This Cheesy Enchilada Rice Casserole uses pantry staples you may already have on hand. It’s easy to make, and the leftovers are great for lunch.
Raise your hand if you’ve been eating a lot of beans and rice lately 🙂 I’m guessing we’re not the only ones who have our pantry filled with staples like beans, rice, corn, canned tomatoes, and spices. If you can relate, you can easily make this Cheesy Enchilada Rice Casserole for dinner tonight!
I love this easy enchilada rice casserole because you can pretty much just go through your cupboards or freezer and throw whatever ingredients you like into it. It’s full of flavor and super adaptable to what you have on hand.
What You’ll Need For This Enchilada Rice Casserole Recipe
- Rice – I usually have white basmati rice on hand; my kids love it. However, you can use any kind of rice or other grain, including brown rice or quinoa.
- Enchilada Sauce – The enchilada sauce ties everything together. You can substitute tomato sauce or salsa if you don’t have enchilada sauce.
- Beans – I love black beans, so I used that, but you can use any kind of bean you like.
- Corn – I used frozen corn that I ran under hot water for a minute or two. Canned or fresh corn will work, too.
- Cheese – If making this dish vegan, you can either omit or use vegan cheese. I used sharp cheddar, but any cheese will do.
- Canned Tomatoes – Fresh will also work, but I didn’t have any on hand. I didn’t want the casserole too liquidy, so I drained a little liquid off the can of tomatoes.
- Green Chili—This ingredient is totally optional, but I had a small can on hand, so I added it.
- Spices – You’ll need a few spices for this recipe: cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. It’s not the end of the world if you’re missing any of them, though 🙂
How To Make A Casserole
Casseroles are one of my favorite meals because all you do is mix the ingredients and dump them into a baking dish. So easy! It is important to cook the rice first because there’s not enough liquid in the recipe to cook the rice in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add all ingredients (only 1 cup of the cheese) to a large bowl and mix until combined. Pour the ingredients into a large baking dish (9×14) and then top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
- Bake the casserole until heated through and cheese is melted, 20-25 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and serve with your favorite toppings.
A Few Tips For making casseroles:
- Be sure to taste your mixture before putting it in the oven. If necessary, add extra spices or salt.
- Mix everything together well. It’s best when you can get a bit of everything in one bite!
- This recipe doesn’t need to bake for a long time, but if you have one that does, you can cover it with aluminum foil for the first half of cooking so that the top doesn’t dry out.
I love meals like this, where you can just load on all the toppings you like! I serve this Cheesy Enchilada Rice Casserole with tortilla chips and my favorite toppings.
A Few Serving Ideas For Topping Lovers
- Tomatoes
- Jalapeños
- Fresh herbs: cilantro or green onion
- Sour cream or greek yogurt
- Salsa or hot sauce
- Black olives
- Guacamole or sliced avocado
Looking For More Rice Recipes?
Easy Rice and Bean Quesadillas
Green Rice with Black Beans and Sweet Potato
Roasted Beet and Brown Rice Veggie Burgers
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Cheesy Enchilada Rice Casserole
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Cheesy Enchilada Rice Casserole is easy to make and requires just a few pantry staples!
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 (15 oz) can beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 (15 oz) can enchilada sauce
- 1 small can diced green chili, optional
- 1 1/4 cup shredded cheese, divided
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Add all ingredients (only 1 cup of the cheese) to a large bowl and mix until combined. Pour ingredients into a large baking dish (9×14) and then top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
- Bake casserole until heated through and cheese is melted, 20-25 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and serve with your favorite toppings.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dinner, Vegetarian
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Mexican
Could you add ground beef to this recipie ?
Yes! Just make sure to cook it first and then throw it in.
I wanted to use up some leftover rice, and this fit the bill. I tossed in whatever veggies I had in the firdge. It came out great. Thanks, your recipes are always a hit.