I made up this recipe when my midwestern in laws came to visit to meet their newest grandbaby, our second child Tevy Lou “Baby Bella”. They stayed for 3 weeks, no not with us, thank goodness, haha, in their new rv nearby in the desert mountains complete with wild horses and coyotes howling at night.
I needed something hearty, filling, fast, easy, omni friendly, recognizable, but did i say easy? I mean i had just had a baby and didn’t have time to fuss.
I asked my sister (best friend over 25 years whom my kids call auntie) what do you think about this idea? She is vegan now too after the birth of her 4th child when he showed signs of a milk protein allergy through breastmilk. She helped me come up with this great casserole.
Well the dish was such a great success. They both ate seconds! And my mother in law exclaimed how good it was 3 times! And she never does that, ha. She actually said she would like to make it at home. And she loved the vegan sour cream better than a dairy one. (It was kite hill almond based one, the best!)
I’ve made this dish with either plant based chicken or brown/ green lentils as the filling. I’ve included both version below. I like to serve this with a side of sautéed spinach (in oil and garlic) to increase the nutrient value of the meal. It’s plenty filling on its own as a main dish.
I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as mine does. Let us know in the comments below how it turns out for you. Or any questions you have. I’ll show pictures of the brands i like to use but any favorite plant based brands will do.
I’m huge fan of using the brand Abbot’s Butcher. Not only does it have such clean ingredients i feel good about feeding my kids, but it’s also woman owned! The slow roasted chick’n is made with whole pea protein and is soy free and oil free. This product is ideal for this casserole because the pieces are chopped up very small already.
If you like yummy casseroles then check out these recipes next!
Jackfruit Southwest Casserole http://bellavirtue.com/eat/jackfruit-potato-southwest-casserole-gfvgrain-free/
Tater Tot Casserole http://bellavirtue.com/eat/tater-tot-casserole-vegangluten-freesoy-free/
Cashew Green Chile Enchilada Casserole
Makes: 9×13 casserole
Ready in under an hour start to finish… or prep it ahead and freeze it for a new mama or sick friend or holiday potluck
INGREDIENTS:
Cashew Green Chile Sauce
- 1.5 cups raw cashews (*soaked in water overnight if you don’t have high speed blender, drain)
- 1 Tbs lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 1 tsp onion granules
- 3 tsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 8 oz green chiles
- 2 cups water
Casserole
- 16 oz chopped Abbot’s Butcher plant based chick’n (or 4 cups cooked green/ brown lentils if gf)
- 12 small flour & corn tortillas (or corn for gf)
- 8 oz shredded vegan cheese (or double the sauce recipe instead of cheese for an oil-free version)
- 4 oz diced green chile can
- packet of southwest taco seasoning
- Optional: served with vegan sour cream & hot sauce
- Note: to add some veggies you can add baby spinach to this or diced bell pepper or simply serve it with a side of garlic sautéed spinach.
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 425°F
- Blend the Cashew Green Chile Sauce ingredients together.
- In a well oiled 9×13 casserole dish layer the ingredients as follows
- Ripped tortillas (4)
- Chicken/ lentils (& any veggies if using)
- Seasoning
- Sauce (half)
- Ripped tortillas (4)
- Chicken/ lentils
- Seasoning
- Sauce (half)
- Ripped tortillas (4)
- Cheese shreds
- Green chiles
- Bake covered about 40 minutes
- Serve with vegan sour cream and hot sauce, side of spanish rice and some chopped lettuce with pico
- Enjoy!
Notes: to eliminate the use of foil i just turn my stainless steel baking tray upside down on top of my clear glass Casserole dish.
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