So, my original plan was to post waffles today because, if you have been keeping up with me on Instagram, you will see I’ve been making a ton of waffles. I have a Chai Waffle recipe and a Chocolate Waffle recipe both ready to publish. However, I realized that several of my posts lately have all been sweet…um, oops….and due to the excitement over this recipe I shared on this Facebook post, I knew I needed to publish this one first. But don’t you worry, those Chai waffles are next. I’ve received countless waffle recipe requests since so many prefer them over pancakes. So, hold tight. 😉
This Vegan Cheesy Mexican Tortilla Bake was another spur-of-the-moment dinner idea that turned out incredible. Incredible. It’s truly hard to believe that this whole dish, with as delicious as it is, is only 8 ingredients (+salt and water). My daughter absolutely looovvved it. In fact, I’ve made it 3 times since I shared the teaser pic on Facebook. So many of you have been messaging asking when it is getting posted and yay, today is the day! Let me just say, it takes awhile to film a video with all the layers and prepare everything for the post, so that is why it took me several days to get it together.
We polished off this Cheesy Mexican Tortilla Bake in no time. Also, it’s SO easy to make. Another exciting thing? The Mexican Vegan Cheesy Sauce is made with no nutritional yeast! So many people hate nutritional yeast or are allergic, as well as many months ago I discovered it was a trigger for gout pain in my husband. Ever since then, I’ve been remaking recipes subbing out the nutritional yeast. For this recipe, I went to my #1 cheese sauce on the blog that soooo many of you say it has changed your life, the Mexican Cheese Sauce. BUT, that recipe uses a good amount of nutritional yeast. So, I had to think how to mimic that cheesy flavor without it.
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I did it, lol. The shocking part is that I love this one better. It tastes even cheesier.
VEGAN CHEESE SAUCE IN 10 MINUTES
You don’t need to cook any veggies or do a million steps to make a homemade cheese sauce. This is SO easy to make and I swear, has the most real cheesy taste that I’ve tried yet to date and I’ve tried a lot of recipes. It’s simple, fast and delicious.
If you haven’t figured it out by now, I don’t like long recipes with a lot of ingredients. It just flat out stresses me out and this recipe is so incredibly delicious and the fact it’s ready in under an hour and just 8 basic ingredients is kind of crazy.
To remake my original cheese sauce without the nutritional yeast, I used a good amount of dairy-free soy (or coconut) yogurt. It provided an amazing tang, wonderful body and texture and honestly, tasted better to me than with the nutritional yeast. That combined with all the natural vinegar in the salsa, makes for one delicious cheesy bite.
I don’t give two hoots if it is “real cheese” or not…when something tastes good, it tastes good. Period. No matter what. And unlike dairy cheese, this one isn’t full of cholesterol.
It will be going on nachos next! Mmmmmmm.
All you need to make this recipe is 8 simple ingredients (+the usual salt and water):
- Cashews or White beans
- Salsa
- Dairy-free Yogurt
- Cumin
- Smoked Paprika
- Black Beans
- Corn
- Corn Tortillas
I hope you all love this Vegan Cheesy Mexican Tortilla Bake as much as I do. Please watch the video tutorial below, as it really makes the process easier to understand when seeing the visual.
OTHER VEGAN DINNER RECIPES TO TRY:
- Vegan Stuffed Ricotta Shells
- Barbecue Lentil Loaf
- Oil-free Zucchini Fritters
- Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
- Vegan 20 Minute Alfredo
- Vegan Chickpea Tomato Ragu
Vegan Cheesy Mexican Tortilla Bake
Ingredients
FOR THE CHEESE (Makes 2 1/2 cups)
- 1 cup (150g) raw unsalted cashews (See NOTES below for subs and lower-fat option)
- 1 cup (240g) mild heat runny/not too chunky salsa (I love Trader Joe's or Sprouts Mild, you can use a medium heat if you don't mind the dish being on the spicy side, not recommended with kids)
- 3/4 cup (180g) PLAIN dairy-free yogurt (I used Silk Soy yogurt found at Kroger OR SO Delicious "Unsweetened" Plain coconut yogurt)
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (75g) water
- 1 1/4 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3/4-1 teaspoon fine salt (this will vary depending on the salsa used. Start with 3/4 and keep in mind the final taste after baked you want to stand out)
FOR THE CASSEROLE
- 9 small corn tortillas, cut into fourths
- Two 15 oz cans low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup (240g) salsa for middle layer
- 2 cups (293g) sweet corn (I used frozen)
- Optional: Green onions for garnish
NOTE
- The yogurt CANNOT be subbed here for milk, that will RUIN the recipe. The yogurt is thick, creamy and tangy and using a milk will not only make it bland, it will make the rest of the dish watery and soggy. Follow the recipe for the correct results.
