Garden Enchilada Bake
Please don’t talk to me about football.
Not high school, not college or pro. Not real or fantasy, with it’s magical unicorns and leprechauns.
I don’t want to hear about backpacks and binders, not wide-ruled, college-ruled, pink pearl and #2.
(For the record, I never want to hear about #2.)
Don’t waste your breath chattering to me about stiff blue jeans and shoes that need breaking in.
And what’s all this nonsense about sleeves? I get itchy just thinking about them.
This has without a doubt been one of the most enjoyable summers of my life. There hasn’t been a moment I want to take back or a memory that I want to let go of.
You can’t make me.
Don’t tell me we’re getting the last of our zucchini or that the tree branches are getting heavy with apples.
Shhhh.
Heaven help you if you even think about mentioning kindergarten.
La la la la la.
I’m not listening.
I’m eating.
Outside.
No football. No pencils. No sleeves.
Just me, my family and the most delicious thing we’ve eaten all summer:
Zesty quinoa and zucchini, all smothered in creamy enchilada sauce, and baked up until bubbly and melty.
Now we’re talking.
Garden Enchilada Bake
Makes 6 servings
- 1 c. quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 c. vegetable broth
- 1 15 oz. can organic tomato sauce, divided
- 2 1/2 t. chili powder, divided
- 1/2 t. dried oregano
- 1 zucchini, shredded and squeezed to release all excess moisture*
- 1/3 c. non-dairy (i.e. Tofutti) or organic cream cheese
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1/2 t. cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 c. non-dairy (i.e. Daiya) or organic mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 3 oz. can sliced olives, drained
- 1 avocado, sliced
- cilantro for garnish (optional)
*Try adding whatever additional fresh veggies you have on hand, including shredded carrots, corn kernels off the cob and/or torn dark, leafy greens
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium stockpot, combine quinoa, broth, 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, 2 teaspoons of chili powder and oregano. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat, stir and cover, simmering for 15-20 minutes. Removed lid and cook for an additional minute or two, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed and quinoa is fully cooked.
Add shredded zucchini, remaining tomato sauce, remaining chili powder, cream cheese, garlic and cumin and heat until fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer mixture to a large casserole dish (2 qt. or larger) that has been lightly spritzed with olive oil or cooking spray.
Top casserole with grated cheese and sliced olives. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
To brown the top of the casserole, you can switch the oven over to the broil setting for the last several minutes.
Garnish with avocado slices and fresh cilantro, if desired.
( Okay, fine. It’d work great to make two and stick one in your freezer for Fall. Whatever that is.)
I completely agree w you about fall! Kids are wonderful and every minute goes too fast! That looks fabulous! My husband seriously dislikes quinoa but I may try and pretend its not !
although he also seriously dislikes when I try to pretend about food!
Confession: I’m not a huge quinoa fan either. But I LOVE this.
OK, I’m creepy, but do you have «ombre» hair on this tiny picture?
I wouldn’t call it “ombre” so much as I would call it grow out.
You can see a bigger version here:
http://peasandthankyou.com/meet-the-peas/
I find that millett makes a good replacement for quinoa. You could also try it with brown rice!
oh man pinning this…a must make for our house!
and there will be avocado garnished on top
I know you will LOVE it!
My lips are sealed…except maybe to eat this!
Well, and MAYBE talk about football. Maybe
Admit it, you have a unicorn team, dontcha?
actually it’s a mix between leprechauns and unicorns
These look so delicious! I don’t want Summer to be over ever!
Me neither. Let’s runaway to Maui. And make pineapple enchilada bake!
I’m not ready for summer to be over with yet either. I might have to start migrating south as the weather gets cooler so I can fool myself.
The garden bake looks super yum!
YUMMY!!!! I love mexican, that looks awesome. Since we don’t have vegan cream cheese…do you think that you could sub a smaller portion of lactose free plain yogurt?
Sure! I just like the balance of a little creamy in my “enchiladas,” you know?
I agree with you! Didn’t they just get out of school? This summer has gone by so fast. You think starting kindergarten is bad (well, it is!)? My “baby” is starting high school! It can’t be!!
And I am making this enchilada bake SOON!
I am in the same boat! My two girls are starting high school & middle school, and my baby boy is going into kindergarten! How can all of this be happening!
It’s crazy yet exciting at the same time, and NO! I haven’t even begun to think about back-to-school shopping. At this rate, my kids will be wearing ripped jeans and flip-flops on their first day (hey, it’s in style, isn’t it?) I will continue to live in my fantasy world for a week longer, then get down to business. And that enchilada bake looks delicious!
