Mexican-Inspired Rice Casserole (Vegetarian)
This vegetarian, oven-baked Mexican-inspired rice casserole is filled with delicious layers of vegetables, brown rice, salsa, taco sauce, and melted cheese. It’s SO flavourful, surprisingly easy, and one of the most comforting ways to get a ton of healthy vegetables in!
Looking for a vegetarian dinner that the whole family will love? This healthier Mexican rice casserole will certainly hit the spot! It’s packed with layers of vegetables, delicious taco spices and seasonings, and topped with melted cheddar cheese. You’ll get so much gooey deliciousness AND nutrition with every bite!
Love Mexican-inspired flavours? You may also enjoy my Mexican Spaghetti Squash Boats, Vegetarian Taco Pasta Bake, One-Pan Taco Breakfast Skillet, Shrimp & Quinoa Taco Salad, or my Taco Salmon Rice Bowl recipes!
What makes this casserole a healthier choice?
While eating it may feel like a treat, this layered rice casserole recipe packs in a nutritious punch:
- It’s filled with 4 different types of vegetables, including zucchini, red bell peppers, corn, and tomatoes (from the salsa). 5 if you top it with avocado! These veggies pack in tons of dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other beneficial plant compounds.
- It’s made with brown rice, which is a good source of fiber (1 cup cooked provides 3.5 grams), plant-based protein (1 cup cooked provides 5 grams), B-vitamins, and minerals like magnesium, zinc, and iron.
- It’s a source of heart-healthy fats from olive oil (and avocado if you choose to add it).
- It’s topped with cheddar cheese, which is a source of protein, calcium, vitamin B-12, B6, magnesium, and iron.
- It’s suitable for different dietary needs – gluten-free, vegetarian, with a vegan (or dairy-free) option.
- The ingredients are relatively simple, the foods mentioned above and then some store-bought ingredients for added flavour. I personally enjoy using this taco sauce, taco seasoning, and salsa – their ingredient lists are relatively short and of high-quality!
About the ingredients
All you need to make this Mexican rice casserole recipe are 9 simple ingredients (plus optional toppings):
- Rice: As this is a rice casserole, rice is naturally a key component! You may use brown or white rice if preferred. If you have at least 2 cups of pre-cooked rice, this is a perfect way to use it, too!
- Olive oil: Olive oil is used to sauté the veggies in taco seasoning, prior to adding to the casserole dish. That said, you may use another neutral flavoured cooking oil instead (I also love avocado oil for this purpose).
- Red bell peppers: Sweet red bell peppers get diced and sautéed in taco seasoning before being added to the casserole. You may use yellow or orange bell peppers as well!
- Zucchini: Zucchini is cooked along with the bell peppers. I used green zucchini, but you’re welcome to use the yellow summer squash too.
- Taco seasoning: While brands may vary on their exact mix, taco seasoning usually contains a combination of salt and spices like paprika, chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder. If you don’t have or can’t find taco seasoning, you can play around with a mix of those listed spices! Chili powder and cumin are particularly present in flavour 🙂
- Canned corn: I like to choose a “low-sodium” option or one with “no salt added” as there are other sources of salt in this recipe.
- Taco sauce: Store-bought taco sauces again will vary, but they’re usually a mix of tomatoes, vinegar, oil, cumin, paprika, chili powder, garlic, onion, salt, and a bit of sugar. It has a slightly thickened, yet liquid texture. This recipe would likely also work with enchilada sauce.
- Salsa: You are welcome to choose mild or medium salsa, depending on your desired level of spice. Feel free to use store-bought or a homemade version.
- Cheddar cheese: Cheddar gets added to the top of this dish, prior to baking in the oven. It gets nicely melted and gooey overtop of everything. I often go for a sharp or aged cheddar for extra flavour and grate it myself. That said, you are welcome to purchase it pre-shredded as well. For a dairy-free version, you can use a vegan shredded cheddar cheese – just be sure that it melts! If needed, the cheese can be omitted, although it will lose that cheesy flavour and melted texture overtop.
- Optional toppings: Feel free to top the final dish with some sliced avocado, some chopped cilantro or parsley, diced green onion, and with some freshly cracked black pepper.
Full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions are located in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Recipe modifications, additions & swaps
- Want to add some additional protein to this dish? It would taste great with a layer of canned beans, shredded chicken, or some shrimp! Alternatively, you could serve it as a side to your favourite protein dish.
- You can also try adding other vegetables to this dish, such as finely chopped broccoli or cauliflower, diced onions, or diced carrots.