Instructions
- First, prepare your cheese sauce by adding all of the ingredients listed under "cheese sauce" to a high-powered blender. I did not soak my cashews since I have a Vitamix, but if you do not have a strong blender, you will need to soak your cashews overnight, drain and rinse. Otherwise, your sauce will be gritty. Taste it and tell me how darn cheesy that tastes! The cheese sauce tastes insanely delicious and cheesy straight out of the blender, but gets even cheesier after it's baked! If you are just wanting to use the cheese sauce for nachos or another recipe, I would add it to the stove and heat it just to thicken it up slightly. It is delicious on nachos!
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly spray a 8 1/2 by 8 1/2 square casserole dish like ceramic or stone with nonstick spray. Layer about a 1/3 of the cheese sauce on the bottom and spread out with a spoon. REFER TO VIDEO for easy visual tutorial. Lay on top of the cheese sauce 6 of the cut tortillas per each row for 3 rows.
- Add 1 can of the beans on top of the tortillas and spread out. Add the other 1 cup of salsa and spread out over the beans. Layer 1 cup of the corn. Layer another 1/3 of the cheese sauce on top of the corn and spread out. You will notice there is only 1 layer of salsa in the middle. This is just to add another layer of flavor and moisture, it definitely didn't need 2 layers of salsa.
- Repeat the steps by adding the remaining tortillas, then the beans, corn and remaining cheese sauce. Cover everything well and top with a piece of foil gently covering the dish. This is so the cheese sauce doesn't bake up and harden too quickly. Bake with the foil on for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and bake another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is getting a nice firm orange-brown look on the edges. I baked it for about 8 minutes without the foil but if you prefer the cheese to be more firm, just bake it a bit longer. Just keep in mind that the longer you bake it, the drier the top cheese layer becomes after it is removed from the oven.
- Garnish with fresh green onions. I loved the crunchy, fresh element of the green onions to the warm cheesy flavor.
- This dish reheats very well also. I just reheat leftovers in the microwave and mmmmmm, delicious.
Recipe Notes
Please note that for best results, I recommend the 100% cashew version. It is incredibly rich and delicious and only recommend the below if allergic to cashews or greatly needing to watch your fat intake.
To make this nut-free: You can sub all of the cashews with white beans, making sure to blend really well. Just PLEASE note that this is ONLY recommended if you absolutely cannot have cashews. I tested it with all beans and while it was good, it was not as rich and creamy delicious as with the cashews (obviously since beans are fat-free) and the husband said it tasted like beans, but did agree it was still good and tasty. Please keep in mind I recommend the cashew version for best results to where non-vegans will love it too.
For lower fat: I also tested a version with half white beans and half cashews and it was still very delicious.
Nutrition per square slice (based on 9): 287 calories | 9.9g fat | 9.6g protein | 43.1g carbs | 8g fiber | 8g sugar | 568mg sodium
If you make this recipe, please do not repost it in full on your site, please link to me instead giving proper credit. I work very hard to create my recipes and share them for free, so please be respectful and link properly. If you are inspired by this recipe, again, please give proper credit and do not simply post it on your site and ask before reprinting any of my recipes.
Am I missing the video? Where is it?
It’s on there, just added it! Took me a couple of minutes to get it on youtube first 🙂
I am just wondering if you think this would work if I put the dish together in the morning and then put it in the fridge and cooked it later in the evening? (Having guests and will be making multiple dishes and I am not very good at multitasking!) Thanks!
Hi Michelle! Hmmm, I’m not sure because the tortillas might get soggy. They will be baking anyways, so it might be okay. Just make sure your corn is not frozen and your beans are drained really well. It is an incredibly fast dish to make though, so to save time, you could make the cheese sauce ahead of time and have your beans and corn ready to go early, then just assemble right before baking. You will see how fast and easy it all comes together.
This is the best looking recipe I’ve seen in a long time! I absolutely love you for giving a sub for the cashews. I am allergic and I see so many delicious looking cheese sauces that I can’t make because of that. Can’t wait to give this one a try!
That is the best compliment ever Jennifer, thank you so much! I really hope you love it! While the bean version is not nearly as rich, it is still very good and cheesy! Let me know what you think after you make it!
