Chilaquiles Rojos with Black Beans
Large weekend brunches were made for my chilaquiles rojos with black beans. It is delicious, impressive, and only takes 45 minutes to make! I layer my beans with corn tortillas, smoky tomato sauce, and melted cheese, and bake it into a substantial Mexican-inspired casserole that is traditionally served for breakfast, but works any time of the day.
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 253.6kcal
Ingredients
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 3 red, yellow or orange bell pepper diced
- 2 15oz cans of black beans, rinsed
- 1 14oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1½ cups corn frozen (thawed) or fresh
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- 10-12 corn tortillas quartered
- 1¼ cups shredded Cheddar cheese or a Mexican cheese blend
- 1 15oz can tomato sauce 1 can
- 1½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ancho chili powder
- ½ tsp chipotle chili powder use less for a less spicy sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Diced tomato and green onion for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Meanwhile, make the sauce: combine the tomato sauce, vegetable broth, chili powders (all 3 of them), garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk to combine, then turn the heat down to low and let simmer.
- Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in beans, tomatoes, corn, cumin and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are heated through, about 3 minutes.
- Scatter half the tortilla pieces in the casserole dish.
- Top with half the vegetable mixture, then half the sauce, and then half the cheese.
- Repeat with one more layer of tortillas, vegetables, sauce and cheese.
- Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the casserole is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes more.
- Top with diced tomatoes and green onion.
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this chilaquiles rojos with black beans recipe is to lightly toast the tortillas or use slightly stale tortillas. I do this to prevent the tortillas from becoming overly soft and mushy during baking, and it gives the dish a more traditional finish and texture.
- Simmer sauce: I allow my red sauce to simmer for several minutes to intensify flavors and cook off any excess moisture.
- Keep cuts similar: My onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes are chopped into similar-sized pieces, ensuring balanced distribution.
- Layer carefully: I make sure to spread the sauce layer across each layer, allowing every tortilla piece to soak up the rich tomato sauce.
- Cover for the initial bake: By using foil, I ensure that the casserole heats through, allowing the tortillas to soften, without drying out the top layer.
- Allow to rest: I let my casseroles rest for a few minutes. This gives the layers a chance to settle, which makes slicing and serving cleaner.
Nutrition
Calories: 253.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 38.9g | Protein: 11.4g | Fat: 6.8g | Saturated Fat: 3.4g | Cholesterol: 12.5mg | Sodium: 515mg | Potassium: 606.5mg | Fiber: 8.6g | Sugar: 4.4g