At least here we have Indian summers, so we don’t pull out sleeves and jeans until October
Your “baby” only starts high school if you let him/her.
I’m so not ready to let go of the summer either and definitely not ready for school to start. I know how you feel about that Kindergarten thing…..I have a first grader this year. That enchilada bake looks amazingly delish, though!!
Next year I will need a straight jacket.
I am totally with you! These people speaking of pumpkin and soups and cool weather make me want to scream. Summer is the best season, hands down and I never want it to end! Especially if it means this enchilada bake
I’m thinking I might need to locate to a warmer climate permanently…
oh my gosh that looks positively perfect! i love the avocado on top! yum!
The lighting in these pictures makes me swoon, as does that baked enchilada goodness up there.
Also, I’m in your club…don’t even talk about the end of summer. In fact, I’m kind of mad at you for even bringing it up. You might even get an angry-at-you-for-mentioning-the-end-of-summer face in your inbox tomorrow.
Oooh, I hope so!
This bake looks AWESOME! Normally, this isn’t ‘my kind of food’ (where’s the chocolate – haha!) but I am loving this. The avocado, the sauce, the spices and oh I love cumin so much. The shredded zucchini -mmmm, WINNER!
Thank you, thank you for this recipe! I went to the market yesterday and they had zucchini’s on sale 3 for 99 cents, I couldn’t pass it up but wasn’t sure what to make with them. This recipe is perfect!
Do you know approximately how much grated zucchini you used? Zucchini’s differ in size immensely.
Thanks for sharing all the wonderful recipes you create!
Anna
Good point, Anna. I’d say it was about 1 1/2 c. of shredded zucchini, once you get it wrung out good.
Just the question that I needed an answer to! Thanks
I’ll be prepping this tomorrow morning for tomorrow’s dinner!
Yum, looks delicious! Hey, have you ever frozen shredded zucchini? I wonder if it would work and then I could make this when I’m willing to turn on my oven again… I am seriously dreading thursday and friday.
I contemplated offering to bring you leftovers tomorrow…but once I put it in a Tupperware, it didn’t look nearly as pretty.
I haven’t frozen it, but yes, I’ve read that it works!
Can you bring me some leftovers (to St. Louis) too?!?
pretty means nothing if it tastes good
(see, food obsessed!)
Yep, I’m making this. ASAP.
Ouh, I know I’ll love this recipe! I love that I can use portions throughout multiple lunch for work (it’s still only me and the boyfriend here!)
I am with you for all those «rain on my parade» people. I am in complete denial. We are still in July, right?
I am truly SOOO glad that you have had such an amazing summer (and shared it with us!).
Also, I waaaant some of that garden enchilada bake RIGHT NOW! Why, oh why, do I always have to read these posts when it’s late and I’m tired & hungry? Still dreaming about that magical “order” button that will make the food appear through my screen!
This enchilada bake sounds perfect! I have chicken taco chili in the crockpot right now for tomorrow’s lunch. One can never have too much Mexican food.
I wish summer would continue forever. I am not, however, looking forward to the ridiculously hot weather in Portland this week/weekend. 80°s are much more my style! Swim suits are totally acceptable office [and school] wear, right??
I know! 100 degrees on Thursday and Friday? Youch.
I’m game for any way I can sneak in any of the 25 pounds of zucchini I currently have on hand. This recipe gets two thumbs up.
You could probably sneak in even more. Do it.
Your enchilada bake looks SO good that I’m salivating right now! I just bought some fresh zucchini today, so I think I’m going to make it for my family this week. Thanks for sharing your recipe with us!
Hope you all love it!
These look so delicious! I love homemade mexican food!
This looks delicious. Do you think I could sub sour cream for the cream cheese? My husband refuses to eat cream cheese, and as he loves to hang around the kitchen, I seriously doubt I could hide it in there without him knowing about it.
Absolutely!
This is definitely going on my menu for next week!
I love this type of dish and with the plethora of zucchini I have this is right up my alley!!
I’m not ready for fall yet either! I know a lot of people love it because of all of the pretty colours, but in my mind, the only great thing about fall is pumpkin and apples! Other than that, it just means that the temperatures are only going to get cooler (which I understand you guys may need down there since it’s been absolutely toasting, but I could live in hot weather all year round!) This dish is totally appealing to me…. I’m zucchini-obsessed!