Made this tonight and it was a huge hit. Thanks for sharing. Do you know if this would freeze well?
That makes me so darn happy to hear Colleen, thank you so much for letting me know!
Have you tried freezing it, I was wondering the same thing. Made it several times and would like to be able to freeze
Hi! I’ve actually never tried freezing it. We eat it all within the first 2 days so I’ve just never tried it. Worth a shot to try!
Do you have nutritional data. Trying to eat low fat. Thanks.😁
Thank you so much for making a cheese sauce without nutritional yeast. My husband can’t have it and I need an alternative. Can’t wait to try it!
You are so welcome Sue! Yup, same thing over here…hubby gets major gout pain and flareup after yeast. I finally put two and two together when he had an awful flareup over Christmas last year and I have not made him anything with yeast ever since. So much better! I hope you love this. Let me know what you think! My hubby loved it!
This looks great! We don’t do soy at our house. Is there another option for plant based yogurt? I’ve seen coconut based yogurt at the store but have never tried it. Your thoughts?
Hi Beth! Yes, coconut yogurt should definitely work! Let me know what you think after you try it!
Will Silk dairy free vanilla yogurt work? There aren’t any other alternatives unfortunately
Hi Briana, no I would not recommend vanilla because that will definitely give a weird sweet vanilla taste to the casserole which is not going to taste right. Where are you located? I have been able to find plain, non-flavored yogurt at pretty much every store around me. Sprouts carries it and so does Kroger. Maybe try a vegan sour cream instead if you absolutely can’t find it. I think that should give a similar taste.
Well you know I’d never complain about too many sweet recipes in a row, but this easy cheesy real-meal goodness looks so good I’m even willing to wait on the the waffles and rewatch this yummy video a few more times to see that swirl shot again! I was very intrigued when you mentioned the nutritional yeast free cheese but this sauce is definitely not lacking on flavor. I actually find all vegan cheese sauces to have that almost identical flavor because of the nutritional yeast, and while I don’t mind it something different but still so luscious and savory sounds awesome. It looks so good in the video, I know for a fact if there were any tortilla chips in the house not all the cheese would make it to the casserole dish…or even out of the blender ha! And I love the rest of the super simple layers to turn it into an easy meal too. You are so creative to just come up with this stuff on a whim–always impressed my friend!
Thank you my friend!! Haha…I know, we both love our sweets, but I was like…um, ok I think I need to break the sweet streak with some savory, LOL! I used to be the biggest nutritional yeast fan, but it really is such a strong flavor that I can see how so many people don’t like it. And since it triggers gout for my hubby and also causes headaches in my daughter, it’s safe to say I won’t be giving it to them anymore and thankfully I’ve created 2 successful cheese sauces without it.
Oh yes, I have been eating it on tacos and burritos and as a dip..the cheese is just my new absolute favorite…can’t get enough!
Brandi, Thanks so much for this recipe – and your sub’ing of beans for the cashews :-). I’m looking forward to making this recipe SOOOOOn. AND your option of beans for the cashews made me wonder if I could use a 1/3c of cooked black beans & a titch of water all whizzed in the Bullet would be a possible substitute for olive oile in my Vegan Pate recipe. It’s cooking as I’m typing. The Vegan Pate is a wonderful recipe given to me by one of my Brain Gym class participants and the only 2 challenges have been: too much sodium and too much oil. I’m now on a fat free Vegan eating plan for health reasons and the thought of losing that Vegan Pate recipe was a very, VERY sad thought. I’ll be sampling that pate recipe as soon as it comes out of the oven. Again, my thanks for your amazing creativity. I can hardly wait to try the Alfred Sauce, too!!! I’ll be back for more recipes.
Yours in Gratitude, WendyHT
Made this tonight and it was a huge hit. Thanks for sharing. Do you know if this would freeze well? I’d love to keep some on hand.
Yay! Very happy to hear that Colleen, thank you so much for getting back to me 🙂 I actually haven’t tried freezing it yet, since eat it so quick, haha. But, since it is all whole food based, I would imagine it would freeze well and I, personally, would just reheat it in the oven on a very low temperature so it heats and cooks through slowly.
I made these for dinner tonight. It was amazing. I did half Chickpeas and half cashews in the sauce and put a layer of brown rice also. Truly delish! Thanks!
