Pinto Bean and Greens Enchilada Casserole

 From The No Meat Athlete Cookbook - Whole Food, Plant-Based Recipes to Fuel Your Workouts - and the rest of your life.  By Matt Frazier and Stepfanie Romine   2017

I made this for Calvary during a nutrition series.  Great taste, but don't believe the 10 minute prep time.  It takes that long to tear the kale apart.  I used dino kale, which is supposed to be more hearty but a little sweeter and less bitter.  The whole dish came out great.  The queso is very good, with a bit of a kick. 

Photos - 6/19/24

INGREDIENTS:

1 tsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped

2 tsp Taco Seasoning (used Mexican blend)

3 cups cooked pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Salt and black pepper

One 16-oz jar salsa

12 corn tortillas (only used ~4)

1/2 cup Cashew Queso (see below)

Diced avocado, black olives or cilantro optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 390 degrees.  Coat a 9x13" baking dish with the oil

2. Layer in the onion, kale, taco seasoning and beans.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour half the salsa evenly over the beans, layer on the tortillas and top with the remaining salsa and the cashew queso.

3 Cover with an inverted baking sheet and bake, about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and the salsa is bubbly.

4. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.  Slice and serve with the avocado, olives and cilantro, if desired.

CASHEW QUESO:

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for at least 10 minutes, then drained

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 garlic clove

1 GF chipotle chile in adobo sauce or 1 tsp chipotle chile powder or to taste

1 tsp arrowroot powder

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

3/4 cup water, plus more as needed

Salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Process the cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic, chipotle, arrowroot powder, paprika and water in a high-speed blender until it is thick yet pourable.

2. Transfer to a medium saucepan and heat over medium until bubbly, adding additional water if necessary.  Season with salt and serve.  (The queso will thicken as it cools, but whisking in some water can help loosen it up.

3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

For a milder Roaster Red Pepper Queso, substitute 1 roasted red bell pepper for the chipotle.