Vegetarian Taco Bake Casserole with Black Beans

A Mushroom Kale Black Bean Taco Bake hits all the right comfort-food notes. Layers of seasonal vegetables, crispy tortillas, and melty pepper jack cheese. There’s a whole lot to love about this vegetarian main dish.

What do you cook when it’s been cold and snowy for one too many days in a row? For me it’s a Black Bean Taco Bake.

Never heard of a taco bake? It’s kind of like Mexican-inspired lasagna. Tortillas take the place of pasta, and instead of marinara sauce, there's a spicy mix of veggies and black beans.

A little bit difficult to describe, but trust me, it’s delicious and you should totally give it a try.

I get a lot of questions about fresh versus canned fruits and vegetables. The short answer is I like both.

In this recipe, hearty kale, umami-rich portobello 'shrooms, and crispy red cabbage add plenty of fresh appeal. Canned tomatoes and black beans round out the meal and keep things convenient enough to execute on a weeknight.

That’s something that’s really important to me.

Canned tomatoes and beans are packed with nutrition, sure, but what I really love about them is that they make it easier for me to cook homemade meals most nights of the week.

I also ultimately waste less food when I keep canned goods in my pantry. I think I buy less at the store when I know I’ve got a pantry full of cans waiting on standby. It works for me.

Plus, it's winter. The odds of finding a juicy fresh tomato that actually tastes good are not in our favor. Bring on the cans.

Recipes like this Mushroom Kale Black Bean Taco Bake are a good example of how you can blend fresh and canned produce during the winter season.

The whole sautéeing-and-baking process takes a little time, but you can still get this dinner on the table in just about an hour.

Instructions

While the oven is preheating, start cooking the veggie filling on the stovetop. I recommend using the largest skillet you have for the job. My 10-inch cast iron pan was filled to the brim by the time I added all the veggies, beans, and tomatoes.

Once the filing is finished, assemble three layers in your baking dish. Tortillas first, then the filling, then the cheese. Repeat. Repeat.

Then bake until the cheese is melty and the tortillas are crisp around the edges.

This Black Bean Taco Bake is easy to make dairy-free and vegan. Just omit the cheese or sub in nutritional yeast (or your favorite plant-based cheese).

Comfort food perfection. It's a good night to stay in and cook, isn't it?

📖 Recipe

Vegetarian Taco Bake Casserole with Black Beans

Stephanie McKercher, RDN

Portobello mushrooms, kale, and black beans are layered with tortillas and melty pepper jack cheese in this vegetarian main dish.

5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course dinner, lunch

Cuisine gluten-free, Mexican, vegetarian

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  

• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (as needed to grease pan)
• ⅓ cup diced red onion (¼ large)
• 6 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper
• 2 large portobello mushroom caps, sliced (6 ounces)
• 2 cups chopped kale (about 5 leaves)
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced (optional)
• 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
• 2 cups cooked black beans (drain and rinse if using canned)
• ¼ cup sliced black olives, drained (optional)
• 12 corn tortillas, halved (24 pieces)
• 1 cup shredded cheese (such as pepper jack; see note for vegan variation)
• Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
• Once the skillet is hot, add grapeseed oil and red onion and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Stir in garlic, cumin, chili powder, coriander, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes, or until mixture is aromatic. Add more oil as needed throughout the cooking process to prevent food from sticking to the pan.
• Stir in portobello mushrooms and cook 3 minutes, or until they turn darker brown. Stir in kale, red cabbage, and jalapeño pepper (if using). Cook 3 minutes, or until kale is wilted.
• Stir in tomatoes and use wooden spoon to break apart. Stir in black beans and black olives (if using). Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes.
• Coat the bottom of an 8-inch by 11-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with sauce from the vegetable mixture. Spread a third of the corn tortilla pieces (8 tortilla halves per layer) on top of the sauce. Cover with a third of the vegetable mixture and shredded cheese. Repeat until baking dish is full. 
• Place baking dish on the center rack of the oven and bake 20 minutes, or until cheese is browned and tortillas are crisp around the edges. Remove from oven and garnish with cilantro (if using). Allow dish to cool 5 minutes before slicing into pieces and serving.

Notes

Vegan variation: Omit cheese or substitute ¾ cup nutritional yeast.