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Wholesome and comforting vegan enchiladas! Stuffed with mushrooms, black beans, an easy homemade enchilada sauce, and finished off with creamy vegan queso. It doesn’t get any cozier or more delicious than these “cheesy” vegan enchiladas!

close-up image of vegan enchiladas in a baking dish

What You’ll Need To Make Vegan Enchiladas

Tomato Paste – The key to a rich and creamy enchilada sauce is tomato paste. The concentrated flavor in tomato paste gives our sauce an extra tangy and intense taste.

Vegetable Broth – Most homemade enchilada sauces are made with chicken broth, but to keep ours plant-based, we use vegetable broth instead. Vegetable broth contributes an additional hint of flavor to this already super flavorful recipe. If you don’t have vegetable broth, you can use two cups of water in its place.

Mushrooms – Finely chopped mushrooms provide our vegan enchiladas with a “meaty” texture! I personally love mushrooms, and add them to many of my vegan recipes. They’re a healthy, delicious, and versatile source of plant-based protein. However, if you don’t enjoy mushrooms, you can use 1/2 cup of cooked lentils instead.

Black Beans – Our other source of protein is a can of drained and rinsed black beans! They, similar to mushrooms, give this meatless dinner recipe a heartier texture.

Tortillas – Feel free to use any tortillas you’d like! Corn tortillas or flour tortillas are the standard, but grain-free tortillas taste delicious as well. Though regardless of the type of tortillas you use, make sure they’re no larger than 8-inches. This way, once rolled they’ll fit perfectly in a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Vegan Cashew Queso – The secret ingredient to our “cheesy” vegan enchiladas is half a cup of my vegan cashew queso! It’s super quick and easy to take, coming together in under 10 minutes. While highly recommended, you can make this recipe without the vegan queso if you’d prefer.

overhead image of vegan enchiladas in a baking dish with cilantro and limes on the side

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Gluten-Free: For gluten-free enchiladas, use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas. Also, be sure the corn starch you’re using in the enchilada sauce is also gluten-free.

Make it Paleo: These vegan enchiladas are very easily made paleo as well! To do this, replace the corn starch with arrowroot starch and black beans with diced, then roasted sweet potatoes. Also, use your favorite paleo tortillas, such as Siete Almond Flour Tortillas for rolling your enchiladas.

Add Cheese: If not vegan or dairy-free, finish this dinner recipe off with a sprinkling of your favorite shredded cheese right before baking!

“Cheesy” Vegan Enchiladas

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Intermediate
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes
Total time

40

minutes

Wholesome and comforting vegan enchiladas! Stuffed with mushrooms, black beans, an easy homemade enchilada sauce, and finished off with creamy vegan queso. It doesn’t get any cozier or more delicious than these “cheesy” vegan enchiladas!

Ingredients

  • For the enchilada sauce:
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons corn starch

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder

  • 1 teaspoon cumin

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

  • 6 ounces tomato paste

  • 2 cups vegetable broth

  • For the filling:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 4 ounces (1/2 cup) mushrooms, finely chopped

  • 1 bell pepper, finely chopped

  • 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon cumin

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • For the enchiladas:
  • 8 8-inch tortillas

  • 1/2 cup vegan cashew queso, optional

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
  • Make the enchilada sauce by whisking together olive oil and corn starch in a large skillet over medium heat, until starch has fully dissolved.
  • Add in the chili powder, cumin, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder, cook for 2 minutes.
  • Pour in apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, and vegetable broth, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
  • Prepare the filling by heating olive oil in a separate large skillet over medium heat. Add in mushrooms, bell pepper, and yellow onion, cook for 3-5 minutes or until veggies are tender.
  • Add in black beans, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and ½ cup of enchilada sauce you made earlier. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
  • Roll enchiladas by placing ¼ cup of filling mixture in the center of each tortilla, ten rolling tortilla around filling to seal. Repeat this process until all 8 tortillas are stuffed and rolled.
  • Spoon half homemade enchilada sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish. Then, place all 8 enchiladas on top of sauce with the seam side facing down.
  • Top with remaining enchilada sauce, then vegan cashew cheese if using. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

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This Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Cauliflower Mash Potatoes recipe is the ultimate comfort dish during the colder months and a great recipe to use around the holidays! It’s hearty and flavorful, made with Cauliflower instead of traditional Mash for less carbs, and packed with tons of veggies and delicious seasonings like thyme and rosemary.