Step-by-step: how to make this casserole dish
PREP TIP: The first thing you want to do with this recipe is to get the rice cooking. Rice takes a while to cook, so this gives you the perfect time to dice the zucchini and peppers, drain the corn, grate the cheddar cheese, and cook the veggies. This way, you can have all the ingredients cooked at the same time – ready to be layered into the casserole dish!
While rice cooks, heat a large pan over medium and add olive oil. Add diced peppers, zucchini, and taco seasoning to pan and sauté for 7 mins.
Next, add drained canned corn and continue to sauté for an additional 3 mins.
When both the rice and veggies are cooked, set all ingredients aside to assemble the casserole. Start by spreading half of the taco sauce on the bottom of a 9” x 6” baking dish.
Then, start adding layers of the other ingredients, beginning with half of the cooked rice.
Add a layer of the cooked vegetables (using half of the veggies).
Add a layer of salsa (I used all the salsa in this layer).
Add a layer of 1/2 the cheddar. Then, repeat and add layers of the remaining rice, remaining veggies, remaining taco sauce, and remaining cheese.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the oven for 15 mins. When cooked, remove from casserole from the oven and serve with desired toppings.
Meal prep: storage & reheating
Due to it’s naturally soft texture, this is one of those recipes that reheats SO well. Intentional leftovers are recommended – it’s a great batch cooking option 😉
Simply store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll keep for 3-4 days and can easily be reheated in the microwave or in the oven.
More vegetarian dinner ideas:
- Vegetarian Taco Pasta Bake
- Tofu Tomato Pasta With Vegetables
- Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Vegan Vegetable Stew With Tofu
- Eggplant Pasta Bake With Tomato & Zucchini
Did you give this Vegetarian Mexican Rice Casserole Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!
Get the Recipe: Mexican-Inspired Rice Casserole (Vegetarian)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup brown or white rice, dry (or 2 cups cooked)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (or other cooking oil)
- 2 medium-large red bell peppers, diced (approx. 2 cups) (or orange/yellow peppers)
- 1.5 cups zucchini, diced
- 2.5 tsp taco seasoning
- 2 cups canned corn, drained
- 1/2 cup taco sauce
- 1/2 cup salsa (mild or medium, depending on desired spice level)
- 1.5 cups sharp cheddar, shredded or grated
- Optional garnish: sliced avocado, chopped cilantro/parsley/green onion, black pepper
Instructions
- COOK RICE: Cook rice on stovetop or in rice cooker according to package directions. You can also use 2 cups of pre-cooked rice, if you have it on hand.
- PREP INGREDIENTS: While rice cooks, prep the rest of the ingredients (dice the veggies, grate the cheddar, etc.) As rice takes a while to cook, this will help get all the ingredients ready at the same time!
- PREHEAT OVEN: to 400F.
- COOK VEGGIES: Heat a large pan over medium and add olive oil. Add diced peppers, zucchini, and taco seasoning to the pan and sauté for 7 minutes. Then, add canned corn and continue to sauté for an additional 3 minutes.
- ASSEMBLE CASSEROLE LAYERS: When both the rice and veggies are cooked, set all ingredients aside to assemble the casserole.Spread half of the taco sauce on the bottom of a 9” x 6” baking dish. Then add layers in the following order: half of the rice, half of the veggies, all the salsa, and half of the cheddar. Then, repeat layers with remaining rice, remaining veggies, remaining taco sauce, and remaining cheese.
- BAKE: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. The cheese will be nice and melted when done.
- SERVE: Remove casserole from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Slice casserole into 4 even servings and add avocado slices, chopped herbs, and freshly-cracked black pepper, if desired. Enjoy hot!
Notes
- Due to it’s naturally soft texture, this is one of those recipes that reheats SO well. Intentional leftovers are recommended – it’s a great batch cooking option 😉
- Simply store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll keep for 3-4 days and can easily be reheated in the microwave or in the oven.
- Want to add more protein to this dish? It would taste great with a layer of canned beans, shredded chicken, or some shrimp! Alternatively, you could serve it as a side to your favourite protein dish.
- You can also try adding other vegetables to this dish, such as finely chopped broccoli or cauliflower, diced onions, or diced carrots.
- For a dairy-free version, you can use a vegan shredded cheddar cheese – just be sure that it melts! If needed, the cheese can be omitted, although it will lose that cheesy flavour and melted texture overtop.
- While brands may vary on their exact mix, taco seasoning usually contains a combination of salt and spices like paprika, chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder. If you don’t have or can’t find taco seasoning, you can play around with a mix of those listed spices! Chili powder and cumin are particularly present in flavour 🙂
Nutrition
As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.
Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.
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2 Comments on “Mexican-Inspired Rice Casserole (Vegetarian)”
Where does the salsa come into the recipe?
Hi Kait! Salsa is in step 5 – it’s one of the layers in the casserole 🙂