So awesome to hear that Deb!! So glad you enjoyed it so much, I really appreciate the feedback! The brown rice sounds delicious, too 🙂
Hi there! When ou added a layer of town rice to the bake- did you previously cook the rice? Or did you put it in dry? May be a silly question but I want to make sure my non vegans will love it too 🙂
Hi Christine, for this, you definitely want to add it already cooked, otherwise it won’t cook properly and would end up crunchy.
Omg I tried this tonight. It is over the top good! The cheese sauce is amazing! Even my non vegan hubby loved it!
So very happy to hear that Sharla! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave the review on my blog, I greatly appreciate it! Love hearing that your non-vegan hubby loved it, too!
This looks amazing. I remember your Mexican Cheese Sauce that was incredibly delicious. But I am happy you came up with a sauce that doesn’t have nutritional yeast in it. You are extremely creative coming up with a vegan cheese sauce that doesn’t use nutritional yeast. Not only are you creative but you take such amazing care of your family. I can tell that. Your husband reacted to the nutritional yeast so you found a solution. You truly have such an amazing heart and your family is lucky to have you. This dish look and sounds so delicious I definitely have to try it. I loved the video I was pretty much drooling the entire time.
Thank you so much Christina! Yes, it is amazing how many people have asked me about subbing that yeast on that one! You are so sweet, thank you for your kind words. Gotta keep the hubby happy and my daughter, too, really loves this! She would get headaches from nutritional yeast, so it was kind of urgent to find a replacement that I actually really liked!
So glad you liked the video, it took me forever to make, lol!
WOW. This was out of control delicious and so easy to make!!! For my fiancé and I dividing it in 9 definitely wasn’t enough…we each ate a quarter of the casserole and are feeling very content! Will definitely be making this again.
Yay!!! That makes me so happy to hear Natalie, thank you so much for the review! Haha, yeah, we definitely ate more than one as well, but since that is how I sliced it into shapes, that is what I based it on but definitely ate more, lol! One is a good amount for a young child, though.
Hummmmm, interesting it’s cheezy with no nooch. I’ll give the sauce a try as mac and cheese for the omni hubby. There are SO many cheeze sauce recipes for mac and cheeze, I’ve got to find a killer one for July 4th pitch in for the omni folks to also enjoy.
Yes, and it’s even better than my nooch-based one! If you check out all the reviews above, on Facebook and on Instagram, you can be convinced of all the non-vegans, kids and husbands that have absolutely loved it! The cheese sauce is soooo good! It really is cheesy and when it’s baked with this casserole, it becomes even thicker and cheesier. I’m assuming it will thicken well over the stove too for mac and cheese! I’m trying that next! It has a Mexican flare to it with the paprika and cumin and salsa too. I think if you make this casserole for your omni friends, they would love it!
This sauce was REALLY good for mac and cheese on the stove top, but then I screwed up and baked it without a cover. That dried it out too much. My omni husband said it still wasn’t bad. I will make this sauce again for stove top mac and cheese this Saturday for July 4th celebration on the omni friends.
I used my cultured cashew yogurt, and that’s killer.
I’m so glad to hear it was really good! Thank you! Yes, the cover definitely helps to keep the cheese from drying out! So glad it was still yummy though!
Brandi this is so much more than I expected. This is sooo good!! I mean the flavor is exceptional. We can’t stop talking about how good this is. It’s amazing. Creamy and a little kick and the crunch of the green onion!! Thank you for this quick and easy recipe.
I’m so very happy to hear this Estee!! So glad you all loved it!
Oh my gosh, this looks so rich and decadent. I am all about that SAUCE!
Thank you Becky! It really is decadent, but so healthy!
Lord have mercy, you’re killing me with this. I seriously just drooled a little. Mexican food is my jam and this looks so unbelievably delicious. Making it soon, maybe tonight?
Haha, thank you so much Linda!! I’ve made it 4 times myself!
I am totally in with your amazing piccies – they capture the deliciousness here so well. I am only just getting into Mexican food (every time you post something Mexican it makes me drool)…. and really excited about all of these fun things to do. This sounds a-a-a-mazing!
x
Aww, you are so sweet Trinity! I’m so glad you like them because to me, it was challenging to capture a baked cheese recipe look good because you know how cashew cheese can get kind of dry quick, so I was rushing, haha!
Just made the cheese sauce for a baked potato and had to lick the bowl clean. Delicious!
That is so awesome to hear Kim! Over a baked potato sounds sooo yummy!
Oohh, I love a good cheesy Mexican dish! This sounds wonderful and I know my whole family would gobble it up!
Yes, totally kid-approved! So many families have told me their kids and teenagers have loved it!
