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    Home » Cuisine » Mexican

    Healthy Vegetarian Mexican Casserole with Rice & Beans

    December 18, 2022 . By Meeta Arora . 56 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe
    Healthy Vegetarian Mexican Rice & Bean Casserole is easy to make and filled with cheesy goodness, along with brown rice and lots of veggies. This is an easy gluten free & vegetarian casserole for a weeknight dinner or your next party! AD #vegetarian #Mexican #casserole #glutenfree | pipingpotcurry.com

    Tracking PixelHealthy Vegetarian Mexican Casserole with Rice & Beans is easy to make and filled with cheesy goodness along with brown rice and lots of veggies. It is a great addition to your next dinner party or your Thanksgiving meal.  It can be made ahead and frozen, so it is easy and quick to throw together.

    Vegetarian Mexican Casserole with Rice & Beans served on a white plate along with a fork.

    November is such an exciting time. Thanksgiving is coming up and I have been thinking of my menu for the big dinner. We always have some family who does not eat meat (including dear hubby), so I like to have a few healthy and filling options for them. At the same time, I don’t want to make it hard on myself to get too many dishes ready on the day.

    This Mexican Casserole is my favorite, which is perfect for the day as it is an awesome side dish that takes very little effort and time to put together and can be enjoyed by everyone. Once rice is pre-cooked, it can be ready in no time.

    Brown Rice along with onions, bell peppers, corn, black beans, fire-roasted diced tomatoes and some jalapeños for the spice lovers...there is so much healthy goodness in this casserole. This vegetarian casserole is also gluten free and nut free in case there are any allergies or diet restrictions.

    Check out another delicious Mexican recipes - Cilantro Lime Brown Rice, Mexican Black Beans, Spanish Rice and Vegetarian Taco Soup.

    Jump to:
    • Preparation of the Vegetarian Mexican Casserole
    • How to make Mexican Rice Casserole?
    • Healthy Vegetarian Mexican Casserole with Rice & Beans

    Preparation of the Vegetarian Mexican Casserole

    This Mexican Casserole recipe is packed with protein from black beans, lots of veggies and cheese to make an incredibly delicious dish.

    I love to eat veggies, but chopping them...not so much. I was super excited to get my hands on this manual processor, the One Stop Chop from OXO. I must say my preparation for this dish was a breeze.

    Vegetarian Mexican Casserole with Rice & Beans - Chop onions in OXO manual chopper

    The blades of this manual chopper were amazingly sharp, and with a few turns the onions were diced to perfection!

    It worked perfectly for the red and green peppers too. I just cut the pepper, removed the seeds and cut it into 6 pieces. Less than 30 seconds and they are done.  You get the idea....I am loving this chopper (as if it were a real person).

    Vegetarian Mexican Casserole with Rice & Beans - Chop red bell pepper in OXO manual chopper

    Along with the manual chopper, I also used the OXO Herb Stripping Comb which was quite convenient as I like to add lots of cilantro to Mexican food (or any other dishes). Just one pull and the leaves are separated from multiple stems at the same time!

    Vegetarian Mexican Casserole with Rice & Beans - Removing cilantro leaves using OXO herb stripping comb

    Now that we have all the preparation done...let's look at the next steps!

    • Veggies chopped - onions, green and red peppers, jalapeños
    • Rinsed and Drained black beans
    • Frozen corn
    • Brown Rice cooked
    • Cheese grated

    How to make Mexican Rice Casserole?

    Let's start with sautéing the veggies. Heat a large skillet and add some oil. Sauté onions, bell peppers & jalapeño for a few minutes. Then add in corn, and sauté for a couple more minutes.

    Saute vegetables for Mexican Casserole

    Add in black beans, diced tomatoes, lime juice and spices. Stir them all and then add the brown rice and shredded cheese.

    I used canned black beans when making this recipe, however you can also pre-cook black beans in the pressure cooker and use them in this casserole.

    I used brown rice in this recipe, but white rice works great too. Long or medium grain rice is always my preference for casseroles. The brown rice can be cooked in the instant pot or on the stovetop.

    I mainly used freshly grated cheddar cheese in this dish. Monterey Jack or Mexican blend would work too.

    Rice, beans, veggies and cheese in a pan

    Now spread the rice in the baking dish and then the remaining cheese on top. I love this OXO Glass 3 Qt Baking Dish with Lid, as it is the perfect size for a big party. I love that it can go from freezer to oven directly (no need to let it sit out and thaw!)...isn't that wonderful when you want to meal prep and have 10 other dishes to make for the Thanksgiving dinner? One less thing to think about is a life saver!

    You will also like that this baking dish has a lid which is great if you wanted to get the casserole ready the day before or even for leftovers!

    Bake vegetarian Mexican casserole

    Now is the time to bake the casserole to perfection. Have the oven preheated to 400˚F. Place the casserole at the center of the oven, and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and perfectly melted on the top.

    Vegetarian Mexican Casserole with Rice & Beans - Baked and cut into pieces to serve. Lime, cilantro to garnish.

    Garnish with some cilantro and jalapeños (skip for kids). Top with some guacamole or sour cream when serving!

    This was absolutely AAAAMAZING. I love these trial runs for Thanksgiving where we get to devour all the delicious food. I had this straight for both lunch and dinner...and looking forward to having it tomorrow too. Don't forget it is so healthy that it is okay to eat it multiple times....that is a win in my book!

    Vegetarian Mexican Casserole with Rice & Beans - Served on a plate

    Give it a try for your Thanksgiving. Whether you are cooking for special diets such as vegetarian, gluten free or not, this casserole is a great addition to the special dinner.

    Tips for making the perfect Vegetarian Mexican Casserole

    √ Add lots of veggies to make this a healthy casserole.

    √ Adjust spices to taste. You can reduce cayenne and skip jalapeños to make this less spicy.

    √ Dont skimp on the cheese. I like to use a block of cheese and shred it myself, rather than the pre-shredded store bought cheese, as it gives a better texture to the final dish.

    √ I used fire-roasted diced tomatoes in this casserole, red enchilada sauce is a great substitute or addition too.

    √ Brown or white rice, either can work well in this casserole.

    Vegetarian Mexican Casserole with Rice & Beans served on a white plate along with a fork.
    Tried this recipe?Give a rating by clicking the ★ below
    Healthy Vegetarian Mexican Rice & Bean Casserole is easy to make and filled with cheesy goodness, along with brown rice and lots of veggies. This is an easy gluten free & vegetarian casserole for a weeknight dinner or your next party!

    Healthy Vegetarian Mexican Casserole with Rice & Beans

    Meeta Arora
    Healthy Vegetarian Mexican Rice and Bean Casserole is easy to make and filled with cheesy goodness, along with brown rice and lots of veggies. This is an easy gluten free & vegetarian casserole for a weeknight dinner or your next party!
    4.83 from 144 votes
    Print Save Saved! Pin
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 391
    Course: Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Diet: Gluten-free, Nut-free, Vegetarian
    Method: Oven
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 30 mins
    Total Time: 40 mins

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
    • 1.5 cup Red Onion chopped
    • 1.5 cup Red Bell Peppers chopped
    • 1.5 cup Green Bell Peppers chopped
    • 2 Jalapeños 1 sliced + 1 diced, divided (adjust to taste)
    • 2 cups Corn kernels frozen
    • 1 can Black Beans 14oz, drained and rinsed
    • 1 can Diced Tomatoes 14oz, I used fire-roasted
    • 2 tablespoon Lime juice
    • 4 cups Cooked Brown Rice
    • 1 ¾ cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
    • ¼ cup Mexican blend cheese shredded, for topping
    • ¼ cup Cilantro chopped

    Seasoning

    • 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
    • 2 teaspoon Ground Cumin (Jeera powder)
    • 1 teaspoon Oregano
    • 1 teaspoon Paprika
    • ½ teaspoon Cayenne adjust to taste
    • 1 teaspoon Salt adjust to taste
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    Instructions
     

    Sauté the veggies

    • Heat a large skillet with oil. Add onions, peppers and diced jalapeño. Sauté for about 4 minutes mins or until they start to brown sightly. Add the corn and saute for couple more minutes. Add the black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, lime juice and then the spices. Stir to combine. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust salt. 
    • Add the cooked brown rice and mix well. Then add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and mix it. 

    Preparing & Baking the casserole:

    • Preheat oven to 400º F.  Grease the baking dish. 
    • Transfer the rice and veggies mixture in the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese and Mexican blend cheese on the top.  
    • Bake in the center of the oven for 12-15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling.  
    • (optional) Leave a few minutes under broil if desired until lightly golden. 
    • Garnish with cilantro and sliced jalapeños. Cut into squares and serve! 

    Video

    Notes

    Make it less spicy: Skip jalapeños and cayenne. 
    Rice options: Cooked white rice can be used in this recipe too. I cooked brown rice in the instant pot.  
    Make it vegan: Use vegan cheese.  
     

    Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 391kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 12gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 418mgPotassium: 482mgFiber: 6gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1065IUVitamin C: 47.4mgCalcium: 185mgIron: 2.6mg
    Keyword healthy mexican casserole, rice and bean casserole, vegetarian mexican casserole
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @PipingPotCurry or #pipingpotcurry

    Do you have a family favorite side you make each year? Any favorite OXO products you can’t live without?

    This recipe is sponsored by OXO. The recipe, writeup and opinions are my own. 

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    6.9K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kayla Whitney says

      June 01, 2021 at 4:12 pm

      Turned out great and super easy to make!! I added vegetarian “meat” crumbles to give it some extra protein

      Reply
      • Piping Pot Curry says

        June 02, 2021 at 9:29 am

        Hi kayla - SO happy to hear that 🙂

        Reply
    2. Preece says

      March 27, 2021 at 5:28 pm

      This is an awesome recipe! Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Piping Pot Curry says

        March 29, 2021 at 8:56 am

        Hi - So happy to hear that 🙂

        Reply
      • Piping Pot Curry says

        March 30, 2021 at 9:24 pm

        Hi Preece - So happy to hear that 🙂

        Reply
    3. Sheila says

      January 25, 2021 at 4:41 pm

      Yummy! Great recipe. Very easy to follow. It made a lot more than I realized. Can I freeze the rest?

      Reply
    4. Kailey says

      October 01, 2020 at 10:02 am

      This was great! It's difficult to find hearty, delicious vegetarian casseroles. I did add my own twist to this as the final result was a bit dry. So I added a can of enchilada sauce and lined the baking dish with corn tortillas. I know this takes out the gluten free aspect, but this was a personal preference.

      Thanks for sharing and I look forward to trying your other recipes!

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        October 18, 2020 at 7:12 pm

        Hi Kalley - Glad to hear you enjoyed the casserole. Thank you for sharing back the changes you made. I am sure enchilada sauce will be a great addition to this recipe.

        Reply
    5. Joanne says

      September 22, 2020 at 3:35 am

      I just made your broccoli cheese soup in the instant pot.
      Yummy.

      Reply
      • Piping Pot Curry says

        September 22, 2020 at 11:38 am

        Hi Joanne - So good to hear that. Thank you for sharing. 🙂

        Reply
    6. Cheryl says

      August 23, 2020 at 9:50 am

      Can this be made in the instapot?

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        August 27, 2020 at 7:07 am

        Hi Cheryl - You can make this in the instant pot with dry brown rice and black beans. However I will have to test the water and cooking time before I can suggest the details.

        Reply
    7. SW says

      August 12, 2020 at 12:42 pm

      Awesome simple casserole with a kick. I made the mistake of cooking way too much rice, it's definitely 4 cups of COOKED rice, meaning 2 cups of uncooked rice. I'll just have to make some burritos with the extra 🙂

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        August 13, 2020 at 2:14 pm

        Glad to hear you enjoyed the Mexican casserole. Thanks for sharing back your review!

        Reply
    8. Patricia Ann Keogh says

      July 05, 2020 at 3:19 pm

      Do you drain the can of tomatos befire adding them? it is so annoying when receipes are unclear about this step.

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        July 07, 2020 at 7:33 am

        Hi Patricia - I did not drain the can of tomatoes. Just added the whole can. Hope you enjoy the casserole!

        Reply
      • Karen says

        August 15, 2020 at 6:58 pm

        What size baking dish do you use?

        Reply
        • Meeta Arora says

          August 19, 2020 at 10:18 pm

          It is a 9x13 baking dish. Hope you enjoy the casserole.

    9. Lorraine B says

      April 29, 2020 at 2:18 pm

      Tastes great. Took me a bit longer than the estimate, but I'm an inexperienced cook. I also added a can of pinto beans because I love beans and I think that made the recipe even better. Will make this again in the near future.

      Reply
    10. Kathy Holden says

      February 29, 2020 at 3:44 pm

      Made this for dinner tonight. Skipped the cayenne as I have frozen hot peppers from my garden and they are "hot". Will make it again for sure. I also skip the salt and if someone wants it they can add at the table. Delicious!

      Reply
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