Vegan Enchiladas are ‘the best’. Mexican food is delicious and these tortillas are stuffed and rolled for and enchiladas casserole. It's also extra special because they also have a homemade enchilada sauce.
Enchiladas are 'the best'. Not only that but these Vegan Enchiladas are The Best too! Even at 17 I knew I could change a recipe and make it the way I like it.
For some reason I never liked enchiladas. It turned out that it was the corn tortillas. I switched to flour tortillas and started making it my signature dish.
When people would say that they really liked my enchiladas I'd say, with a big smile on my face, "They're with flour tortillas". Then the person would look back at their plate and say "Ohhhh" as if that was 'it' and a great revelation. It made me feel good.
Another good thing is now that my palate has matured (a lot) I also love corn tortillas. Only in the restaurants though. I still want flour ones at home.
Now I have changed it again because I use whole wheat tortillas. There is a homemade enchilada sauce too but feel free to buy the canned sauce if you would prefer. The Mexican flavors are all here and they are delicious.
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They are perfect. I've made these enchiladas over twenty times and have served them to many guests. Omnivores and vegans alike.
There are always sincere compliments and everyone leaves the table full and happy. But, if you'd like to use corn tortillas then you certainly can but I'm telling you the flour tortillas are a hit.
💭 How to roll enchiladas
- You actually roll enchiladas right in the casserole dish.
- First, you put some sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish. Then pour more sauce into a wide bowl for dipping.
- Take a tortilla and dip it carefully into the sauce so that it's covered on both sides. Lay it in the casserole dish.
- Now fill the center line of the tortilla with the fillings that you want to use. This recipe is mostly black beans and dairy-free cheese.
- Now to roll. Take one side of the tortilla and fold it over the center filling. Now place your hands on the tortilla as if you are going to roll it up but first, place your four fingers from both hands over the fat part of the stuffed tortilla and pull back a bit to make a tight roll.
- Then roll forward catching the extra flap that you just made when you pulled back. Roll up tight. Pull back against the end (or side) of the casserole dish.
- Dip the next tortilla and lay it in the casserole dish and continue rolling as you did with the last tortilla. Push it snug next to the previous tortilla and continue until the dish is full.
- That's kind of hard to explain in print but I think you've got it. They will fill up and make the best vegan enchilada casserole.
🔪 Instructions
- To peel the tomatoes you flash boil them in water. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan.
- When the water boils dunk in all of the tomatoes and leave for about 1 minute. The skin splits and makes it easy to peel the tomatoes.
- Remove the tomatoes and let cool so you can handle them. Take off the skin and cut in half.
- Cut out the little stem area and dice. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan put in the oil and get hot. Add the flour and stir into the oil and cook on low for 2 minutes to get the flour taste out of the sauce.
- Add the 2 Tablespoons chili powder and stir in well. Cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce and water and stir well.
- Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.
- Add the prepared tomatoes and the 5 spices and seasonings.
- Heat through and cook for about 20 minutes, crushing down the tomatoes with a potato masher every 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
👩🏻🍳 Making enchilada sauce
- In a large saucepan put in the oil and get hot. Add the flour and stir into the oil and cook on low for 2 minutes to get the flour taste out of the sauce.
- Add the 2 Tablespoons chili powder and stir in well. Cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce and water and stir well.
- Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.
- Add the prepared tomatoes and the 5 spices and seasonings.
- Heat through and cook for about 20 minutes, crushing down the tomatoes with a potato masher every 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a glass casserole dish put a little bit of the sauce in the bottom. No greasing necessary.
- Now I make an assembly line for putting the enchiladas together. On the counter, lay out all 12 tortillas so that they overlap just a little.
- Sprinkle a little of the vegan ground 'meat' down the center of each tortilla. I divide each ingredient into 12 piles on a large plate for quick assembly.
- Hold some of the cheese aside for sprinkling over the top of the rolled enchiladas. Sprinkle a little of the cheddar cheese down the center of each tortilla.
- Sprinkle a little corn down the center of each tortilla.
- Start to roll up each tortilla by folding the tortilla over on top of the filling and then pulling back a bit to make a tight fit. Then complete the roll.
- Lay in your prepared casserole dish at one end. Fill in your dish until it is full. I did three casseroles with 4 tortillas each.
- When the casserole or casseroles are full pour the enchilada sauce over the tops, dividing the sauce equally between the dishes. I use a ladle.
- Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top of the sauce.