My husband has gout, too, and we’ve been trying to figure out what the trigger is. If it’s nutritional yeast, I may need to move out! (Just kidding!)
This looks amazing! I can see why you polished it off so quickly!
Haha! Oh no! Sorry to hear he has gout! Yes, nutritional yeast is a huge trigger for gout unfortunately! As well as cauliflower and mushrooms and lentils. So, if he eats any of those, it could be a cause as well.
Have your hubbies tried tart Montmourancy (sp?) cherry juice? That often works a treat – along with lots of water, of course.
Yours in Gratitude
WendyHT
Hi Wendy! Yes, I’m aware of the whole cherry juice thing but it never did a thing for my husband. I think that only helps in minor cases. I’ve dealt with treating my hubby for nearly 10 years and nothing worked until we went vegan and learning the exact foods to avoid, even up to this year! He had one of the worst cases of gout that doctors had seen, meaning very, very sensitive and had gout constantly and was on crutches, so it took a complete lifestyle change to heal him 🙂
This was totally delicious! For sure, will make again & definitely take to potlucks/pitch-ins. Could not find soy yogurt in my town so made a substitute of 3/4 C. extra firm tofu (because that’s what I had) + 1 T. apple cider vinegar; and instead of 2 cans of black beans, did 1 can of black beans & 1 can of pinto beans, just because :). Thank you so much for this recipe, ahhhmazing!
That is so wonderful to hear Julie! Yay! Yes, I did half and half of the beans on my first trial too, so good! So wonderful to hear the tofu and acv worked!
I have never found a “cheese” sauce that I liked – I just do not like the flavor of nutritional yeast. I made this tonight and you are my new favorite person! DELICIOUS! Instead of just beans and corn, I had some veggies from my CSA basket that needed to be used so I threw them in too (green peppers, onions, mushrooms, zucchini). The recipe is definitely a keeper! Thank you!!!!
This makes me soooo happy to hear Dianne!! So glad finally THIS recipe is the vegan cheese you liked! Yay! Your veggie additions sound so yummy, too! Thank you for the awesome feedback!
I love easy recipes like this, I cannot wait to try it! and great news on finding an alternative to the nutritional yeast if it’s not a good thing for your husband!
Thank you so much Kristina!
How many grams of fat is in this and how many servings does it make? Could you use a Vegan mayonnaise instead of the yogurt or a vegan cream cheese? I don’t have access to vegan yogurt…
Hi Janell! I’m not sure of the fat content, I have not had a chance to calculate the nutrition yet, but there are nutrition calculators online if you want to check right away. I have listed above that it makes an 8 1/2 X 8 1/2 casserole dish or 9 slices. The serving size would depend on who is eating it. My daughter, who is 5, had around 1 and I probably ate 2-3 because it was so yummy. As far as using vegan mayonnaise, that would add A LOT more fat to it and since I’ve only tested it with yogurt and I don’t ever use mayo, I honestly have no idea how it would taste. It is a similar consistency, so it may work. Vegan mayo has a stronger tang than yogurt though, but it might work! I wouldn’t use cream cheese, I think it’s too thick. Let me know if you try the mayo. I have had a couple of readers sub the yogurt with firm tofu and add a 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar. I haven’t tried that, but they had success!
I simply love cashew sauces and this one looks like a flavorful keeper.
I made this for dinner tonight and OH EM GEE…. absolutely divine! I put some vegan shreds and crumbled corn chips on top… fantastic recipe
– thank you 🙂
Yay!! So very happy to hear that! Mmmm, corn chips on top sound sooo good!
I’m loooking forward to making this dish! I only need the ingredients, which I will take care of today! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe. I will be making it soon1
You are so welcome Solimar, I hope you love it!!
I have a confession to make-I not a big Mexican foods fan but this was absolutely delicious. I just finished my second helping and had to write a rave review! I can’t believe how easy this was to throw together and how delicious it turned out.
One of the many things I love about your recipes, Brandi, is that even if I change things up a bit, everything still tastes wonderful. This was not intentional, but a third of the sauce ended up being unusable. I was devastated and was sure the dish would not turn out, but it was still amazing. That is a true testament to phenomenal recipes!!
I went with your suggestion to use a mild salsa because my Irish stomach can’t take very spicy foods. 😉 I also used plain almond milk yogurt for the cheese sauce and slightly less cumin. STILL SO TASTY!