Braised Short Ribs with Cauliflower Mash

Main Ingredients Needed

  • Bone-in Beef Short Ribs

  • Avocado Oil

  • Veggies – Onions, Carrots, Celery Stalks, Shallot

  • Tomato Paste

  • Red Wine

  • Beef or Chicken Broth

  • Fresh Thyme & Rosemary

  • Head of Cauliflower – Cut into florets.

  • Butter – I used non-dairy.

  • Garlic Cloves

  • Milk – Any milk will work but I used almond milk.

  • Salt & Pepper – To taste.

Tips When Making Braised Short Ribs With Cauliflower Mash Potatoes

  • You can substitute red wine for the balsamic.

  • Save a little bit of time on your chopping by buying cauliflower florets instead of a head of cauliflower.

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Cauliflower Mash

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Medium
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

2

hours 

10

minutes
Total time

2

hours 

25

minutes

This Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Cauliflower Mash Potatoes recipe is hearty and flavorful and packed with tons of veggies and delicious seasonings like thyme and rosemary.

Ingredients

  • For the short ribs:
  • 3-5 Lbs Bone-In Beef Short Ribs

  • Salt & Pepper (to taste)

  • 3 Tablespoons Avocado Oil

  • 1 Onion (chopped)

  • 3 Carrots (chopped)

  • 2 Celery Stalks (chopped)

  • 1 Shallot (peeled & chopped)

  • 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

  • 2 Cups Red Wine

  • 1 Cup Beef or Chicken Broth

  • 1 Bunch Fresh Thyme

  • 3 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary

  • For the cauliflower mash:
  • 1 Head Cauliflower (cut into florets)

  • 3 Tablespoons Butter (dairy or non-dairy)

  • 6 Garlic Cloves (roughly chopped)

  • 2 Shallots (roughly chopped)

  • 1 Tablespoon Milk (dairy or non-dairy)

  • Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
  • Season all sides of short ribs with a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Heat avocado oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, then brown short ribs in oil, rotating to evenly brown on all sides. 
  • Remove short ribs from pot then add in onion, carrot, celery, and shallot. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes, then stir in tomato paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  • Place short ribs back into pot, along with any juices that have been released from the meat. Add in red wine, beef or chicken broth, fresh thyme, and fresh rosemary.
  • Bring everything to a boil, then cover pot with lid, and transfer it into preheated oven. Cook for about 2 hours or until short ribs are super tender.
  • While short ribs cook, make the cauliflower mash by boiling cauliflower florets in a large pot of salted boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes. Strain cauliflower then set aside to cool slightly before pureeing. 
  • While cauliflower cools, melt butter in the same pot over medium-low and add in garlic, cook for about 2 minutes or until fragrant.
  • Transfer cooled cauliflower, sautéed garlic, milk, salt, and black pepper to a food processor or high-speed blender. Pulse cauliflower until smooth, then scoop onto plates, and serve with braised short ribs on top.

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More Healthy & Hearty Recipes

This paleo enchilada casserole is made with the healthiest ingredients! A quick and easy homemade enchilada sauce is bursting with delicious Mexican-inspired flavors. This recipe packs in plenty of veggies and lean protein, making this paleo enchilada casserole a simple a nutritious dinner option.

Paleo Enchilada Casserole served on a plate topped with fresh avocado and jalapenos.

The Story Behind This Paleo Enchilada Casserole

I’m a BIG fan of all things Mexican food. Mexican food is easily my most favorite cuisine (no one tell my Italian grandmother I said that!). My main goal in life, other than creating delicious gluten-free and dairy-free recipes for you guys, is creating EASY gluten-free and dairy-free recipes for you guys. We’re all busy, trust me I get it. And we don’t always have the time to hand-roll 30 paleo meatballs. So I asked myself, what’s easy?? And time and time again came back to casseroles. I might have my mid-western mom to thank for this, she’s a big casserole gal. I find that where I live in the Northeast, casseroles aren’t as big of a part of people’s weekly dinner rotations. Well, I don’t care where you’re from, because I’m gonna make sure you get comfortable and excited about making casseroles!

