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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian Dinner Recipes

    May 26, 2014 · Modified: Apr 15, 2020 by Becca Heyes · This post may contain affiliate links · 22 Comments

    Mexican quinoa bake

    2.4K shares
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    Total time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 3 -4
    5 from 1 vote
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    Mexican quinoa bake - even meat-eaters LOVE this vegetarian recipe!

    Hands up if you love quinoa!

    (I hope you've all got your hands up right now, otherwise I feel a bit silly for waving my arms madly here)

    Now hands up if you love quinoa with enchilada sauce and black beans and veg and a crispy cheesy topping...

    Mexican quinoa bake - even meat-eaters LOVE this vegetarian recipe!

    This Mexican quinoa bake is pretty much my new favourite thing ever (I know I say that a lot... but I always mean it at the time). The vegetables and black beans make this a hearty casserole, but the fluffy quinoa keeps it light. And the cheesy topping...

    Mexican quinoa bake - even meat-eaters LOVE this vegetarian recipe!

    I literally just sighed. That's the only way to describe this cheesy topping. I used a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella - the cheddar gives a great flavour and crispiness, and the mozzarella gives those stretchy, stringy bits of cheese that make me want to cry in a really good way.

    (just kidding, I don't actually cry over cheese, usually)

    Mexican quinoa bake - even meat-eaters LOVE this vegetarian recipe!

    Pair this Mexican quinoa bake with a big pile of salad and maybe a slice or two of garlic bread, and you've got the perfect dinner - it's comfort food, but it's pretty healthy as far as comfort food goes. You could use brown rice instead of quinoa if you prefer, but personally I think the quinoa is a big part of what makes this dish so amazing. It's got such a great texture (did I mention fluffy?), and it's higher in fibre, protein, and iron.

    One of the best things about this recipe is that everyone will love it - meat-eaters and veggies alike. Don't let your carnivorous friends be put off by the quinoa (even if it does sound like something you would eat at a vegan yoga retreat in the Himalayas) - once they taste it they'll be 100% converted.

    Mexican quinoa bake - even meat-eaters LOVE this vegetarian recipe!

    Mexican quinoa bake

    If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!

    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Comment
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 3 -4
    Calories:
    Author: Becca Heyes
    (prevents your screen from going dark)

    Ingredients

    • 175 g quinoa
    • 500 ml vegetable stock plus extra water if needed
    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 onion diced
    • 1 red pepper diced
    • 3 spring onions sliced
    • 100 g sweetcorn kernels
    • 1 x 400g tin black beans 240g when drained, drained and rinsed
    • 4 tablespoon fresh coriander chopped
    • 250 g red enchilada sauce shop-bought or homemade
    • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon hot chilli powder
    • Salt
    • Black pepper
    • 100 g grated cheese I used a mozzarella and cheddar mix

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
    • Boil the quinoa in the vegetable stock for around 15 minutes - the quinoa should become soft and the spiral-shaped germ should detach, and the liquid should all be absorbed. If the liquid begins to dry up before the quinoa is ready, just add a dash more water and mix well. When the liquid is nearly gone, you will need to turn the heat down fairly low to prevent the quinoa from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
    • While the quinoa is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan, and add the garlic, onion and red pepper. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are almost soft. Remove from the heat, and add the spring onions, sweetcorn, drained black beans and fresh coriander. Stir in the enchilada sauce and the cooked quinoa, and then add the spices as necessary (if your sauce was particularly spicy you might decide to skip the additional chilli powder). Season to taste, and mix well to combine.
    • Transfer the mixture to a large baking dish, and sprinkle over the grated cheese. Bake for around 30 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and crispy, and the quinoa mixture is piping hot.

    Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @EasyCheesyVeg or tag #EasyCheesyVegetarian!
    Mexican quinoa bake - even meat-eaters LOVE this vegetarian recipe!

    If you have any quinoa left over, make sure you put it to good use in my cheesy quinoa cakes!

    Cheesy quinoa cakes

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    Comments

    1. Bec says

      January 26, 2017 at 6:01 am

      Just an observation (as I sit here eating a bowl of leftovers)... but dang, this is even better the next day!! :)

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        January 27, 2017 at 9:37 am

        Haha good to know! Glad you liked it :)

        Reply
    2. Bec says

      January 15, 2016 at 2:35 am

      yum! Made this for lunch today, it hit the spot. Delicious!! And pretty easy! First time cooking with quinoa - I'd been a bit intimidated, I have no idea why...

      Definitely making this again.

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        January 15, 2016 at 10:06 am

        Woop! I love quinoa, glad you enjoyed your first try :)

        Reply
    3. Beverly Chase says

      September 26, 2014 at 6:38 pm

      I'm with Misty. Looks good but if measurements are not given in US standard, I know I'll end up printing this out but never going to the trouble of looking up equivalents.

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        September 26, 2014 at 11:44 pm

        That's a shame, but it's your choice. I make the effort to convert American recipes into standard measurements, it's not hard. Or you can buy a scale for about $15.

        Reply
    4. Misty says

      August 18, 2014 at 7:26 pm

      :-( Could someone give me measurements in US standards. Cups, etc. This looks so nummy!!!

      Reply
    5. Linda @ForkandForage says

      June 09, 2014 at 6:51 pm

      Becca, I have to say that your site has me drooling. You sure know how to capture the deliciousness of your recipes! Seriously, the third picture down with a scoop of your Mexican Quinoa Bake is calling my name. Yummy. I'll be trying this recipe for sure. :)

      Reply
      • Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

        June 09, 2014 at 6:56 pm

        Aw Linda you're too kind, thanks so much! :)

        Reply
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    Hi, I'm Becca! I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years, and unlike most of my other childhood pursuits, I actually stuck with it! I love cooking vegetarian food that's full of flavour, but doesn't take a lot of effort to make.

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