enchilada casserole

so i made an effort to make a new gf recipe for dinner. and this time i asked michael to make dinner with me. what a good sport, considering this was not only gluten-free, it was meat free (yes, i’m a veggie to boot). but, what it was not, i say emphatically, was taste free. on the contrary this dish was choc filled with flavor. i thoroughly enjoyed this recipe and i suggest you all trying this out. easy to make, even for a non chef.

each time i motivate myself to make an even a semi-balanced dinner, i rack my brain for some creative concoctions, but usually revert back to mexican or stir-fry. what can i say, they’re easy, and i always tend to have the ingredients around. so, although not a far cry from the norm, this dish was one i haven’t tried.

this entrée was actually modified from a recipe found in the vegetarian starter kit, which is called enchilada bake. but of course, we changed things up a bit, some due to necessity—we didn’t have all the required ingredients in the house—and some due to taste. we added some corn that i had bought from the hoboken farmer’s market, and we vetoed the frito topping that michael was really hoping to include, among other substitutions. admittedly, i tried to find the fritos for him, but after two walks to two different stores, i thought perhaps it was a sign, and we went without the fritos. i feel good about this decision.

in the end we wound up with what a have been calling an enchilada casserole—yummy!!!!

enchilada casserole
1 ½ oz burger crumbles (i just mashed up a veggie burger)
1 packet taco seasoning
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
½ cup onions
2 tbsp. gf flour ( or skip this part)
1-cup vegetable broth
2 cans pinto beans (drained and rinsed) you can add other beans too!
taco sauce (season to taste)
12 corn tortillas
cheddar cheese (shred to taste)
2 cups corn (fresh or canned)

mix the burger crumbles ( i mashed up veggie burgers) and taco seasoning. then heat the onions and oil in the skillet over medium. stir in flour ( gluten-free of course or you can skip the flour all together) and cook for a minute or so. add the veg. broth, stirring consistently. add pinto beans. preheat oven to 375. spray your baking pans, so the casserole will not stick. layer the bottom of the pan with taco sauce, 4 corn tortillas and all the pinto bean mixture. start another layer with taco sauce, shredded cheddar and 4 more tortillas. add burger crumbles, more cheese, and more taco sauce. finish the last layer with the remaining tacos, taco sauce and cheese. cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. that’s it. you’re done!