Me too. On everything.
I seriously can’t believe that were halfway through August:(:( And we can switch places and you can have Florida weather and I’ll take the changing seasons:):)
This was my first summer without my girl here at least part of the time. It wasn’t the same. Enjoy every day with your girls and ignore the calendar. Some days, I choose to live in my little world, and it’s a good place to be.
This looks yummy–we’ve really grown to like quinoa. It took a bit to get used to the texture, but it’s so good for you. We’ll put this on our menu!
That is beautiful advice, Julie. Thank you.
Oh my delicious!
Hope you are well girl!!
Looks scrumptious! And I’m with you not wanting fall yet. Every time I find myself dreaming of cooler temperatures, changing leaves, and pumpkin (oh, the pumpkin!) I have to snap myself out of it.
I FEEL THE SAME WAY! This summer has been SO fantastic for Brit and I as well! And this recipe looks just as fantastic, enchilada’s are one of our most favourite dishes!
You’re talking to a teacher that goes back to work full-time on Monday . . . so I hear ya!
The enchiladas look like a great variation on one of my favorite dishes!
Well then I hope this weekend is just perfect. Thanks for giving your time and effort to our kiddos!
Thank you for a post that isn’t pining for pumpkin and apples. I love those things, but not until after Labor Day. I am a teacher savoring my last few days of a relaxed routine and in no rush to return to full-time reality. I cannot wait to try this dinner. I think I’ll add it to next week’s menu.
Thank you for teaching our children! Hope these next few days are especially restful and rejuvenating for you!
Beautiful. Just beautiful.
I can’t believe it’s really that time of year…I’m not ready to start talking about those things either and I’m so glad to hear that this has been a great summer for you. I’ve loved getting to know you!!
This looks so good! I love it!
This is a great recipe to get kids to eat veggies without them ever knowing! Thanks for a great post.
Wow this looks delicious! Totally need to make this before our Summer runs out on us.
This looks amazing!!!! Anything with avocado has my vote.
I ADORED this summer! I dedicated myself to a culinary adventure of sorts, exploring farms and farm markets locally to find the freshest ingredients to make incredible meals. I’ve learnt so much about health and nutrition, international cuisine, and have dedicated myself to my garden, my family, and my dog. Is it too early to retire at the age of 16? Yeah, I didn’t think so either.
I made this today! I’m prepping some freezer baby-meals for when our little one is supposed to arrive in 6.5 weeks! I doubled the recipe (and added in 2 carrots for an extra veggie dose) and divided the entire batch between 3 pans (one pie pan, 2 loaf pans). I didn’t have an appropriate sized casserole dish, but it worked! Absolutely delicious!
Oh good! I’m making it for a freezer meal for another family as well, so I’m happy I’m not the only one who thought it was a good idea.
Mama Pea, you’re my favorite! You pretty much summed up just how I’m feeling, but hadn’t realized it yet. Amen.
Oh man, my tummy is grumbling! I actually have a ton of already made millet in my fridge that I think would work just as well as the quinoa… my hubby would love this!
I may agree with you on most, the sleeves, shoes, etc… but I am super excited about football!! The season is way too short… go Steelers!
PS, I cracked open the pumpkin a few days ago… and I liked it
Traitor.
Don’t get me wrong, I want summer to last much longer… this has been the best summer we’ve seen in a long time, it’s been gorgeously hot! My hubby and I have also been extending our summers by booking vacations to Maui/Kauai every September for the last 4 years… yup, it’s a tough life
So jealous your are still enjoying summer. My kids started school today!!
I am so happy to be reading this post on the same night that I make my weekly grocery list! I will definitely be making this for dinner tomorrow night! It looks absolutely mouth-watering.
Your posts truly inspire me to stop and really enjoy my kids and my family. It is hard for me to describe it, but I leave your blog with a big warm fuzzy feeling.
Thank you for saying that, Rebekah. That is the best compliment you could give me and the best gift you could give yourself is to soak in those moments with your family. We are so blessed to have them.
By the way, I ended up making this and it was fantastic! I used pepperjack Daiya and instead of cream cheese, I subbed plain soy yogurt and turned out just fine. Best quinoa I’ve ever had.
This looks and sounds so delicious! I think everything always tastes better outside
Made this last night. AMAZING! Delicious! Planning to make 2 more batches to freeze for a quick dinner. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy you liked it too! I made one for the freezer last night as well.
How would you freeze this? Just prep up until the bake stage? And would you defrost before baking, or alter the cooking temp/time at all?
