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–+ servings

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