Vegan Enchilada Casserole

The flavors of this enchilada casserole are spot on and the beans and vegetables make a great substitute for the meat! This could even be served to people who aren't vegan and they will still love it! It can also be made vegetarian if you want to use regular cheese or my favorite, goat cheese.

​Servings: 8
Prep/Total Time: 45 min

Ingredients
Enchilada Sauce

• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 (6-oz) cans tomato paste
• 3 cups water
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast

Taco Seasoning

• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
  

 Enchiladas

• 4 large gluten-free tortillas
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 3 green bell peppers, chopped
• 2 tbsp taco seasoning mix (see recipe below)
• 1 can pinto beans, no salt added, drained and rinsed
• All of the homemade enchilada sauce (see ingredients above and recipe below)
• 1 cup Daiya cheese, pepperjack (or your favorite cheese)
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• 30 baked tortilla chips, crushed
• 2 large avocados, sliced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, to garnish
  

Directions:
Enchilada Sauce

1. In a small pot, whisk together the oil and chili powder until no clumps remain and cook for a few minutes over medium heat.
2. Whisk in the cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, and onion powder until no clumps remain and then whisk in the tomato paste, water and nutritional yeast.
3. Simmer sauce on low-medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. Checking it every 5 mins and whisking.  Add salt to taste and adjust seasonings if desired.

Taco Seasoning

1. Mix all of the seasoning together.

For the Enchiladas

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grab a 2-quart casserole dish.
2. In a large skillet, sauté the chopped onion, jalapeno, and peppers in the olive oil over medium heat for about 7-8 mins.
3. Add the taco seasoning and drained and rinsed pinto beans.
4. Add the sauce to the bottom of the dish and layer the tortillas, ripped to cover the bottom, then the vegetable/bean mixture, cheese and chopped green onions (mine was 4 layers), ending with the tortillas on top with a bit of the sauce, cheese and green onions.
5. Bake for 20 mins at 350F until heated through.
6. On each slice, sprinkle with 3 crushed tortilla chips, 1/4 chopped avocado and cilantro just before serving.