This is the perfect dish for those who love to pair chili with cornbread. This dish combines all of the chili flavor (deep, hearty bean stew with smoky notes) with the fluffy sweetness of cornbread. It’s also easier to make because everything is cooked in one skillet!
Even better? This dish is naturally sweetened, plant-based, and optionally gluten-free. It’s made from just ten healthy ingredients. We’ll show you!
Enjoy the Inspiration
This enchilada baked is inspired by both Mexican and Southern food. This enchilada bake combines the heat and flavor of enchiladas with the comforting taste of cornbread.
How to make this Enchilada bake
The filling for enchiladas is made with onions, bell peppers, and black beans. They are sauteed for sweetness and added to the enchiladas for protein and fiber.
For maximum flavor and customization, we used our Easy Red Enchilada Sauce, but you can also use store-bought sauce. We like to freeze 1-cup portions of the enchilada in small glass jars to make it easier to prepare on a weeknight. Transfer a pot full of sauce into the refrigerator a few days before you plan to make it!
Baking powder is used to make the cornbread fluffy. It’s a mixture of cornmeal and flour for a classic cornbread taste and all-purpose or gluten-free flour for lightening it up. Salt is used to add flavor, dairy-free liquid milk provides the liquid, and avocado oil or vegan butter adds moisture.
Maple syrup is also a good addition to add sweetness and balance. If you think sugar in cornbread is wrong, leave it out.
Ingredients
ENCHILADA FILLING
- Avocado oil can be substituted with other neutral oils or vegan butter.
- Red onion diced (or substitute white or yellow).
- One medium orange or red bell pepper diced
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Can of black beans (15 oz), rinsed and drained
- One cup of Red Enchilada Sauce (or from a store, such as Frontera).
CORNBREAD TOPPING
- 1 cup cornmeal (finely or mediumly ground)
- 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (if gluten-free, sub-GF all-purpose flour)
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- To taste, add 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Thirty-four cups of non-dairy milk such as oats, rice, or oats.
- Avocado oil 2 Tbsp (or substitute melted vegan butter to enhance cornbread flavor).
- Start with less maple syrup and adjust the amount to your taste.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425degF (212 C).
- Over medium heat, heat a 10-inch cast iron or oven-safe skillet. Once the oil is hot, add it. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and saute for 4-5 mins, stirring often, until translucent and starting to brown. If browning is occurring too quickly, turn the heat down a little.
- Stir in the diced bell peppers and sea salt. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir occasionally.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the (drained) black beans and enchilada enchilada. You can cook your casserole in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet. If your pan does not have a range, you can lightly oil a 10- or 9-inch baking dish. Then, transfer the vegetable mixture into the dish.
- Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Pour the milk (dairy-free or vegan), oil (or melted butter), and maple syrup into a glass measuring cup. (Start with a small amount and add more as desired. If you like your cornbread sweeter, add maple syrup.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients until they are just combined. The mixture should be slightly thick but still pourable. Add a little more dairy-free liquid milk if it is too thick. If the mixture is too thin, you can add more cornmeal and flour. Add more maple syrup or salt if you like. Allow the batter to rest for five minutes so that it is evenly hydrated.
- Spread the cornmeal over the enchilada mixture. We left about a 1-inch gap on the edges so that the filling can caramelize. You can also spread the filling all the way up to the edge.
- Bake for 20 minutes until the crust is completely set. It’s normal to see some cracking if you use gluten-free flour. Serve the hot pancakes as-is or with vegan butter, maple syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- The leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days or the freezer for one month. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or an oven at 350 degrees F (176 C) until hot.
