Give your oven a break and whip up this vegetarian slow cooker enchilada casserole chock full of chopped vegetables layered between cheese and tortillas.
When Will and I moved into our new apartment, we were a little sad that we no longer had anywhere we could use our grill. Since the grill is no longer an option, we have been looking for other creative ways to cook meals this summer without having to turn on the oven every night. Kitchen appliances like pressure cookers, slow cookers, etc. are a great option that I had yet to consider.
Normally, I only used my slow cooker in the fall and winter, but no more! This month’s Recipe Redux challenge to “beat the heat” with a kitchen appliance other than the oven got me to dust off our slow cooker. This vegetarian slow cooker enchilada casserole was so simple to make, I am sure it will become a regular meal in our rotation.
To make this casserole a little more summer friendly, I incorporated a lot of vegetables that are abundant at the farmers market right now like zucchini, corn, and peppers. Layer those with cheese, flour tortillas, and enchilada sauce and this simple casserole is ready to go!

Vegetarian Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 20 mins
Yield: 5-6 1x
Category: Entree, Main Dish
Method: Slow Cooker, Crockpot
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Description
Give your oven a break and whip up this vegetarian slow cooker enchilada casserole which is chock full of chopped vegetables layered between cheese and tortillas.
Ingredients
- 12 oz. jar enchilada sauce
- 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups cooked or 1 (15 oz.) can drained and rinsed kidney beans
- 1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8th teaspoon ground black pepper
- 9 (10″ round) flour tortillas
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Stir together the enchilada sauce and diced tomatoes in a small bowl and set aside.
- Chop all of your vegetables and add them to a large mixing bowl. Add the kidney beans to the bowl as well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
- Spread 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce/tomato mix evenly onto the bottom of your slow cooker. Add one layer of 3 flour tortillas over top. (I was able to set 2 tortillas side by side and then cut the third in half to cover the leftover space.)
- Add 1/2 of the chopped vegetables and 1/3 of the sauce/tomato mixture. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese and then repeat.
- Top with one last layer of tortillas, sauce, and cheese.
- Cover with a lid and cook on high for 3 hours. (You may need to check it about 2 hours in and poke a few holes into the top tortillas with a knife to let some steam escape. You’ll notice that they start to puff up!)
- Turn to “keep warm” setting until ready to serve.
- Serve with chopped cilantro, hot sauce, and sour cream.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 Recipe
- Calories: 505 kcals
- Sugar: 11.5 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 8.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 63 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 39 mg
Looks delicious! I love that you served with some crunch tortilla chips, my husband will dig that! Thanks!
I love all of the summer vegetables! Great idea!
★★★★★
What are the nutrition values to the enchilada casserole?
I am looking for heart healthy foods. I had heart surgery in June and I need to learn how to eat food that is low in cholesterol and carbs, as I’m a Type One Diabetic.
Thank you
Hi Pam, I’ve updated the post with the nutrition information for the recipe for you!
Tastes good but my tortillas turned to mush! Any ideas why or how to prevent next time?
★★★
Easy and delicious!
★★★★★
I don’t really think there is any way around it. I’ve tried several recipes like this with both corn and wheat tortillas, pre-toasting the tortilla and not, and they always get mushy. We call it “enchilada slop” and serve it on a bed of chopped romaine and fresh tomatoes. Your right, if the texture isn’t a bother, it’s really tasty!
Debbie this recipe looks yummy! I’m a little confused at step 7. Are we actually cooking it at low for an hour after the 3 hours on high or are we turning it down to warm just to keep until serving?
Hi Connie,
Sorry for the confusion! After cooking on high for 3 hours I turned it to the “keep warm” setting until serving. I’ll update above!
Thanks Debbie 🙂 This recipe is on the menu for this upcoming Monday Meatless night (12-14)…looking forward to trying it!
Could you do this without hte tortillas?
Yes, you could make it without the tortillas but it will be more like a soup/stew rather than a casserole with layers.