Vegan Mexican Rice Casserole
This Vegan Mexican Rice Casserole is layered with rice, beans, corn, salsa, and a creamy dairy-free queso. A healthy weeknight dinner or vegan meal prep!
Equipment
Ingredients
Rice Mixture
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 15 oz can can black beans
- 1 15 oz can can corn
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 ¼ cup salsa
Vegan Queso
- 1 cup raw cashews, soak in boiling water for 20 min
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Toppings
- sliced avocado
- sliced scallions
- tortilla chips
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and red bell pepper and sauté for about 7–10 minutes, until soft and slightly golden.
- Stir in the taco seasoning, salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Mix in the black beans, corn, and cooked brown rice. Stir until well combined and evenly coated.
- Add ½ cup of salsa to the bottom of a 9x13 (or 8x8) baking dish. Then layer in half of the rice mixture, followed by another ½ cup of salsa. Add the remaining rice mixture on top, and finish with the last ¼ cup of salsa.
- Cover the casserole with foil and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes.
- While the casserole bakes, make the vegan queso by blending the soaked cashews, non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, and smoked paprika until smooth and creamy.
- Remove the foil from the casserole, spread the vegan queso on top, and bake uncovered for 5 more minutes.
- Serve topped with sliced avocado, scallions, and tortilla chips for crunch. Enjoy!
Notes
- Brown rice swaps: Use quinoa or white rice if you prefer.
- Short on time? Use store-bought vegan queso and pre-cooked rice.
- Spice it up: Add jalapeños or hot salsa.
- Veggie boost: Toss in fresh spinach, cooked sweet potato, or sautéed mushrooms.
- Queso tip: Don’t skip soaking the cashews—it makes the sauce super smooth and creamy.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 254kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Sodium: 1231mg, Potassium: 450mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1124IU, Vitamin C: 28mg, Calcium: 62mg, Iron: 2mg
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