Mexican Style Bean & Rice Casserole | WFPB Casserole | The Vegan Test Kitchen

shredded cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: cream cheese

Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor with fewer calories.

sour cream

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: plain yogurt

Greek yogurt maintains creaminess while reducing calories.

Start by cooking 2 cups of brown rice, which takes about 45 minutes.

Toast 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds in a small pan until fragrant and slightly darker.

Coarsely chop 1 red bell pepper and 1 large yellow onion for the cheese sauce.

Blanch the onion if it's particularly strong to avoid overpowering the cheese sauce.

Drain the blanched onions and add them to a blender along with the red bell pepper, toasted cashews, 1 cup of nutritional yeast, and 1 tablespoon of tahini (optional).

Blend the mixture, adding up to 1/2 cup of water to achieve desired consistency.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Dice 2 medium zucchinis into half-inch cubes and mince 3 cloves of garlic.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the diced onion and red bell pepper for 7-8 minutes, adding 1-2 tablespoons of water if it gets dry.

Once the onion starts to brown, add the minced garlic and cook for another 4 minutes.

Open and drain a can of black beans, rinsing them before adding to the skillet.

Add the ground cumin and chili powder to the skillet and cook for another 30 seconds before removing from heat.

To the skillet, add the diced zucchini, 2 cups of cooked brown rice, black beans, corn, and the cheese sauce, mixing well.

Spoon the mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Garnish with cilantro before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens