Vegetarian Southwestern Casserole
This Southwestern Casserole is an amazing vegetarian comfort food. It’s layered with zucchini, mushrooms, caramelized onion, and Latin flavors throughout.
Servings: 6
Calories: 411kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds zucchini, washed and dried
- olive oil for the pan and coating the zucchini
- 3 cups thinly sliced yellow onion
- 6 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeño pepper, washed and dried, seeds removed,
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped chipotles in adobo sauce,
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 pounds (about 10 cups) Button or Crimini mushrooms, washed and dried, thinly sliced
- 1¾ cup cooked black beans, (from scratch or a can -- drain if from a can)
- 1¾ cup Cheddar cheese (white or orange), grated, divided
- 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, grated, divided
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garnishes
- about 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, washed and dried
- about ½ large avocado, thinly sliced
- about 2 tablespoons thinly sliced jalapeño pepper, washed and dried
Instructions
- Prepare the zucchini: Slice about ½ inch off the ends off of the zucchini and then slice them thinly, about ¼ inch. The easiest way to do this is to use a mandoline. (If you don’t have one, use a Chef’s knife. First cut a base by slicing off a thin strip from one side. Then with the zucchini sitting steady of this base, cut it into thin slices.)
- Grill the zucchini: Preheat a stove-top grill (or outdoor grill). On a baking sheet, coat the zucchini slices with olive oil and season them generously with salt and pepper. Once the grill is hot, add the zucchini slices — there should be about an inch between them. Grill until they're tender and nicely browned, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside on a baking sheet to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Prepare the seasonings: In a small bowl, combine the jalapeño, garlic, chipotles in adobo sauce, and cumin. Set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables: Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and place it over medium heat. Add the onion and, stirring often, cook until soft and golden, about 20 minutes. Add the seasoning mixture, stir, and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Turn the heat to medium-high, drizzle with a bit more olive oil and add about half of the mushrooms. Stirring often, sauté until they’ve shrunk and softened, about 5 minutes. Add the second half of the mushrooms and continue to sauté until all of the mushrooms begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Mix in the beans and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here’s How to Season to Taste.)
- Assemble: Add an even layer of the grilled zucchini slices to the bottom of a 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking dish. Cover this with an even layer of about ⅓ of the mushroom-bean mixture. Sprinkle with ½ cup of the Cheddar and ¼ cup of the Pepper Jack cheese. Repeat this layering process twice more — however, the top layer of cheese will be ¾ cup of the Cheddar and ½ cup of the Pepper Jack.
- Bake: Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and place in the preheated 375°F oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
- Garnish: After the 15 minutes of cooling time, garnish with the cilantro, avocado and jalapeño slices.
- Serve!
Notes
Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 530mg | Potassium: 1737mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1316IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 484mg | Iron: 4mg