Looking for a quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe that only uses four ingredients? If so, you’ve got to try my favorite 4 Vegetarian Ingredient Taco Bake! It’s made using corn tortillas, refried beans, chunky salsa and cheese. Everything gets layered in a baking dish and I like to serve with my favorite taco toppings. Enjoy for lunch or dinner.
Our entire family has been sick for a few weeks now and if dinner has more than four ingredients, I don’t want to make it. This 4 Ingredient Vegetarian Taco Bake combines a few of my favorite ingredients into one hearty meal. The beans, cheese, tortillas and salsa get layered together and baked until cheese is melted. This recipe doesn’t take much time, brain power or ingredients, which is a major win in my book.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Dinner Recipe
- Only four ingredients – This taco bake only requires 4 simple ingredients, making this an affordable recipe that is also healthy and filling. You are welcome to add extra ingredients, like spices or veggies, if you like though.
- Easy to make – With only four ingredients, there isn’t much prep work that goes into this bean and cheese tortilla bake. It takes just about 15 minutes to assemble and then it bakes in the oven for about 40 minutes.
- Packed with protein – There may only be four ingredients, but the cheese and refried beans pack in the protein and make this easy recipe nice and filling. You can also serve with non-fat greek yogurt to bulk it up even more.
Vegetarian Taco Bake Recipe Tips
- Make this recipe spicy by using pepper-jack cheese and your favorite hot flavored salsa.
- Top this taco bake with your favorite taco toppings to add some fresh veggies to the recipe. I like to use lettuce, tomato, black olives, red onion and a little taco sauce, or hot sauce. You can even crunch up tortilla chips for a crispy topping.
- The corn tortillas do kind of cook into the bean mixture once baked in the oven, so if you want to reinforce the corn tortilla flavor, you can add a double layer of them, instead of a single layer. I also like to serve with tortilla chips.
Bean and Cheese Taco Bake Recipe Ingredients
- Tortillas – I like to use corn tortillas for this recipe because they hold their texture better than flour tortillas, when baked in a casserole, but flour tortillas can be used, if you prefer them.
- Cheese – I used colby-jack cheese, but any kind of cheese can be used. If making vegan, use your favorite meltable vegan cheese.
- Salsa – I like to use a chunky salsa for this recipe because it adds extra veggies, but any kind of salsa will work.
- Refried Beans – I used two cans of refried pinto beans, but you could also use refried black beans. I have a homemade refried bean recipe here, if you prefer to make your own.
How To Make My Four Ingredient Taco Bake
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Add the refried beans and 1 cup of salsa to a large bowl and mix well, until completely combined.
- This step is optional, but I like to trim a little bit off of each side of the tortillas, to make the corn tortillas into more of a square shape, so they will fit better in the pan. Otherwise, you can just overlap them a little bit, if needed.
- Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1/3 cup of the salsa and use a spoon to spread it into an even layer. This will make it so the first layer of tortillas doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Next, cover the salsa with a layer of the corn tortillas. I used four tortillas per layer, but you may use more or less, depending on the size of your baking dish.
- Carefully spread 1/2 of the refried bean mixture over the tortillas, until it reaches the edges. Evenly sprinkle 1 1/4 cup of shredded cheese over the beans and then top with a second layer of the tortillas. Repeat this process one more time, beans, cheese and a third layer of corn tortillas.
- Add the remaining salsa (about 1/3 cup) to the top of the tortillas, spread out evenly and then top with the remaining 1 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Cover baking dish with foil and place in the pre-heated oven. Bake for 30 minutes before removing the foil, and then bake for another 15-20 minutes, until cheese is completely melted.
- Remove taco bake from the oven, let cool for a few minutes and then slice into six equal portions. Enjoy with a side of tortilla chips and your favorite taco toppings.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Make this recipe gluten free by using corn tortillas.
- Make this recipe vegan by using your favorite vegan shredded cheese.
- Is this taco bake spicy? No, it isn’t spicy, but if you want it to be spicy you can use your favorite spicy salsa.
- How long do leftovers last? If stored in an air-tight container, in the refrigerator, leftovers will last for about 4-5 days. Re-heat in the microwave or oven.
- Is this recipe freezer friendly? Yes, you can either assemble it and freeze just before you would put it in the oven, or you can freeze the leftovers, after it has been cooked.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below and I will get back to you ASAP!
Looking For More Easy Mexican Inspired Vegetarian Recipes?
Pumpkin Pinto Bean Taco Skillet
Crispy Cauliflower and Potato Tacos
4-Ingredient Vegetarian Taco Bake
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Looking for a quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe that only uses four ingredients? If so, you’ve got to try my favorite 4 Ingredient Vegetarian Taco Bake! It’s made using corn tortillas, refried beans, chunky salsa and cheese. Everything gets layered in a baking dish and I like to serve with my favorite taco toppings. Enjoy for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 (15 oz) cans refried beans, pinto or black
- 1 (15 oz) jar chunky salsa, divided
- 12 corn tortillas
- 3 3/4 cups shredded cheese, I used colby-jack, divided
- Optional toppings: lettuce, tomato, black olives, onion, avocado, taco sauce
- Serve with tortilla chips, if desired
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Add the refried beans and 1 cup of salsa to a large bowl and mix well, until completely combined.
- This step is optional, but I like to trim a little bit off of each side of the tortillas, to make the corn tortillas into more of a square shape, so they will fit better in the pan. Otherwise, you can just overlap them a little bit, if needed.
- Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1/3 cup of the salsa and use a spoon to spread it into an even layer. This will make it so the first layer of tortillas doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Next, cover the salsa with a layer of the corn tortillas. I used four tortillas per layer, but you may use more or less, depending on the size of your baking dish.
- Carefully spread 1/2 of the refried bean mixture over the tortillas, until it reaches the edges. Evenly sprinkle 1 1/4 cup of shredded cheese over the beans and then top with a second layer of the tortillas. Repeat this process one more time, beans, cheese and a third layer of corn tortillas.
- Add the remaining salsa (about 1/3 cup) to the top of the tortillas, spread out evenly and then top with the remaining 1 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Cover baking dish with foil and place in the pre-heated oven. Bake for 30 minutes before removing the foil, and then bake for another 15-20 minutes, until cheese is completely melted.
- Remove taco bake from the oven, let cool for a few minutes and then slice into six equal portions. Enjoy with a side of tortilla chips and your favorite taco toppings.
Notes
I used a size 10×6 baking dish for this recipe. Recipe amounts may differ, depending on how small, or large, your baking dish is.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Category: Dinner, Vegetarian
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Mexican Inspired
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