Today is about cheap, easy, “lets mash together some pantry staples and the veggies we have in the fridge” kind of cooking. But don’t be fooled, because this humble rice and bean casserole is super flavorful and comforting and a delicious dinner is promised.

There are no shortage of Tex Mex style casseroles out there, but what I absolutely love about this one is the inclusion of refried beans, added to the casserole in little dollops, giving us pockets of delicious creaminess throughout. It is super filling and hearty, and I love it best served alongside lots of crisp lettuce and some fresh pico de gallo to lighten it all up.

This is an easy meal which can be made in one pot if you’re using precooked rice, so meal planners take note to make some extra rice on another night to re-use here! It can take as many or as few veggies as you like, and there is lots of scope to leave out ingredients, change the ratios around where you need to, and adapt it to work with what you have.

If you live in the US you should find this to be a low budget meal, with ingredients such as tortillas and refried beans being so affordable. (In Europe sourcing Mexican ingredients is relatively more expensive, so it may not be so budget friendly, but there are ways to bring the cost down; by making your own sauce, for example).

Ingredients & Substitutions

  • For me the best vegetable combo is onion, pepper and mushrooms, but you can do what you like here. You can include just onions and peppers if you don’t want something veggie heavy. Or if you want to go the other way and pack in a variety of vegetables, go for it! Small cubes of sweet potato, cauliflower florets, even asparagus – anything that roasts in 15-20 minutes will be welcome here.
  • To keep this recipe vegetarian, be sure to choose vegetarian refried beans. (Though that is mostly an American issue. If you’re in the UK, supermarket refried beans are generally always vegetarian. If you haven’t seen them before, you can generally find them in the Mexican section of a larger supermarket, not the general bean section). For a lower budget option, you can also make your own refried beans in the slow cooker!
  • I use canned enchilada sauce for ease here. If you don’t have any, try a blender enchilada sauce for a quick and easy homemade option.
  • If you don’t have any corn tortillas, you could use some tortilla chips instead.
  • Feel free to leave out the canned black beans and/or corn tortillas, but if you do, increase your rice by another cup or two (cooked).

Storing and Reheating

You will get 6-8 portions out of this, so you are likely to have leftovers!

  • Store in the fridge for 3-4 days or the freezer for 4-6 months and microwave before serving.
  • The leftovers will sometimes dry out a little – the tortillas drink up a lot of the sauce – but serving with some sour cream or guacamole definitely helps.
  • If you have any extra enchilada sauce, you could add a few spoonfuls to the bottom of the containers you use to store the leftovers.

Other Ideas…

Cheesy Rice & Refried Bean Casserole

A cheap and easy vegetarian casserole packed with veggies, rice and creamy refried beans. This is endlessly adaptable to use up the ingredients you have to hand and if your family love Tex Mex flavors, it's a guaranteed winner!
6 servings
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Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil, for roasting
  • 1 medium red or white onion, finely diced
  • 10 oz (280 g) mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder or smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 3 cups (600 g) cooked white or brown rice , from 1 cup / 200g dried
  • 6 5 inch corn tortillas , torn into small pieces – see notes for other options
  • 14 oz canned refried beans
  • 14 oz canned black beans, (pinto or kidney beans work too)
  • 2 cups enchilada sauce
  • 3 cups grated cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, divided

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 430F / 220C / 200C Fan.
  • Add the onion, pepper and mushrooms to the pan. Drizzle olive oil over the top (just enough to get everything coated) add the cumin, garlic powder and chili powder or smoked paprika, and mix to get the veggies well coated.
    3 tbsp olive oil, 1 medium red or white onion, 10 oz mushrooms, 1 red bell pepper, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp chili powder or smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Place in the oven for 10-20 minutes, until the veggies are browning. If you've got a lot of veggies in the pan, especially those with moisture (like mushrooms or zucchini / courgette, you will need the higher end of the cook time. If it's just onions and peppers, the lower end will do fine.
  • If you are cooking the rice from dried, set it cooking now by your preferred method.
    3 cups cooked white or brown rice
  • When you take the pan out of the oven, immediately add the torn corn tortillas to the pan and mix them through – the pan's residual heat will slightly toast them.
    (If you're using tortilla chips, you can add them in the next step alongside everything else)
    6 5 inch corn tortillas
  • Add the cooked rice, black beans, enchilada sauce and 1/3rd of the grated cheese (saving the rest for the topping) to the pan and stir through.
    3 cups cooked white or brown rice, 6 5 inch corn tortillas, 14 oz canned black beans, 2 cups enchilada sauce
  • Now add the refried beans. Add a spoonful at a time, and push it down a little into the casserole, partially burying it with the rice and tortilla mixture. Repeat until the whole can is used up.
    14 oz canned refried beans
  • Cover with the remaining cheese and bake.
    If the rice was added warm, you can just bake uncovered for about 20 minutes. If the rice was added cold, you should bake covered for 20 minutes and then uncovered for another 10-15 minutes.
    3 cups grated cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
  • Remove from the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting in and serving.

Notes

Corn tortillas: If you don’t have any corn tortillas available, use a couple handfuls of tortilla chips. If you only have larger corn tortillas (like the Old El Paso enchilada sized ones) just use 2-3. Either way, you just want about 1 cup’s worth of small tortilla pieces.
Calories: 545kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 57mg, Sodium: 1594mg, Potassium: 506mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 1767IU, Vitamin C: 31mg, Calcium: 457mg, Iron: 3mg