MEXICAN CASSEROLE

[omalani]

Mexican Casserole
This Mexican casserole recipe is easy to make if you have cooked brown rice available. It yields a spicy and satisfying vegetarian casserole. Because it contains whole corn instead of tortillas, it is actually a low calorie casserole. At only 22 calories per ounce, the calorie density is amazingly low. A few olives for garnish add flavor without too much fat. 8 servings

1 oz nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chipotle chile powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
30 oz canned diced tomatoes, salt-free
6 oz tomato paste
4 oz canned diced green chiles
16 oz cooked pinto beans (or 2 15-oz cans), drained
16 oz frozen corn
(16 oz cooked brown rice) Substitute cauliflower rice
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 oz minced garlic
6 oz onion, 1/3" dice
2 tsp dried oregano leaves
6 oz green bell pepper, 1/3" dice
6 oz red bell pepper, 1/3" dice
4 oz black olives, sliced or coarsely chopped
Lightly oil a 9 x 13" casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small dry bowl, weigh nutritional yeast. Remove from scale and add chili powder, cumin, coriander, chipotle powder, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir all together to mix.
Put 15 oz canned tomatoes in the blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a medium straight-sided bowl and add the tomato paste. Mix with a whisk until smooth. Add the other 15 oz of tomatoes, the canned green chiles, and the bowl of spices. Stir all together well.
In a large wide bowl, weigh pinto beans, frozen corn, and cooked brown rice. Add chopped fresh cilantro and toss gently to mix.
In a medium-large non stick pot, weigh minced garlic and diced onion. Add oregano and about 1/2 cup of water. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add diced green and red bell peppers and cook for another 5 minutes. Add a little more water if needed to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pot. Remove from heat.
Add the cooked vegetables to the bean-grain mixture and toss together to mix. Fold in the tomato-spice combination. Take your time. the sauce is thick, so be sure the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Spread in casserole dish and top with olives.
Cover with a piece of parchment paper, and then with aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet to catch drips. Bake for 1 hour.

Comments: We often take this Mexican Casserole to potlucks. Garnish it with a few slices of avocado. It can also be used as a burrito filling, a base for tostadas, or as a stuffing for bell peppers. The recipe is easy to modify. You can use black beans instead of pintos, and cooked quinoa or red rice instead of brown rice. Sometimes we add a few zucchini slices to the mix.

[MsHeirloom]

Sounds very good and easily adapted to whatever is on hand (or isn't). Thanks.

[LINDA RN]

What is the purpose of the Yeast?

[omalani]

It's a vegan recipe and it adds flavor and B vitamins, I left it out. I used diced butternut squash instead of rice and cut down on the spices. it was very good. I will make it again. I used what I had on hand and used the recipe as a guideline or suggestion.