Black Bean Quinoa Enchilada Bake

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Quinoa, dry and rinsed - 1 cup, rinsed
• 2 Cup Water - 2 cups
• 1 Tablespoon Olive oil - 1 tablespoon
• 1 Cup Yellow onion, diced - 1 cup, diced
• 1 Count Red bell pepper, diced - 1 large, large
• 2 Teaspoon Chili powder - 2 teaspoons
• 1 Teaspoon Ground cumin - 1 teaspoon
• 2 Can Canned black beans, drained and rinsed - 2 cans (15 ounces each), drained and rinsed
• 1.5 Cup Frozen corn - 1 1/2 cups
• 2.5 Cup Red enchilada sauce - 2 1/2 cups
• 12 Each Corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips - 12 small tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips
• 0.25 Cup Fresh cilantro, chopped - 1/4 cup, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat and prepare the dish

   1. Preheat the oven to *375°F* and lightly coat the *9 x 13-inch baking dish* with a small amount of olive oil.

2. Cook the quinoa

   2. In a medium saucepan, combine the *rinsed quinoa* and *water*, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for *15 minutes* until the quinoa is tender.

3. Rest and fluff the quinoa

   3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the quinoa stand, covered, for *5 minutes*, then *fluff with a fork*.

4. Soften the vegetables

   4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then cook the *diced onion* and *red bell pepper* for *5 to 6 minutes* until softened.

5. Bloom the spices

   5. Stir in the *chili powder* and *ground cumin*, then cook for *30 seconds* until fragrant.

6. Make the filling

   6. Add the *black beans*, *frozen corn*, cooked quinoa, and *1 cup enchilada sauce* to the skillet, then stir until evenly combined and heated through.

7. Start layering

   7. Spread *1/2 cup enchilada sauce* in the bottom of the baking dish, then layer in half of the *corn tortilla strips*.

8. Finish the layers

   8. Spoon half of the *black bean quinoa filling* over the tortillas, then repeat with the remaining *tortilla strips* and filling.

9. Sauce and cover

   9. Pour the remaining *1 cup enchilada sauce* evenly over the top, then cover the dish tightly with *aluminum foil*.

10. Bake the casserole

    10. Bake for *20 minutes*, then uncover and bake for *10 to 15 minutes* until bubbling at the edges and hot in the center.

11. Rest, garnish, and serve

    11. Let the casserole rest for *10 minutes* before slicing, then sprinkle with *fresh cilantro* and serve warm.