Good food is all about layers of flavor and this easy casserole has plenty of that going on. Though it’s a vegetarian bake, it is still incredibly hearty and zesty (and cheesy too). It’s the kind of casserole you can throw together with things you usually have on hand, which is great news because it means you can get this delicious flavor whenever the mood happens to strike!
The main player in this casserole is canned black beans, which means you can create this anytime you have a can to pull out of the pantry, but since they’re doctored up with some sauteed onion, cumin, cilantro, and garlic, they taste much more exciting than they do straight out of the can.
You line a baking dish with tortillas… Flour results in a bit sturdier bite, but corn works fine too.
And then you layer them with the bean mixture…
… and some salsa and cheese and repeat, repeat, repeat.
The oven does the majority of the work for you, so it’s about five minutes of prep until you have a cheesy layered bake on the table. And while the ingredient list is pretty simple, the flavor certainly isn’t.
Southwestern Black Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 white onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 4 flour tortillas
- 12 oz salsa
- 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375°F and grease an 8x8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add black beans and broth and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cumin, pepper, salt, and cilantro.
- Cut tortillas in half and arrange them to cover bottom of baking dish in a single layer. Top with 1/4 of the black bean mixture, 1/4 of the salsa, and 1/4 of the cheese. Repeat layers until ingredients are used - top layer should be cheese.
- Cover dish tightly with foil and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking 10 more minutes.
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Skinny Ms.