I had to chuckle when I saw the “other Colleen’s” question about freezing the dish. I’ll be lucky if this lasts another day! :0)
Thanks for another winner, and by the way, CONGRATULATIONS on your book dea!! You have worked so hard and been so selfless with sharing your knowledge and recipes. You truly deserve this honor!
Thank you so very much for such an incredible feedback Colleen! I love even more that this wowed you and you aren’t even a Mexican fan, yay! I am so grateful for your wonderful review and all of your kind words. I’m so happy to hear how much you love all of my recipes, thank you so much Colleen! And thank you for your words about the book, I’m very excited to have all of this support from you wonderful readers!
*I’m not…
*deal
I despise typos!! 😝
I made this tonight and it was easy and delicious! I was eating the cheese straight out of the blender. 😍
I did the same thing! Thank you so much Britton, I’m so glad you loved it!
I’m sorry Brandi but I’m old school and not into any of the social media but I wanted to let you know that I made for the first time your Vegan Cheesy Mexican Torilla Bake and, well…I could have eaten the whole pan! It was FABULOUS! This will definitely be a regular at our house that’s for sure. We’ve been vegan since December 2015 and the majority of the recipes I use come from you. I want to thank you for all the time you spend testing each and every recipe. I used to be a good cook and I especially loved baking. Thank you for making the time I spend in the kitchen so enjoyable. Also, congratulations on your book deal. Can’t wait to get your book in my kitchen!
Diana Funk
Haha, you sound like me! I wanted to basically eat the whole pan myself, too, lol! I’m so very happy to read your lovely and kind comment. I’m truly touched you are enjoying my recipes so much! Have the low-fat brownies been one of them, haha?! I remember your request for those. They have been so very popular with readers, but it was you that inspired them..and your hubby! Thank you again for the lovely comment!
I made this last night and couldn’t get over that cheese!! So delicious and easy! My nonvegan husband was amazed as well. I had to bake mine for about ten minutes longer than stated but that could be because I have an old oven and/or because I put an extra layer of tortillas on top under the last layer of cheese sauce. Either way, this recipe is a keeper, thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much Sally! SO awesome about your hubby too loving it, woohoo! Thank you for the awesome review!
I finally made this! Yum-O-Rama….a party in my (our) mouth(s). We both had two servings, and it is SUPER late and past our bedtime so we know we’ll pay for that with sleep issues, but sooooo worth it! We are having it for lunch tomorrow, and I think that is all that will remain of the whole dish. I can see how you have had it 3-4 times in a given week. SO easy to make. I have a friend who I’ve been working with for several weeks to convert to plant based eating and this is the FIRST recipe I am going to share with her! Counting down the days until your cookbook is available, but so thankful for your website full of amazingness. Thank you for always sharing with us!
Yay, yay, yay! So glad to hear you loved it so much and I’m giggling at you eating it late…haha, this stuff will give you late night cravings! Ha! Good thing that it is healthy though, so totally guilt-free. I hope your friend loved this recipe too. I’ve been overwhelmed by how many people have told me their non-vegan hubbies and non-vegan children or teenagers have devoured it, so I think universally it’s a hit! Thank you again!
That cheese sauce looks delicious! We can’t do cashews though, so I may be trying the white bean option and I’ll let you know how it turns out.
It was still yummy, but obviously not nearly as rich and creamy!
OH wow. That looks quite tasty. Thanks for that one.
Brandi, we have a once a month Cooking Club where a group of us try out new vegan recipes. One of the dishes was your Mexican Tortilla Bake. It was a big hit, absolutely delicious and richly flavored. The sauce was done with half cashews and half white beans, and it was really creamy. Great recipe, it’s a keeper! Thanks.
This is so wonderful to hear!! Glad it was a hit with everybody and yes, I loved it with half nuts/half beans too! Thank you so much for the review!
I’m all about anything pointing towards the flavors of Mexico. Love bean and corn together and the sauce looks really good.
Brandi,
I made this up for a vacation casserole and put the ingredients together 2 days before we actually ate it. It turned out great and the “cheese” sauce is wonderful! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
This looks so great. I can’t wait to make it for my family!
Awesome Stephanie! I hope you all love it as much as everybody else has!
Brandi, thank you so much for this recipe! My husband has changed to a vegan lifestyle due to health problem so we as a family are trying to support him. This recipe is the first one I’ve tried that the entire family have enjoyed, even my boys. The sauce is so creamy and delicious and I assume it can be used on many other dishes. Thanks again 🙂 my hope for this vegan journey has been restored!!!
