Cheesy Vegetarian Taco Casserole Recipe (Easy!)
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This Vegetarian Taco Casserole is an easy weeknight meal that requires little effort! Simply layer refried beans, pinto beans, corn tortillas, (optionally) ground tofu (or ground beef, if you eat meat), yogurt/sour cream, corn, spinach, and shredded cheese and you have yourself a whole family meal!
I make Mexican food at least once a week! I love switching things up with some of these other recipes my entire family loves (and that I can customize to fit their needs!): Easy Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna, Kid-Friendly Refried Bean and Mushroom Tostadas, and Cheesy Vegetarian Flautas With Beans and Sweet Potato.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
- Quick – Ready in just about 25 minutes (less time if you omit the ground tofu)! Perfect for a casual taco night!
- Easy – Layer the ingredients in a baking dish and bake! This is a great recipe for busy weeknights!
- Customizable – Have picky eaters? Leave a part of the casserole more plain. Got meat eaters in the family? Swap tofu out for ground beef or ground turkey – or make it half tofu and half beef, if you have a mix of eaters!
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Mexican Tortilla Casserole:
Ingredient Notes
Explanation of any ingredients that need explaining – do not list them ALL!
- Tofu: Feel free to omit the tofu altogether or replace it with ground beef or turkey if your family eats meat.
- Cheese: To make this a vegan taco casserole, either omit the cheese or use vegan cheese, as well as vegan yogurt or vegan sour cream. I used a Mexican Style Cheese Blend, but feel free to use one type of cheese such as Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack Cheese.
How to Make Vegetarian Taco Casserole: STEP BY STEP
For the full recipe with the exact ingredients, scroll down to the printable recipe card below!
STEP 1: Begin layering the casserole
Line the bottom of a greased 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with corn tortillas. Spread refried beans over the tortillas so the beans cover the surface of the baking dish. Sprinkle pinto beans evenly on top of the refried beans.
STEP 2: Sauté tofu
In a large skillet, sauté the tofu in olive oil over medium heat, using a cooking spoon to break up the tofu into crumbles. Add taco seasoning and onions and continue to sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the tofu mixture to the baking dish in a single layer.
STEP 3: Finish assembling layered taco casserole
Next, layer corn and spinach evenly on top of tofu. Add dollops of yogurt or sour cream on top of the spinach and use a spoon to smooth it out evenly. Layer on strips of corn tortillas and then cover everything with shredded cheese.
STEP 4: Bake
Bake in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving to kids – Leave a section of the casserole that only has refried beans, pinto beans, corn tortillas, and cheese! Then, on the side, you can serve chips, corn, diced tomatoes, and guacamole. I like to give my kids a mini bell pepper as another veggie option, too!
Storage & Reheating
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in the microwave and then add your favorite taco toppings!
Additions & Substitutions
Additions:
- Finely diced zucchini – If you’re wanting to add in some extra veggies without them being noticed too much by your kids, peeled and finely diced zucchini is a great way to do this!
- Sweet potato – Add some diced cooked sweet potato for some more flavor and nutrients.
- Brown rice – Adding a layer of brown rice would be a nice addition to this easy taco casserole.
- Green chilies – If you’re not serving this to kids or if they like spice, consider adding some green chilies for some heat and flavor!
- Red bell pepper – Add a layer of diced red bell pepper!
- Garnish – Top this casserole with green onions, black olives, diced fresh tomatoes, finely diced red onion, fresh lime juice, shredded lettuce, cilantro, and taco sauce.
Substitutions:
- Ground beef/turkey – Swap the tofu with ground beef or ground turkey if your family eats meat or if they don’t care for tofu (my husband despises tofu!). If you are vegetarian, you can put ground beef on one side of the casserole and leave the other side meat-free.
- Sour cream – I prefer to use plain yogurt, but you can use sour cream instead! If needed, use a vegan/dairy-free yogurt or sour cream.
