Slow Cooker Quinoa Enchilada Casserole (Vegan)
By Jessica Hylton -
- Updated
This healthy Slow Cooker Quinoa Enchilada Casserole takes only 15 minutes of prep, then add it all into the slow cooker! It’s filling, serves lots of leftover and is bursting with flavour!
Am I the only one ready to jump on a permanent blanket, with a glass of apple cider, and to eat all the comfort foods for this season?! Even though it’s been a steady 86 degree F weather, I’ll still be getting on board and eating all the comfort food. Making this Slow Cooker Quinoa Enchilada Casserole truly brought back some amazing memories from past holiday seasons that we’ve made it. I can’t believe I haven’t shared it here before, but it would be criminal to let another holiday season pass and not let you indulge in this divine dish.
Get ready for comfort heaven, friends.
When I first became vegetarian, I delved a bit directly into everything slow cooker/crockpot. It’s kind of funny that I never used it before becoming vegetarian, since it has served me so well. I quickly learned that pretty much everything tastes better once it’s been cooking away for hours, and this Quinoa Enchilada Casserole is no exception.
Like I mentioned, we’ve been making this for years. It is so many things, but mainly:
- healthy
- so filling
- perfect for cooking for crowds in general, especially during this holiday season
- comfort food heaven
- loaded with protein, fibre, and lots of wholesome vegetables
The mix of Mexican-esque flavours really create the perfect meal that’ll make your whole house smell amazing too. I switched it up from how we usually make this to include some enchilada sauce and lime to pump up the flavours. If you haven’t noticed, I am a lime OBSESSED girl. It brings up all the hidden flavours in dishes. Trust me when I say it is a necessity to use here.
My favourite ingredient in this quinoa enchilada casserole/bake is definitely the quinoa. It adds so much fibre, and really brings the whole dish literally together. As if things couldn’t get better, some vegan sour cream is like a dollop of heaven on top of this. If you’re not vegan, you can use regular cheese and sour cream, so this recipe suits everyone.
Get ready for your family, kids, and friends “casually passing by” to ask for seconds of this. By the way, you can freeze this too! Get comfy, eat up, and enjoy friends.
Slow Cooker Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
This healthy Slow Cooker Quinoa Enchilada Casserole takes only 15 minutes of prep, then add it all into the slow cooker! It’s filling, serves lots of leftover and is bursting with flavour!
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups vegetable broth (540ml)
- 1 ½ cups uncooked quinoa (270g)
- 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (425g)
- 15 oz can corn kernels, drained and rinsed (418g)
- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, about 2 cups (do not drain) (411g)
- 1 cup enchilada sauce (150ml)
- ¾ cup chopped green bell pepper (roughly 100g)
- ¾ cup chopped red bell pepper (roughly 100g)
- 1 medium onion chopped OR ½ large red onion (100g)
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder or chipotle powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin powder
- juice of 1 large lime about 1 ½ tablespoons
- 1 ¼ cups vegan mozzarella cheese shreds or a mix if you like
- TO GARNISH: chopped parsley chopped tomatoes, vegan sour cream
Instructions
Instructions
- Add the veggie broth, and then all the ingredients EXCEPT the cheese and the lime into the slow cooker. Stir a few times to completely combine.
- Set the slow cooker to HIGH for 2 to 2 ½ hours. I've made it both ways, and it just depends on your individual slow cooker.
- When there are about 10 minutes left, open the slow cooker and add the lime juice and ½ the cheese. Stir it in as best as you can, then smooth the mix back flat again. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top. Place the lid back on and let it cook for the last 10 minutes.
- When the casserole is ready, serve with your favourite toppings (avocado, chopped green onions, parsley, tomato and sour cream). Enjoy!!
NOTES
Notes
This quinoa enchilada casserole lasts in the fridge for a week. You can freeze it very easily in an air-tight Tupperware container.
Link to vegan sour cream
If you’re not vegan, yes you can use substitutes for the sour cream and the cheese!
Nutrition
Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1384mg | Potassium: 861mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1614IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 6mg
by Jessica
This recipe is delicious. I tried using the slower cooker on my instant pot for the recommended time but for some reason it wasn’t cooked all the way. So I just pressure cooked it for 10 minutes and it turned out great. I will definitely make this again.
I had to make this with millet because I was out of quinoa. Made lunches for an entire week which was fantastic. I actually didn’t do the cheese step, portioned out the lunches, then topped with cheese, cilantro, and pickled jalapeños- made a tasty lunch every day that I didn’t get bored of! Next time I’ll actually use quinoa!
That sounds amazing Krystal! I hope you enjoy using quinoa just as much as you enjoyed using millet. Thanks so much for reading and trying the recipe!
This will make your house smell amazing & its soooo delicious! I like Easy and this checks all the boxes. The leftovers are even better the next day! Great for family meal as well.
Thank you so much, Melanie! It means so much that you enjoy it!
This casserole came together beautifully in the slow cooker. I did substitute brown rice (after asking Jessica on a post) for quinoa as quinoa and I do not have a great relationship! It was easy to make and was so tasty. My husband ate 3 helpings!!! The leftovers are so good too! This is going into my regular rotation.
3 helpings! We’re so happy, that means we’re doing something right! Thank you so much for your kind words Nika!
I made this tonight following the recipe as is and it was fantastic! The whole family loved it- will definitely make it regularly. Thank you!!!
We’re so happy that you and your wonderful family enjoyed this recipe Lauren! Thank you so much for reading and leaving such a nice comment!
Made this yesterday for my husband (big meat eater) and he looooved it! I used salsa in place of the enchilada sauce and served it with corn tostadas. YUM!
It makes an enormous amount of food, so it’s ideal for a potluck/crowd. We will be eating it for lunch all week.
We’re so happy that you and your husband enjoyed this recipe Elizabeth! Thank you so much for reading and leaving such a nice comment!
Absolutely in love with this! Will definitely be a new regular in our household 🙂
So happy to hear this Katie! Thank you!
Made recipe as is and it was perfect! Kids loved it too.
Awesome we’re really happy everyone enjoyed it Sara! Thanks so much for reading!
Hi Jessica! I was wondering can this dish be baked? If so what temp and for how long? Sadly, I don’t have a crockpot just yet!!
Hi Tiffany thank you so much for reading we actually haven’t tried to make this ahead of time, so we wouldn’t be able to give you advice on this.
This recipe is great! I have made this recipe a few times now. It is great for so many reasons! Now that I work from home, I am able to prep it at lunch time and then add the “cheese” shortly before serving. I also love that it reheats well for lunch throughout the week. Finally, it uses pantry staples and is versatile enough to allow for substitutions if I am missing something and don’t want to go the store!
Oh wow I like that it helps you with meal prep. We’re so happy that you enjoyed this recipe Sarah! Thank you so much for reading and leaving such a nice comment!