Quinoa Enchilada Bake is a perfect vegetarian main dish that is filling and delicious. Filled with quinoa, black beans, corn and melted cheese.
I know what you're thinking...Quinoa??? Didn't you just post Quinoa Banana Bread? I'll admit it, I'm now obsessed with Quinoa. It's been in my pantry for a while and I have made it in several different dishes, but none have been very good.
We've just tolerated the dish and have never had any repeats. All of the sudden, I've figured out how to incorporate it into dishes and they have been delicious and now I'm figuring out ways to add it to everything!
My sister made Quinoa Enchilada Casserole at Christmas time. I was skeptical, but pleasantly surprised. It has taken me till mid-March to give it a try. As much as my family loved this as a main dish, we decided it was also excellent as a dip!
I brought out the tortilla chips, and the kids each ate a huge amount of Quinoa Enchilada Bake! We had it for a snack, we had it in our lunches and since we still had leftovers, we added some to our burritos.
While my husband still claims he's not a fan, my kids love it! I'm thinking if I didn't tell Rod what he was actually eating, he would gobble it up! Anything labeled as a super nutritious health food item is suspicious in his mind!
How do I cook quinoa?
When cooking quinoa, you want to first rinse it thoroughly in water. There is an outer coating that can taste bitter if you don't rinse it off first.
Measure desired amount of quinoa and pour it into a bowl. Fill the bowl with water and rub the grains with fingers. Then pour it into a fine sieve and rinse under the water again. Follow directions for cooking on your package.
Most usually have 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water. Boil water, add quinoa, simmer with lid for 10-15 minutes until all water is absorbed. Quinoa can be eaten hot or cold and takes on the flavor of whatever dish it's in. Check out this recipe for additional steps on how to cook quinoa.
I use my homemade enchilada sauce in this recipe, but in a pinch, you can use store bought sauce. I also use black beans in this casserole. Again, you can use my Instant Pot black bean recipe or buy a can of beans.
How should I serve this enchilada casserole?
- Serve as a main dish along with tortillas
- Wrap in a tortilla burrito style
- Eat with chips as a dip
- Serve as a side dish with any main meal
Can I make ahead of time and freeze?
Yes, this dish is freezer friendly.
- Mix quinoa, enchilada sauce, corn, black beans, cilantro, cumin, cheeses and peppers together
-
Place in a sprayed glass baking dish
- Sprinkle remaining cheese on top
- Cover with foil and freeze
- Thaw before baking
Other Great Recipes with Quinoa:
If you love enchiladas, you'll want to try my Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas too!
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Quinoa Enchilada Bake
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (cooled)
- 2 cups enchilada sauce
- 1 cup frozen corn (thawed)
- 1 can canned black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 2 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 large roasted Anaheim pepper (skinned, seeded and chopped - or 1 small can diced roasted peppers)
Garnish
- chopped tomatoes
- chopped avocado
- chopped cilantro
Instructions
- In large bowl mix quinoa, enchilada sauce, corn, black beans, cilantro, cumin, ½ cup cheddar and ½ cup Monteray Jack, and Anaheim pepper together.
- Place in a sprayed 9X13 glass baking dish.
- Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until bubbly.
- Add garnish
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Damn Delicious
Fred G says
Great idea for adding more protein
Katie Crenshaw says
I love quinoa! Making it into an enchilada casserole sounds so yummy! I will be trying this recipe!
Kathy says
I'm still surprised at the versatility of quinoa!
Erin @ Miss Scrambled Egg says
This would be the perfect appetizer for a Sunday Football game or summer cookout. Thank you for sharing. We love quinoa in my house. 🙂
Kathy says
Great idea!
Kimberly @ KimRidge Farm says
Thank you for the recipe. I like trying unusual foods. Quinoa will be one of them. What a beautiful photo of the dish.
I am always cautious when I use black beans because they are not very pretty and can make food very unattractive looking. You made the dish so appetizing in appearance. I am definitely going to try it.
Kathy says
Thanks Kimberly. I do rinse the beans before adding them. Sometimes their color will still run a bit making a dish looking unappealing.
Kimberly @ KimRidge Farm says
That's a great tip. Thank you, Kathy.
Laura says
This enchilada bake looks most excellent, I'm just getting into quinoa these days so I'm late to the party. My kids like it too, but like your husband, mine tends to bulk. He particularly thinks he has allergies to anything that isn't meat + pototoes. So I'm in trouble! This looks pretty easy to make too, I'm done with hard recipes!
Kathy says
What is it about the men? I guess it keeps us on our toes to be creative!