, corn tortillas, gluten free, soy free, nut free, low fat, oil free, no oil, healthy vegan recipes, daniel fast recipes, healthy comfort food

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Comments

  1. Marie

    March 10, 2023 at 11:39 pm

    I totally enjoyed cooking this casserole, for me it was quick and very easy fitting nicely in my 8x8 casserole dish. So tasty especially with the addition of red onions and avocado. When I make this again I may add a little corn and have cilantro on hand.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Gigi & Sersie

      March 11, 2023 at 4:18 pm

      Thanks, Marie. Great suggestion about the corn. That would be a great addition.

      Reply

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