Vegan Mexican Rice Casserole
- Sara
- Mar 6
- 3 min read
This Vegan Mexican Rice Casserole is a fantastic combination of a Spanish style tomato-y rice, baked with fresh chopped veggies and Sunflower Haché, for a ground meat-like protein made entirely from sunflower seeds, that is not only high protein, but low fat and no additives or preservatives. Topped with my Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce and sprigs of cilantro, this casserole is all you need for a week's worth of dinners. You can make it as spicy or mild as you desire by adjusting your selection of chili powders; my version has a light to medium spice. For more daring guests, serve with a bottle of hot sauce nearby. Reminds me of enchiladas, without the tortillas. Fabulous!
I love a good casserole! The word "casserole" might have negative connotations depending on your memories of them and what style you have been served. In the 1950's casseroles were popular, but then in the 1970's and 1980's "convenience" foods started to become a way of life and casseroles were made of things like "Hamburger Helper", and cans of Cream of Mushroom soup slopping over canned or frozen soggy vegetables and ground beef. While containing the basic components of a casserole, layers of starch, meats, fats/sauces, and veggies, they were often bland, despite their rich fat content. Still, the convenience of a casserole is a fabulous idea today. They take the guesswork out of combining foods for a balanced meal if done right, making dinner time easy!
This Vegan Mexican Rice Casserole can be combined directly into your baking dish to minimize clean-up and enhance ease. There is some chopping and browing involved, but then it all gets stirred together in your baking dish and goes straight in the oven. If you haven't tried Sunflower Haché by Sunflower Family, you've got to track it down! I buy it in a 6-pack from Amazon, and since it is shelf-stable, there's no worry about using it all before it goes bad. This is the best meat substitute I've ever found because it is 100% from sunflower seeds, which is typically tolerable to even the most allergic or sensitive of bodies. They strip out the fats leaving just a pure protein source. It comes in flavored versions, but I buy plain so that I can keep garlic and onion out of it and control my own spices.
After the casserole is baked, top with Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce, which you can easily make while the casserole is in the oven, or use an off-the-shelf cheese sauce.
Nearly all the ingredients in Vegan Mexican Rice Casserole are low-FODMAP. Corn, beans, red bell pepper are all high in FODMAPs in large amounts, but each of these is in a low-FODMAP range for the serving size. This casserole makes plenty! I easily get 10 servings for myself, but it might be more like 8 for bigger appetites. I love to scoop a bowl of this Mexican Rice Casserole, heat it up, then top with chopped romaine and a couple avocado slices for a sort of deconstructed taco bowl. It also makes a great "dip" for tortilla chips, using extra Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce.
If you try this vegan, gluten-free, low-FODMAP recipe, please give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five stars and a comment below. We'd love to hear from you!
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