- Black beans – You can use black beans to replace the pinto beans if you prefer!
What to Serve With This Layered Taco Casserole
- Dairy-Free Coleslaw With Chia Seeds
- Chips
- Avocado or guacamole
- Topping ideas: green onions, black olives, diced fresh tomatoes, fresh lime juice, shredded lettuce, cilantro, and taco sauce or red enchilada sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course! Either omit the cheese or use a vegan cheese. You will also need to use a vegan plain yogurt or sour cream.
Oh, I have two picky eaters, too! Here’s what I would do – Leave a section of the casserole that only has refried beans, pinto beans, corn tortillas, and cheese! Then, on the side, you can serve chips, corn, diced tomatoes, and guacamole. I like to give my kids a mini bell pepper as another veggie option, too! If the casserole is still too much for your kid(s), then consider reserving a little of each ingredient like beans, tortilla, yogurt, and cheese and serving them all separately on your child’s plate. This way you don’t have to cook a completely separate meal for your kids!
You’re not alone! My husband despises tofu. You can either omit the tofu and you’ll still be getting protein in the dish, or if you and your family eat meat, you can replace the tofu for ground beef or ground turkey.
We love topping ours with green onions, black olives, diced fresh tomatoes, fresh lime juice, shredded lettuce, cilantro, and taco sauce or red enchilada sauce!
Tools For This Recipe
- Baking dish
- Braiser (get 20% off any Larder & Vine product using code: SUPERMOMEATS) or large skillet if making tofu/ground beef/turkey
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I hope you love this Vegetarian Taco Casserole! If you make it, be sure to leave a star rating below so I know how you liked it! Enjoy!
Cheesy Vegetarian Taco Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- Avocado oil spray, or any vegetable oil spray
- 7 corn tortillas, 4 for lining bottom of baking dish + 3 cut into 1-inch strips to top casserole with
- 1 can refried beans
- 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces extra-firm tofu, or use ground beef/turkey
- ½ onion , diced
- 3 teaspoons taco seasoning, plus more to taste
- ½ cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup spinach , chopped
- 1 cup plain yogurt, or sour cream
- 1 ½ cups shredded Mexican Style Cheese Blend
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish with avocado oil spray.
- Line the bottom of the baking dish with four corn tortillas. It's okay that the corners of the baking dish are not covered.
- Use a spoon to spread refried beans over the tortillas so the beans cover the surface of the baking dish.
- Next, sprinkle pinto beans evenly on top of the refried beans. Then sprinkle salt evenly over the bean mixture.
- If making ground tofu: In a large skillet, sauté the tofu in olive oil over medium heat, using a cooking spoon to break up the tofu into crumbles. Add taco seasoning and onions and continue to sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the tofu mixture to the baking dish in a single layer.
- Next, layer the corn and spinach evenly on top of tofu. Add dollops of yogurt or sour cream on top of the spinach and use a spoon to smooth it out evenly.
- Layer on strips of corn tortillas and then cover the casserole with shredded cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Notes
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in the microwave and then add your favorite taco toppings!
I made this taco casserole the other night, and it was delicious! I didn’t have any tofu, so I used the Gardein plant-based meat crumbles. My husband says he could eat this every night. ???
Since we became vegan years ago, I have found it difficult to find recipes that are easy to make and taste good. Kaileigh‘s recipes have been a godsend!!
Yay! I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe and found a good replacement for the tofu! It is wonderful to hear that my recipes have been helpful to you and your family!! That makes me so happy. Thank you for taking the time to write a review and for making my recipes! 🙂
We made this for dinner as a family of four with two kids. It was so delicious and we all loved it! I love how easy it was to throw together. We added black olives and tomatoes right into it and it turned out great!
I’m so happy to hear that your family loved this taco casserole, Courtney! Adding black olives and tomatoes right into the dish sounds so good! Thanks so much for making this recipe and taking the time to review it! 🙂