This paleo enchilada casserole is easy, loaded with flavor, slightly spicy, incredibly healthy, and super satisfying. There are also ways to make this casserole even easier. Not up to making your own enchilada sauce? Simply pick up a bottle from the store! Don’t have time to cook and shred the chicken? Simply pick up some pre-cooked and shredded or chopped chicken from the store! This recipe is really so easy to customize and make your own, which I highly encourage you do. Oh and before I get into the other stuff I should probably note that this paleo enchilada recipe makes a large batch! I got around eight servings out of my casserole and was able to store it in the fridge, then heat it up and enjoy it all week long.

What You Need To Make Paleo Enchilada Casserole

Arrowroot Starch – This is the paleo version of cornstarch. If you don’t have arrowroot starch, you can easily substite it with cornstarch in this recipe. However, do not leave this ingredients out as it is key to making your enchilada sauce thick and creamy.

Chicken Broth – Feel free to use beef broth, vegetable broth, or even bone broth instead. You can use water if you’d like, but I recommend broth for extra flavor.

Sweet Potato – A large sautéed sweet potato replaces black beans in this paleo enchilada casserole recipe. In case you’re not aware, black beans are not paleo-compliant. However, if you are not strict paleo you can easily use one or two cans of black beans instead.

Diced Green Chiles – Though small, diced green chiles pack a TON of flavor. If you’er having a hard time finding diced green chilies at your local grocery store, try looking in the ethnic food aisle – that’s where I almost always find them!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Add Dairy: Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese on top of the casserole before baking OR sprinkle queso fresco on top of the casserole after baking.
  • Make it Vegan/Vegetarian: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and 2 cans of drained and rinsed black beans instead of chicken.

Paleo Enchilada Casserole

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: MainCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes
Total time

40

minutes

This paleo enchilada casserole is made with the healthiest ingredients! A quick and easy homemade enchilada sauce is bursting with delicious Mexican-inspired flavors. This recipe packs in plenty of veggies and lean protein, making this paleo enchilada casserole a simple a nutritious dinner option.

Ingredients

  • For the enchilada sauce:
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

  • 3 Tablespoons Arrowroot Starch, see Notes

  • 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder

  • 1 Teaspoon Cumin

  • 1 Teaspoon Salt

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

  • 1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar, see Notes

  • 6 Ounces Tomato Paste

  • 2 Cups Chicken Broth

  • For the casserole:
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

  • 1 Yellow Onion diced

  • 1 Bell Pepper diced

  • 1 Large Sweet Potato cubed

  • 4 Ounce Can Green Chiles

  • 1 1/2 Pounds Chicken Breast cooked and shredded

  • 8 Grain-Free Tortillas halved, see Notes

Directions

  • For the enchilada sauce:
  • Mix together the olive oil and arrowroot starch in a large saucepan over medium heat.Paleo Enchilada Casserole Process Photo 1
  • Once starch has dissolved, add in the chili powder, cumin, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder and cook for 2 minutes.Paleo Enchilada Casserole Process Photo 2
  • Add in the apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, and chicken broth then bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Use immediately in the recipe below.Paleo Enchilada Casserole Process Photo 3
  • For the casserole:
  • Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
  • Sauté the onion, bell pepper, and sweet potato in olive oil over medium heat for 10 minutes.Paleo Enchilada Casserole Process Photo 4
  • Add in the diced green chiles, shredded chicken, and 1 cup of enchilada sauce. Cook for another 2 minutes before removing from heat.Paleo Enchilada Casserole Process Photo 5
  • Evenly spread 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of your baking dish. Follow that up with an even layer of 6 tortillas halves, top the tortillas halves with 1/3 of the chicken mixture, repeat with a layer of 5 tortilla halves, then 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture. Layer the last of the tortilla halves, the last of the chicken mixture, and top casserole with 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce.Paleo Enchilada Casserole Process Photo 6
  • Cover casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes.Paleo Enchilada Casserole Process Photo 7

Notes

  • Arrowroot Starch: If not paleo, you can sub 3 tablespoons of cornstarch for the arrowroot starch.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar: You can sub white vinegar for the apple cider vinegar in this recipe.
  • Grain-Free Tortillas: I love and recommend Siete grain-free tortillas, if you’re not grain-free you can use your favorite corn or flour tortillas instead.

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More Easy Dinner Recipes