Easy Veggie Enchilada Casserole

Check out the cheesy browned mushroom on the lower left. I want it.

Alternate title for this recipe: "Use Up Any Mexican-Themed Ingredients In the Fridge." The ingredients are greatly interchangeable, but the method is good - layer a carb, veggies, salsa, and cheese. Bake. I do recommend the mushrooms and spinach, though... the mushrooms made it feel meatier and the spinach dissolves into almost a creamed spinach layer that was really delicious.

It feels very similar to eating enchiladas, but without the effort of rolling each one up before baking. It's also easy to make while caring for a baby - the only part that can't be walked away from is sauteeing the veggies, and it can totally be prepared ahead of time and baked later.

I had a bit of leftover sour cream so I put that in dollops between the salsa layer and the cheese layer, thinking it would melt down and give the whole thing some richness. It didn't... it just kind of separated out so there were little spots of uselessly un-rich drained sour cream under the cheese. Next time, I'll leave out the sour cream or serve it as a cold garnish with the avocado.

The Recipe:

7 tortillas, cut into strips (or rice would work)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 bag frozen corn

1 box mushrooms, sliced

1 box spinach, cooked and chopped (or frozen chopped spinach would suffice)

1 red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

3/4 c salsa verde

8 oz shredded mexican cheese blend

avocado, green onions, and/or sour cream for garnish

Sautee the onion and mushroom until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and sautee one more minute.
Season cooked spinach with salt.
In a 9x13 baking dish, layer: tortillas, beans, corn, mushroom/onion/garlic, spinach, salsa, and cheese.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Serve with avocado, green onions, and/or sour cream.

The Verdict:

Overall grade: A-

Overall reason: Simple and comforting

Time to prepare: 10 minutes plus baking time

Husband quote: "It's like... an enchilada thing?"

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