Oh my gosh, the recipe was fabulous! Made it for my boyfriend tonight and he loved it too. The “cheese” is to die for, we would love it just as a dip too! Keep up the good work. (:
I could not find unsweetened soy yogurt anywhere when I was ingredients shopping, so I had to sub with 3/4 unsweetened soy milk with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and let it sit for 10 minutes. I think it was successful because the sauce was delicious!
Side note: without the tortillas, and just layers of sauce, salsa, corn and beans, it works very well as a layered nacho dip. 😃
Thanks for a great nutritional-yeast free dip!
Brandi you did it AGAIN!!!! This is going to be something I bring to any potluck or gathering, everyone that has tried it can not believe how good it tastes AND they are even more surprised to find out it is animal free!!!
I’m excited to try more of your recipes and can hardly wait for your cookbook. You are a true testament to what I believe…… that if you do something you love, you will get paid for it and it won’t feel like “work”!!
Wishing you continued success as you continue coming up with these GREAT recipes that allow us to eat delicious healthy food! 🙂
Penny, you are a sweetheart! Thank you so very much for your kind words and leaving such wonderful feedback! I’m so happy to hear how much you loved this recipe and are excited for my cookbook, that means so much to me!!
This was AMAZING! Thank you so much for sharing. Can you guess how many calories are in one serving? I will be trying more of your recipes very soon.
Great recipe Brandi!!! I forgot to comment a few weeks ago when I made this twice in 3 days! It is super-delicious and a great family pleaser! Also great with added veggies. Thank you for another winner. 🙂
So awesome Sue! Thank you so much for the review!
Got this bad boy in my oven cooking RIGHT NOW! Can’t wait! But I will admit, I used your original Mexican cheese sauce with the nutritional yeast because I love it and I need the B12. Can’t wait till it’s done. It alr day smells heavenly!
Awesome Samantha! I hope that cheese works just as good as the one I used here, haven’t tested it with that one. Let me know! But fyi, the new one I swear is better, so try it! Haha!
Loved this! Am usually not a casserole person, but when something is so flavorful and yes, cheesy, how can you not like it? Easy to make as well. There’s just a small problem with the instructions—in step 4 it says to add the next layer on top of the salsa, but there is only one layer of salsa and that is covered with the corn and cheese (I agree, didn’t need more salsa—juicy as is). So I followed the video and what I thought were your intentions with the instructions, and it turned out perfectly.
Awesome Ellen! I’m so very happy to hear you loved this so much! I edited the directions too!
So good!!!! Thanks Brandi…another winner!
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear that!!
Would it be fine to use flour tortilla? I don’t care for corn, I assume it would be but thought I should ask 🙂
Hi Katie! I would think they might get soggy, but it’s worth a shot! Let me know if you try it!
Hi Brandi,
I can’t find unsweetened vegan yoghurt, and I don’t have soy milk, would cashew milk with apple cider vinegar work?
Hi Bianca! Cashew milk will be too runny, so I wouldn’t use that. A few readers have subbed with tofu and adding apple cider vinegar. I have not personally tried this so I cannot vouch for it, but they had success. Also, I’m pretty sure a vegan sour cream would work in place of the yogurt as well. You could try that!
Wow, this was so delicious! I made it in a traditional, very deep, casserole dish and it took a really long time to get it piping hot. I put the foil back on and backed another 25 minutes. Very tasty, though !
So awesome to hear Tom! So glad you loved it!
This looks soooo fantastic!! My only problem is I cannot get the dairy free yougurt here where I live. any idea what to sub in? I was thinking maybe a thick vegan bechamel…
Hi Molly! A few people have noted their subs above using tofu and apple cider vinegar. I have not tested that so I cannot vouch for the result but I know another reader did vegan sour cream and it worked. That would be my best suggestion.
I’m making this for supper and have it along with my fermented cashew sour cream. The omni hubby says he’s willing to give it a try!!
Wonderful Darlene, I hope the cashew sour cream tastes and bakes up well. Let me know!
How are you such a genius and what would we ever do without you? Thank you for doing wonders for showing people how amazing, easy and creative plant-based cooking can be!
Aww thanks sweetheart!! You are amazing and such a gem!!
I love your recipes!!! Have tried so many and loved them all. For this one I cannot find unsweetened non dairy yogurt! Have been to several stores. Do you have any suggestions on something I could use instead. Almond milk and cornstarch? Lol 🤷🏼♀️
Just an update: I did as someone suggested above and took a cup of unsweetened almond milk and let it sit with a tbsp of apple cider vinegar for a few minutes. Then cooked it on the stove with a tbsp of cornstarch. Got nice and thick and cheese sauce turned out amazing!!! We were shocked at how good this is. Thank you so much for the hard work you put into your recipes.