- Bake the vegan enchiladas at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.
🍽 Helpful tools
- A covered saucepan helps bring the water to a boil quickly for peeling the tomatoes. You can also use the same saucepan for the enchilada sauce.
- A 9" x 13" casserole dish is great for baking and the cover that comes with this casserole makes it really nice for storing the cooked leftovers in the refrigerator.
- You can also divide this recipe for a smaller dinner and use two 8" square casserole dishes. Then you can freeze one for the future - before baking.
- This is an awesome stainless steel measuring cup and measuring spoons set that has a lot of sizes.
💭 Mexican style recipes
- These are so different but these Sloppy Joe Tacos Mexican style have the best flavor.
- Slow Cooker Back Bean Burritos can be made ahead too and they freeze great!
- You can actually make homemade Mushroom Empanadas and they aren't hard at all.
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📋 Recipe
Vegan Enchiladas Casserole
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 1 ½ pounds tomatoes - peeled and finely diced
- Directions are below on how to peel tomatoes.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups water
- 8 ounces tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Enchiladas
- 12 whole Wheat flour tortillas
- 8 ounces dairy free cheddar cheese - grated
- 12 ounces meatless ground beef
- 14 ounces corn - cut off the cob or from a can
Instructions
Enchilada Sauce -make the sauce first
- To peel the tomatoes you flash boil them in water. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan.
- When the water boils dunk in all of the tomatoes and leave for about 1 minute. The skin splits and makes it easy to peel the tomatoes.
- Remove the tomatoes and let cool so you can handle them. Take off the skin and cut in half.
- Cut out the little stem area and dice. Set aside.
Make the enchilada sauce
- In a large saucepan put in the oil and get hot. Add the flour and stir into the oil and cook on low for 2 minutes to get the flour taste out of the sauce.
- Add the 2 Tablespoons chili powder and stir in well. Cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce and water and stir well.
- Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.
- Add the prepared tomatoes and the 5 spices and seasonings.
- Heat through and cook for about 20 minutes, crushing down the tomatoes with a potato masher every 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Assemble the enchiladas
- In a glass casserole dish put a little bit of the sauce in the bottom. No greasing necessary.
- Now I make an assembly line for putting the enchiladas together. On the counter, lay out all 12 tortillas so that they overlap just a little.
- Sprinkle a little of the vegan ground 'meat' down the center of each tortilla. I divide each ingredient into 12 piles on a large plate for quick assembly.
- Hold some of the cheese aside for sprinkling over the top of the rolled enchiladas. Sprinkle a little of the cheddar cheese down the center of each tortilla.
- Sprinkle a little of the cheddar cheese down the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle a little corn down the center of each tortilla.
- Start to roll up each tortilla by folding the tortilla over on top of the filling and then pulling back a bit to make a tight fit. Then complete the roll.
- Lay in your prepared casserole dish at one end. Fill in your dish until it is full. I did three casseroles with 4 tortillas each.
- When the casserole or casseroles are full pour the enchilada sauce over the tops, dividing the sauce equally between the dishes. I use a ladle.
- Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top of the sauce.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.
Melissa
Yum! These look great! I'll definitely be trying to make this soon.
Ginny McMeans
Fantastic! That is wonderful.
Jana
What dressing did you make to compliment the dark greed salad shown with this dish??
Ginny McMeans
I used an oil and vinegar type of dressing Jana. Mix your own or use a store bought Italian type.
YRS
Outstanding!y delicious! I have been searching, literally for years, for a mild Mexican red sauce recipe and when I saw " gringo" in your title it sounded like something my delicate stomach might tolerate. I didn't have fresh tomatoes so substituted (2) 15oz cans of organic tomato sauce, left out the tomato paste, water and cayenne pepper, but followed your instructions on everything else. This will be my go-to recipe from now on. No bitterness and no heat--just a delectably mild sauce that I am eternally grateful you shared with the rest of us! THANK YOU!!
Ginny McMeans
Fantastic YRS! I am so glad you found this recipe. Enchiladas are my favorite and I'm really glad this recipe works for you. Thanks for letting me know!
YRS
I also made a quick Spanish rice with the leftover enchilada sauce. I used Minute rice, added garlic salt to the cooking water and then ladled in enough sauce after the rice was reconstituted to make it really flavorful. It was delicious! Thanks again, Ginny!
Ginny McMeans
That sounds really good! Way to go YRS and thank you!