Black Bean and Spinach Enchilada Casserole {Freezer Meal}
I can’t remember how I stumbled upon this black bean and spinach freezer casserole recipe from kiwiandbean.com, but I am thankful I did. It’s pretty inexpensive, quite easy to assemble, and uses a few simple ingredients. To make it even easier for you to make this meal, here are the layers at a glance:
Layer 1: 1/3 salsa
Layer 2: Six corn tortilla shells
Layer 3: 1/3 salsa
Layer 4: sauteed spinach
Layer 5: black beans (mixed with Mexican chili powder)
Layer 6: goat cheese
Layer 7: Six corn tortilla shells
Layer 8: remaining salsa
Layer 9: cheddar cheese
The recipe calls for goat cheese, which is not liked by all and can easily be substituted with feta or cheddar. If you’re not a fan of tomatillo salsa verde, (i.e., Mexican green salsa), use red salsa.
If you would like to make the dish non-vegetarian, add a layer of cooked shredded chicken (layer after the black beans, and mix the chicken with a little extra Mexican chili powder).
If you are preparing this meal for someone with celiac disease, make sure to use gluten free corn tortilla shells (i.e., the shells are not produced on equipment that also manufactures wheat; the package will say “gluten free”). Make sure the Mexican chili powder is also gluten free. To do so, you may choose to make the seasoning mixture from scratch. Here is a link to a recipe (note: I have not tried this seasoning recipe).
McCormick’s Hot Mexican-Style Chili Powder was used in this freezer enchilada dish. McCormick guarantees its single ingredient spices are gluten free and will disclose if gluten is used in a product (i.e., the company will not hide the use of gluten ingredients; reference mccormick.com). The ingredients in McCormick’s Hot Mexican-Style Chili Powder are as follows: chili peppers; cumin, salt, oregano, silicon dioxide, and garlic.
Black Bean and Spinach Enchilada Casserole {Freezer Meal}
Ingredients
- 14 oz (1 can) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 5 oz Fresh spinach
- 12 small corn tortillas
- 16 oz (1 jar) tomatillo salsa verde
- 1.5 tsp Mexican chili powder
- 4 oz goat cheese
- 1.5 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in sauce pan, add spinach, and sauté.
- Coat 9"x13" casserole dish with olive oil spray, and layer bottom of dish with 1/3 of salsa.
- Layer six tortilla shells over the salsa, then spread another even layer of salsa (use another 1/3), followed by the spinach.
- Mix black beans with Mexican chili powder, then cover the spinach with the black beans.
- Cover black beans with goat cheese, then add the remaining (six) tortilla shells.
- Spread remaining salsa on the tortillas, and cover with shredded cheese.
- To freeze, cover with plastic wrap and lid, and store in freezer. To bake, thaw in refridgerator. Remove plastic wrap, place cover (e.g., foil) on dish, and bake at 400°F for approximately 20 minutes. At 20-minute point, remove cover, and bake for another 15 mintues (or until casserole is hot and cheese is light brown and bubbling).
- To prepare without freezing, cover dish with foil and bake at 400°F for approximately 20 minutes. At 20-minute point, remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes (or until casserole is hot and cheese is light brown and bubbling).