Pinto Bean Enchilada Casserole

Looking for a crowd pleaser? This pinto bean enchilada casserole is a great dish to serve when you're having a couple of extra people over for dinner but want to do most of the work ahead of time so that you're not scrambling at the stove just as guests are arriving. It looks beautiful and fresh and tastes great. We love it because it sneaks some kale in (almost imperceptibly) for any kale-phobic eaters. A note on raw cashews that we've included in other recipes: cashews can get pretty pricey in the supermarket when you're making cashew cream all the time. We buy a 5 lb. bag of Sunbest brand off Amazon and it lasts our family a few months. Nutritional yeast gives plant-based foods a cheesy flavor and can be found in the health food section of most grocery stores. We like the Bragg brand. Chipotle chilis in adobo sauce are sold in small cans in the Mexican food section of most grocery stores. They are VERY spicy so we'd recommend starting with only 1 chili from the can and tasting after blending the queso to see if you need to add another. This recipe has been adapted from our favorite cookbook for healthy plant-based eating, The No Meat Athlete by Matt Frazier.

Prep time: 35 min

Cook time: 30 min

Serves 8

Ingredients

• cooking oil spray

• 1.25 cups raw cashews

• 2 large yellow onions (diced)

• 1/2 bunch of kale chopped (lacinto kale preferred but curly will do)

• 3 tsp. ground cumin

• 2 tsp. chili powder

• 2 tsp. smoked paprika

• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

• 2 - 15oz cans pinto beans (drained and rinsed)

• 1 large (~28oz) jar salsa

• juice of 2 lemons

• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast

• 2 tsp. minced garlic

• 1 tsp. kosher salt

• 1-2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (titrate to desired spiciness)

• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

• 1/2 - 1 cup water

• 12 small corn tortillas

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Measure cashews and place in a small saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. As soon as it reaches boiling, turn off heat and let cashews sit for 10 - 15 min.

3. Meanwhile, chop your onions and kale and drain and rinse your beans.

4. In a small bowl, mix the cumin, chili powder, 2 tsp. smoked paprika, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

5. Spray a 9 x 13" pan with cooking spray.

6. Layer the onions in the bottom of pan, then layer kale, the seasoning mixture you just made, and beans, followed by half the salsa.

7. Now go back to your cashews. Drain them and place in a high speed blender along with lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, 1 chipotle chili, 1/2 tsp. paprika, and 1/2 cup of water. Blend until very smooth and creamy, adding more water until reaching desired consistency. A runny sour cream-like consistency works best for this recipe. Taste test and consider blending in another small chipotle chili if you're looking for more spice.

8. Drizzle ~ 1/2 cup of the cashew queso on top of the salsa, trying not to stir or mix them. (No big deal if it mixes a little... the contrast of white and red just looks a little more pleasing than pink.)

9. Cover with 2 layers of tortillas. Top with the rest of the salsa.

10. Cover with foil carefully tented so that the tortillas don't stick to the foil.

11. Bake for 20 minutes.

12. Then, remove the foil and drizzle another ~1/2 cup of cashew queso on top. Bake for another 10 minutes until tortilla edges start to lightly brown and salsa bubbles.

13. Let the casserole sit for 10 minutes. (This is important so that it can thicken a little and not fall apart when slicing.)

14. Top with avocado slices, olives, cilantro, and scallions. Slice and serve offering extra cashew queso on the table if desired. Enjoy!