This bean burrito casserole is the perfect weeknight vegetarian freezer meal. Pull the casserole dish out of the freezer and defrost it during the day. Pop it in the oven after work and have dinner on the table in just 30 minutes!
When I was in college, I was lucky to have a really great dorm cafeteria. I had heard so many horror stories about college food so my hopes weren’t high when I went away to school.
I was so lucky that somewhere in the depths of the cavernous kitchen was a chef that could create delicious food.
One of my all-time favorite dishes was a bean burrito casserole. Every single time it was on the menu, I would order multiple portions and freeze enough for multiple days. I just couldn’t get enough of it.
My freezer containers got me to thinking – there has to be a way to make it myself and turn it into a freezer meal.
Well, there totally is!
Bean Burrito Casserole
You can prepare the bean burrito casserole and cook it right away or you can freeze it and cook it a few days later.
All you have to do is cover it with plastic wrap and then foil and pop a prepared casserole in the freezer.
Take one out of the freezer in the morning and let it defrost during the day. Then, when you’re ready to eat dinner, turn on the oven and let the casserole cook for 20-25 minutes.
Serve this vegetarian dinner on the table with a side salad and refrigerate any leftovers!
Ingredients
- 31 ounces salsa
- 8 ounces diced green chiles
- 16 ounces sour cream
- 32 ounces canned refried beans
- 1.25 ounces taco seasoning
- 4 large burrito-size flour tortillas
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- green onion to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the salsa and green chiles. In a second medium bowl, combine the sour cream, refried beans and taco seasoning.
- In the bottom of a 9×13 inch casserole dish, spoon one quarter of the salsa mixture creating the bottom layer. Rip one tortilla into strips and place them on top of the salsa. Spoon one third of the bean mixture on top of the salsa. Top with 1 cup of shredded cheese.
- Repeat the layers as follows two times: 1 tortilla, one quarter salsa mixture, one third bean mixture and one cup cheese. Then rip the last tortilla into strips, placing it on top of the cheese and cover that with the remaining salsa mixture
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese has melted. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with diced green onions.
Noreen
Friday 21st of June 2024
I made this tonight and it turned out great! The taco seasoning mix gave it a nice flavor and the sour cream mixed with the beans helped to fill it out nicely. Will definitely make this again! Thank you for sharing!
Nikki
Thursday 18th of June 2020
This turned out HORRIBLE. It was very wet and the tortilla turned into a boogery mess. I threw away most of this. I dont think the recipe is for the same thing in the pictures, I used a foil lasagna pan and it was billowing over the edges and made a mess. I dont know how the author fit all the ingredients so pretty inside her casserole dish. DO NOT ATTEMPT. something is wrong with the recipe
Megan
Friday 13th of November 2020
@Nikki, I read your comment just as I was about to assemble this! I'm glad I saw it. I ended up looking through the refrigerator for something that would add some substance - so I rolled them, with sauteed onion and spinach, then refried beans, then shredded cheese. I put the rolls in a casserole with layer of salsa at the bottom, then the rolls, then topped with the sour cream/bean mix and salsa, finally more cheese. It worked much better! BTW, made this completely vegan and it was delicious :)
Amy
Tuesday 21st of January 2020
Made this and it tastes delicious, but is really more like a dip, not a casserole. We ended up eating it with tortilla chips because of the texture - it doesn't hold together like, say, a lasagna. If I make it again, would probably just roll the various fillings (salsa/chilis, beans/sour cream, cheese) in whole tortillas and bake it enchilada-style.
Dan from Platter Talk
Sunday 5th of August 2018
Our family will love this Tex-Mex casserole; looks perfect for dinner some night this week!
Carolyn
Sunday 5th of August 2018
This will be perfect to make ahead of time, and then throw in when on those days I don't feel like making dinner, haha!