Vegan Mexian Molé Casserole

My grandma was the one who inspired my love for cooking. One of her favorite recipes to make for the family was Mexican Casserole. After going vegan 3 years ago, I had to find a way to make this recipe vegan. It even has a special ingredient - molé - which adds some sweetness to the dish. 

I start by cooking the garlic and bell peppers while the rice cooks. I prefer to use the colorful bell peppers as opposed to green peppers since it add flavor.

I make the molé sauce mixture while the bell peppers are cooking. Then I mix the corn, black beans, tomatoes, and the sauce mixture to the bell peppers and mix together. 

Then I add the rice and mix until even.

I put half of the ingredients in the casserole dish and add a layer of cheese. Then I add the remaining ingredients and top with a final layer of cheese before baking in foil for 15 - 20 minutes. 

I like to serve with the Kroger vegan sour cream and scooping chips, but it is also great on its own. 

Please like and share this recipe and let me know how you like it in the comments!

Vegan Mexican Molé Casserole

Yield: 6 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

Olive oil | 1 - 2 tbsp

Bell peppers | 3, diced

Minced Garlic | 1.5 tsp

Corn | 1 15 oz can, drained

Black beans | 1 15 oz can, rinsed and drained

Tomato sauce | 1 8 oz can

Diced tomatoes | 1 12 oz can

Brown rice | 4 cups cooked

Molé paste | 1.5 tbsp

Vegan cheese blend | 1 - 2 cups

Vegan sour cream (optional) | for serving

Chips (optional) | for serving

Directions

1. Cook rice according to directions.

2. While rice is cooking, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. 

3. Preheat oven to 400 and grab a casserole dish.

4. Add garlic and bell peppers. Cook for about 10 minutes until beginning to turn translucent stirring frequently.

5. In a bowl, mix the mole sauce and tomato sauce and set aside.

6. Once the rice and the bell peppers are cooked, add mole/tomato sauce mix, corn, beans, diced tomatoes, and rice to the pot. Mix together.

7. Add half of the mixture to a casserole dish. Add a layer of cheese then add the other half of the ingredients. Top with a final layer of cheese.

8. Bake covered in foil for 15 - 20 minutes.

9. Serve with sour cream, chips, jalapeños, or whatever topping you like.

10. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Per 1 serving:

Calories: 371 | Fat: 12 g | Saturated Fat: 6.5 g | Cholesterol: 0 mg |

Sodium: 1020 mg | Total Carbs: 60 g | Dietary Fiber: 7 g | Sugars: 7 g | Protein: 9 g