Enchilada Casserole ~ Gluten, Rice and Dairy Free

My four year old is currently obsessed with casserole. She asks for it for dinner every night. Here is a twist on enchiladas that are served casserole style.

I made the recipe two different ways. One with rice and real cheese, and one with quinoa and Daiya (dairy and soy free cheese). I can't have rice but the rest of my family can, and since quinoa has gotten ridiculously expensive lately, I opted for one with rice. Plus my hubby is NOT a fan of Daiya so he would have refused to eat it if I hadn't made him one with real cheese. Here is the recipe for it made with quinoa and Daiya. I will post the version with rice a little later.

So, here you go. The recipe for Enchilada Casserole that is dairy and gluten-free.


Spanish Quinoa
*This is to be used in place of Spanish Rice
1 3/4 cups water
3 ounces organic tomato paste
1 clove of minced garlic
1/4 cup diced organic tomato
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup diced onion
3/4 cup dry organic quinoa

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stir and then cover. Simmer on low for 15 minutes then remove from heat. All liquid will not be absorbed by the quinoa.

Enchilada Sauce
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 can organic tomato paste
3/4 cup of warm/hot water
1/2 teaspoon gluten, dairy and sugar free taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir together until completely smooth.

Meat
1 pound organic grass-fed ground beef
1 Tablespoon gluten, dairy and sugar free taco seasoning

In a frying pan, completely cook the meat and then sprinkle with taco seasoning.

Casserole

Other ingredients needed:
1 cup of organic corn (canned, fresh or frozen)
Sliced olives (optional)
1/2 cup Daiya cheese (I used cheddar)
12 organic corn tortillas
1 cup of cooked beans of your choice. I recommend black, red or pinto beans

To assemble casserole:
Lightly grease a 9x9 inch square baking dish with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Line the bottom of the pan with 4 of the corn tortillas. It is okay if they overlap. Spoon on 1/2 the Spanish Quinoa and spread around evenly with a spoon.   Spoon on the cup of cooked beans and spread them evenly over the quinoa. Next pour on the corn and spread it around. Cover with 4 more of the tortillas.

Spoon on the remaining Spanish Quinoa and spread it around with a spoon. Pour the cooked meat over the quinoa and spread around evenly. Cover with the remaining four corn tortillas. Pour the sauce over the tortillas and spread it around evenly. Sprinkle the Daiya cheese over the top of the sauce. If you are adding olives, sprinkle them on top now as well.

Bake at 425F for about 30 minutes or until heated through. Everything is already cooked so you are just needing to heat it all thoroughly.


Serve warm and enjoy!

As another option, once assembled you can cover with aluminum foil and place in your freezer. Then you can pull it out and bake it at a later time.

If you are interested in more gluten-free recipes and some great DIY projects, check out Allergy Free Alaska and The Baking Beauties at their Gluten Free & DIY Tuesdays !