Chickpea & Rice Enchilada Bake

I don’t know what is going on, but every recipe I’ve made for the last couple weeks is in the red/orange family. Totally different ingredients, but I keep coming back to that color. They say you taste food first with your eyes, so I’m not mad about it.

And today we are making this Chickpea & Rice Enchilada Bake. It is technically made with green enchilada sauce & green chiles, but the fire roasted tomatoes take over the color scheme. This is a super easy casserole that can serve a crowd, makes great leftovers and packs everything you need into one bite.

Here’s what you need

Ingredients

• cooked brown rice – or sub a different cooked rice
• chickpeas
• diced fire roasted tomatoes
• green chiles
• green enchilada sauce
• vegan yogurt
• taco seasoning
• green onions
• shredded vegan Mexican cheese – optional, skip it if you don’t like it

Toppings

• green onion
• cilantro
• vegan yogurt
• avocado
• hot sauce
• lime wedges
• tortilla chips

Equipment

• mixing bowl
• 2-quart baking dish

Steps

Step 1: Mix it Up

There aren’t too many steps to this recipe. Which is what makes it great for a weeknight dinner!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a 2-quart baking dish.

Add the cooked rice, drained chickpeas, tomatoes, chiles, enchilada sauce, yogurt, taco seasoning and green onions to a mixing bowl. Grab a spoon and mix until everything is combined. Add it to the prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer.

Step 2: Make it Cheesy

To finish off the casserole, I added a layer of vegan cheese to the top. I got mine at Trader Joe’s – I feel like theirs doesn’t have that weird vegan cheese taste that other brands have.

The vegan cheese adds a nice topping to the casserole, but you can omit it if it isn’t your thing.

Cover the baking dish and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-20 minutes. I like to turn the oven to broil for the last couple minutes to get the top nice and crispy.

Step 3: Serve

Pull the casserole out of the oven and it is time to eat!

But first, pull out all of those extra toppings. I topped mine with vegan yogurt, hot sauce, cilantro and green onions. Tortilla chips on the side are a must! Skip the fork and use the chips.

You can transfer the leftovers to individual containers for easy lunches! This recipe is super simple and so, so tasty!

Tips & Tricks

Any cooked rice will work. I like brown because it holds up to the sauciness of this recipe.

You can definitely add more veggies! I think bell peppers, spinach or diced onion would be great.

If you want to make this as a freezer meal: assemble completely, cover and place in the freezer. When you are ready to cook it, heat in the oven (unthawed) at 375 for 45-60 minutes, or until warmed through and bubbly.