You could do it either way. Since everything is fully “cooked” before assembling, you really just want to bake it long enough to heat it through. I’d say once it’s frozen, it would take about an hour or so at 375.
Made this for lunch today and even the kids loved it! Super easy because I made it up to the baking stage last night, then just put it in the oven today to heat through. Already put some portions of it in the freezer for when I go back to work soon. Can’t wait for more zucchini from the garden so I can put more of this in the freezer! Thanks for the recipe.
That’s what I like to hear! I’m giving one to a family at church tonight and I worried it might be a little too non-mainstream…but you give me hope that their kiddos will love it too!
I love how many veggies you threw into this casserole – looks so delicious and healthy at the same time. I also love the idea of freezing this, even without kids I feel like I am always running out of time recently and this would be a great “emergency” meal.
I made this for dinner last night for myself and my (almost) kindergartener. It was a big hit. We topped ours with some crumbled tortilla chips. Delicious!
I can’t believe it is August either. At least I live somewhere where the weather gets better for the next few months. I am unwilling to start wearing boots anytime soon!
Yup, we ate leftovers with chips and guacamole too! YUM! Glad you guys enjoyed.
Thank you for a wonderfully tempting, everyday ingredient dish! I was mulling over what to make for dinner tonight and stopped by to read your site. Brilliant! A meal we’ll all enjoy that’s easy for me (I am not the head chef in this domestic church) and healthy. I’ll be using corn and carrots this evening. All the zucchini disappeared at lunch. Huh?
I could give you about 8 zucchini… I hope you love it!
Oh I love this idea. I have so much zucchini right now but I can totally see using carrots and corn too. So yummy!
Thanks for the delicious recipe. Made it for dinner tonight. I opted to add extra veggies and turn it into a layered enchilada dish by adding flour tortillas to the pan. Definitely recommend. This was my first time using non-dairy cheese, too. So impressed with how good it tasted. I’d been holding out thinking it was going to taste like cardboard. Now that I know it doesn’t I can start preparing so many more modified dishes for my son with a dairy allergy. Yay! Thanks again.
What a great idea, Sierra! Thanks for the feedback!
This looks absolutely amazing for our next weekend BBQ and we love that it’s healthy too! We really like all of the healthy substitutes you put in your recipes, teaching kids at a young age that healthy is good. Really appreciate all of your inspiring posts!
West Valley Urgent Care, http://westvalleyurgentcare.com/about-our-practice
Thanks so much, Ashley!
I think this looks delicious, but that’s not really why I’m commenting – I just wanted to let you know that I pulled out your cookbook again after a couple of months hiatus. I had to order it online in the first place and when I bought it, I made a few recipes, thought they were good, and then moved on. This second time, I pulled it out and read it like a novel. Very funny, charming introductions, great recipes – it’s an even better book than I gave it credit for the first time around. Thanks again.
Thank you so much, Sarah. I hope you’ll like the next one too.
Wow, this looks delicious and creamy and cheesy and perfect. And you’re right, it would be wonderful with the addition of all kinds of veg. Looks like a perfect potluck dish as well.
I have a food allergy to quinoa. Could you substute brown rice? I think you may need to cook longer?
Yes! Actually, my girlfriend just made this with rice last night and said it was excellent! I don’t think you’d have to bake it longer, but your rice might have a longer cooking time…just follow your package directions. Good luck!
Tried this last night – really tasty! Used tofutti cream cheese, but real cheese on top cause my husband can’t stand Daiya or any other alternative cheese.
I also added another shredded zucchini. Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Awesome! Glad you and your husband liked it!
Can I sub something for the non-dairy cream cheese? Was not a big fan of it before I became a vegan or now. This recipe sounds great and I can’t wait to try it
This is fabulous. I will definitely make it again. My 4 year old granddaughter (also a vegetarian) had 2 helpings. And she is a picky eater.
That is the biggest compliment! Thanks, Anna!
We just tried your zucchini lasagna and it was delicious! My husband went back for more three times. Do you really get it all to fit in one 8×8 pan? We had to upgrade to a 9×9 and it still didn’t all fit!
But I still like Cheerios!
This looks amazing! I have had trouble finding recipes that I think would satisfy my whole family now that one of my daughters is vegetarian. This looks like it will. Thank you!
This is soooo good. Made it for my family and everyone loved it. Even my skeptical husband…who not only returned to the dish for a second round but asked that this be included in our meal rotation! Thanks for the good and simple dish!
