This hearty, protein packed Slow Cooker Enchilada Quinoa Black Bean Bake is an easy plant-based meal made right in the slow cooker.

I love using my slow cooker at least once a week, especially during the winter months. I love that you can just add all your ingredients to the slow cooker and it does most of the work for you.

On busy nights where you don't have a lot of time to cook, but still want to make your family a healthy, nutritious meal, the slow cooker is the perfect solution.

A few years ago on the blog, I had a series called Slow Cooker Sundays. Each Sunday I would share a new slow cooker recipe. When I was planning out my content calendar for the year, I thought that it would be fun to bring back the Slow Cooker Sundays series.

If you haven't used your slow cooker in awhile, now is a great time to get it out! Add this Slow Cooker Enchilada Quinoa Black Bean Bake to your meal plan this week!

Slow cookers are extremely versatile and great for busy families.

If your are looking for more plant-based recipes that have tons of plant protein, this enchilada quinoa bake is a great way to add more plant based protein into your diet.

what's in the enchilada bake recipe?

For the slow cooker enchilada bake, you need the following ingredients:

• Onion, Bell Pepper and Garlic- For the aromatics, an onion, bell pepper, and garlic and sautéed in a little bit of oil before adding to the slow cooker. You can use any color of bell pepper, but red bell peppers are my favorite in this recipe.

• Quinoa- Be sure to give your quinoa a rinse in a fine mesh strainer before adding to the slow cooker.

• Vegetable Broth- For the liquid, I like to use Better Than Bouillon vegetable base.
• Canned Tomatoes- I really like the flavor of canned fire roasted tomatoes.
• Tomato Sauce- Canned tomato sauce adds a depth of flavor to the bake.
• Canned Diced Green Chiles- The chiles add a hint of spice.

• A few spices including cumin, paprika, and chili powder- The combination of these spices adds so much flavor to the enchilada bake.
• Black Beans- Canned beans add tons of protein to the enchilada bake. I like to use black beans, but you can use a combination of your favorite beans.
• Frozen Corn- The combination of the corn, tomatoes, beans and quinoa is so good.

• Vegan Cheese- The enchilada bake gets topped with a little vegan cheese at the end of cooking.

How to store leftovers

If you have any leftover enchilada bake, let it cool completely before placing in the refrigerator.

Transfer the vegan enchilada bake to an air tight container and store in the fridge. It should last 3-4 days stored in the refrigerator.

Can the enchilada bake be oil-free?

If you want to make this without any oil, skip the step of sautéing the onion and bell pepper in oil.

Instead, add the diced onion and pepper to the slow cooker. I have made it like this before and it's still delicious.

If you are short of meal prepping time, you can also skip this step. I just really like the flavor of sautéing the vegetables before adding them to the slow cooker.

How to serve the enchilada casserole:

I love topping the vegan enchilada bake with diced avocado, green onions, a squeeze of fresh lime, and lots of fresh chopped cilantro.

more slow cooker recipes to try:

• Slow Cooker Vegan Taco Soup
• Slow Cooker Lentil Sloppy Joes
• Slow Cooker Vegan Kielbasa, Cabbage and Potatoes
• Creamy Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
• Slow Cooker Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Happy Cooking!
Jeni