Veggie Enchilada Casserole with Homemade Sauce

Preheat oven to 350ºF and spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.

For the enchiladas:
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add oil. When hot, add onion and mushrooms. Cook until onion is translucent and mushrooms are soft, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium; add beans and spinach and cook until heated, about 2 minutes. Add cumin and garlic powder and stir. Remove from heat.

When ready to assemble, add the tortillas in a single layer to the preheated oven, until warm, about 1 minute. You can place them directly on the rack or use a cookie sheet. This will help the corn tortillas soften so they are easier to assemble the enchiladas. Depending on how quickly you work, you may want to heat 4 at a time so the tortillas stay warm.

Add about 3 tablespoons of the bean/mushroom mix to each warm tortilla. Add 1 tablespoon Jalapeño Cashew Cheese to each, if desired, spreading evenly. Carefully overlap each side of the tortilla to enclose (don’t close the ends), and place carefully, upside down, in a 9×13 baking pan. Repeat until corn tortillas and filling is used up. If there is extra filling, you can spoon it into the gaps in the pan.

For the enchilada sauce
In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. After 1 minute, add flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Add crushed tomatoes, water, oregano, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes; the sauce will thicken. Stir and remove from heat. Makes about 2 cups.

Spoon enchilada sauce over the enchiladas (about 2 cups, if using your own sauce), covering each corn tortilla with the sauce. Sprinkle nutritional yeast over the top, if desired.

Bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Top with salsa and avocado. Makes 8 enchiladas. Best if served immediately but will last in the fridge for a couple days.