That’s wonderful, Shannon! Glad you guys enjoyed!
Once you decide to start talking about football again, you’ll have to keep us informed about how Pea Daddy’s fantasy football team(s) do this year!
Ha ha ha! This made my day, Joe.
Made this tonight- adding squash, green pepper, and corn from the cob. I also used ‘regular’ cream cheese and cheddar and had guac on top instead of avocado. It was delicious, thank you! Oh, I froze a second one for the Fall, whatever that is.
Oh that’s great Amy! I’m so glad you liked it. Thank you for the feedback.
I made this for supper last night. It was SO delicious. So delicious that we couldn’t stop eating :S However, I made a few tweaks. I added a can of black beans, and corn from two fresh cobs. Instead of the tomato sauce I used homemade salsa. Our family ate the whole casserole by bedtime and now I think I am going to make it again for lunch! Thanks again for another amazing recipe idea!
That sounds fantastic, Naomi! I’m so happy you guys all enjoyed it!
I cooked this for lunch today and my family loved it.
I didn’t make it vegan though
So happy you guys liked it! Families can be tricky sometimes.
my brother usually isn’t a big fan zucchini but I mixed shredded carrots and zucchini and he really liked it. he was like: it tastes just like lasagna. haha
thanks so much for the recipe. will definitely make this again.
I just finished eating this for dinner at it was absolutely amazing! If I make one to freeze, should I assemble everything (even the cheese) and freeze it before baking? Thanks for another great recipe!
That’s what I’ve done! I figure I’ll just bake it a bit longer when I pull it from the freezer. I’m glad you liked it!
Oh my goodness, Sarah! ~ this sounds delish! And I just realized that I have a bag of Trader Joe’s frozen quinoa (with sweet potatoes and zuchini) in the freezer right now! Sounds like dinner for me and mine! Thanks!
Wait…Trader Joe’s has frozen quinoa?!
you betcha! only just discovered it about two weeks ago (about the same time I discovered you!). Look in the frozen section by the Pre-cooked brown rice and the edamame.
This was enjoyed by my 9-month old, 3 yr old, husband and me
Thanks Mama Pea!!!
Oh good! Thanks, Meredith!
We are just a teeny weeny bit excited about football over here (Go Gators!!), it’s definitely in the air. As for this enchilada bake? I want it in my mouth. Like ASAP. Looks so good.
I wanted to let you know that I made this and it was AWESOME! So quick and easy. I made it exactly as you had it and the best part was that I had most of the ingredients on hand. Love mexican and summer time too!!
I’m really happy you liked it, Melissa! Thank you for the feedback!
Hey lady…THIS DISH WAS AWESOME! I added corn from one cob per your suggestion & it gave it a great crunch, LOVED IT! So did the 2 toddlers. Husband had the Chalula hotsauce ready but after one bite put it down…the taste was too awesome. I feel like such a rock star when I make a great dinner that everybody loves. Thanky you!
I’m so glad! I made it for the third time today and added some roasted corn too. You’re right…it’s a great addition! You are a rock star.
You’ve done it again! This is soooooo good! With all of these wonderful squash recipes, I owe my hubby an apology! I got annoyed with him when he planted so much yellow squash… And now, with all of your tasty recipes, I’m finding myself wanting MORE!! The Zucchini cookies and this recipe are the BEST!!!
Thanks, Maria. I can hardly wait for next summer and more zucchini!
Mama Pea…This was great! It was my first experience cooking with quinoa. The sauce was perfect. I added the corn from one cob. Wonderful use of summer garden veggies! Will definitely make again. Thank you!
You’re welcome! Glad you liked it!
Yummm it was soo good I doubled it and frozed one to cook later. I added corn, black beans, jalapenos, and doubled the amount of zucchini and it was soo great that I was able to trick my meat only boyfriend into eating it!
My supper tonight. Soooo good!! I made it as is but may add some green chile’s or black beans in the future.
Hey Mama Pea! I did something crazy this week and made this dish fall appropriate, which i know was not its’ original intention. I made this with pumpkin and black bean and it was delicious. But I might be a little bias because I’m obsessed with pumpkin
I love that idea! I want to try it. Thanks!
I stumbled across your site through a weight watchers suggestion; and made this recipe a couple of nights ago. It was the first time I had ever cooked with quinoa; but I’m sold. It was easier than rice (which I always screw up) and filling! I will be adding this to our monthly meal plan for sure. Thanks for the great site!