Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Vegetarian Mexican Casserole



I promised I had some more new recipes ahead! This one came together as I was attempting to use all the remaining produce and pantry items before leaving for Chicago. I wanted to leave with John with plenty of freezer meals to get him through the summer. I saw this recipe for stuffed pepper casserole on Jourdan's blog, and it inspired me to put my own casserole together.

Not only is this dish packed with veggies and great flavor, it'a breeze to make and absolutely delicious! You can easily substitute other veggies - or even add ground turkey - and really make this your own. John and I both agreed this was a light, yet satisfying, take on Mexican food. I was quite tempted to take some with me, but I left it for my sweet hubby. Lucky for me, he's worth it. :)

Vegetarian Mexican Casserole
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp
Serves 4-8, depending on portions
{Bonus: It freezes and reheats very well!}


Ingredients:
*2 cups rice, cooked
*1/2 cup sweet corn
*1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
*1 zucchini, chopped into bite-size pieces
*1 yellow squash, chopped into bite-size pieces
*1 can diced and fire-roasted tomatoes
*1 tsp cumin
*1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
*3 cloves garlic, minced
*salt and pepper, to taste
*olive oil, for sauteeing zucchini and yellow squash

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

*Heat some olive oil (about 1-2 tsp) in a large skillet and add chopped zucchini and yellow squash. Sautee until softened, about 3-5 minutes, then add garlic and cook for an additional minute.

*Add cumin, black beans, corn, and the entire can of diced and fire-roasted tomatoes to the skillet. Stir to combine all ingredients, and cook for an additional minute before removing from heat.

*Combine skillet ingredients, rice and 3/4 cup shredded cheese. Grease a 9x13 pan, and pour mixture into it. Top with remaining 3/4 cup cheese.

*Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until warmed through. Ole!

Veggies on the skillet | Mixing the rice and some cheese together
Smoothed into a 9x13 pan | Sprinkled with extra cheese on top (pre-oven)
All done!
Tip: Add some diced avocado for extra flavor!

9 comments:

  1. This is an awesome Vegetarian recipe. This is the second time I have made this dish in the last 2 weeks. Today I doubled the recipe to have leftovers for the freezer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Misty! I, too, froze a huge batch, and we've loved heating it up on nights I'm too tired to cook. Thanks for reading and sharing your experience! :)

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  2. This was really yummy and very easy to make! Mexican food is a staple in my household and this will definitely be in the rotation. I went back for seconds last night and can't wait to heat up the leftovers! I edited the recipe a little by sauteing onions with the zucchini and squash, replacing the fire roasted tomatoes with a can of Rotel and adding a little chili powder, paprika and a sprinkle of hot pepper flakes. I used a little less of the cheese ONLY because I'm watching my calories. Thank you for the recipe!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Maya! I love your tweaks to the recipe, and I appreciate you sharing them. I'm going to try out your modifications when I make this for dinner tonight. Thanks again!

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  3. Just wondering, is the measurement of the rice (2 cups) before or after cooking? Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Just wondering, is the measurement of the rice (2 cups) before or after cooking? Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. After cooking. You can use more or less as you'd like, of course!

    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete
  7. This is a yummy meal, but needs more seasoning. My second time making it, I did about 1.5 tsp cumin, added about the same amount of chili powder, about 1 tsp oregano, maybe 3/4 tsp paprika, salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of cayenne. I bet the other reviewer's suggestions of incorporating onion would be good too.

    ReplyDelete

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