That is so wonderful to hear Cheryl! Thank you so much for letting me know and the amazing feedback!
Made this tonight and we LOVED it!! My 8 year old said she wanted to drink the “cheese” sauce! We are not vegan but we are dairy free, and trying to incorporate more plant – based meals into our life. This one is going in the rotation.
I used white beans because i need it to be nut -free and I used Yoso plain coconut yogurt. I’m looking forward to trying different types of yogurt and hopefully the cashew version when i don’t need left overs for school lunch 🙂
Thanks for another amazing recipe (your sweet potato ice cream is also incredible)!!!
That’s so awesome to hear Angie! Haha, I pretty much eat the cheese with a spoon myself! So glad it was a hit!
Made this for dinner and it was absolutely incredible. However, we had issues with the sauce. When the pan was covered with tin foil in the oven, it didn’t seem to cook the inside of the dish, so we ended up having to take the tin foil off, thus overcooking the sauce. Any idea why this happened/have you heard of this happening before? We followed all instructions and ingredients exactly. Thanks for this and all the other AMAZING recipes!
I should add that the dish was still absolutely phenomenal tasting, just wondering where we might have gone wrong! Thanks
Hi Samantha! So glad you loved it! Hmmm, that’s odd. I’ve received over a hundred reviews or so and have never heard that. Maybe your oven just takes a bit longer to heat up?? Was it on the center rack? Also, how long did you leave it covered before removing the foil. Next time I would just leave it covered until it’s nice and hot in the center and then remove the foil to cook the top of the cheese sauce to get warm and slightly firm. The dish being in a hot oven will eventually cook the interior with the foil on anyways and you definitely don’t want to leave it off too long, which as you saw it overcooked your top. I cook mine exactly the same each time and it comes out perfect each time. Just maybe need to cook yours a bit longer next time. Maybe cook it covered 25 mins next time and then remove the foil. Another thing, make sure your oven is well preheated as that can affect how quickly it heats up the dish too.
Hello! I plan to make this for a family get together. It looks so good. Do you think doubling the recipe and using a 9X13 would work? How many servings does the 8X8 (single recipe) serve? Thanks! Can’t wait to try it.
Yes, I think that should work fine! I believe several others have done the same! You may need to cook it longer covered in case just to make sure it gets nice and hot and then remove the foil just to heat and somewhat firm up the cheese on top!
Oh, and the 8×8 I cut into 9 squares, but most people eat two and are satisfied!
We are only three or four weeks into our vegan adventure and I have used so many of your recipes. I am in love with this dish! Didn’t have smoked paprika, so added paprika and a few dashes of our beloved smoked chipotle hot sauce. This and your bbq lentil loaf are going to be staples for us! (Also loved the red pepper pasta sauce). Cant wait for your cookbook!!
Aww, that is so awesome to hear Jeannine! Thank you so much for the lovely review! Glad this and the lentil loaf were such hits!
I asked this in the comments to the video too, but I’m cooking right now and realized I’m out of corn! I have frozen peas though. Do you think peas would work at all in place of corn in this recipe????
Hi Alexandra, so sorry I thought I had already commented on this but don’t see it now, yes, peas or just more beans would probably taste better than peas!
I am blown away! I made this on Monday and my husband (who is not vegan), devoured it and said this was one of his favorite things! He also had me save him some for dinner tonight! Super easy and i was soooo impressed with that “cheese” sauce! I also just made your cheesey sweet potato soup with the roasted broccoli…seriously! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes…I’m hooked!!
Yay Kori! So very happy to hear how much this was loved by you and your husband! So glad you loved the broccoli soup as well, thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!
My daughter and I are vegetarian and trying to go vegan, but we love cheese so much! I made this recipe last night and was eating the “cheese” sauce while preparing the dish. It was so easy and really DELICIOUS! That sauce would be a great dip for tortilla chips or cheese sauce for nachos!
That is so wonderful Karen! That cheese sauce is seriously my favorite and yes, good on so many things! Thank you for the awesome review!
So….I just made your cheesy Mexican bake last night and it was fantastic! I added sautéed veggies and left out the tortilla shells( only because we didn’t have them!), put that shit over fresh romaine and holy cow! Trish Delish!
Thank you so much for such a great recipe!
My husband said this morning that we should immediately make that again!
You are a culinary genius! I enjoy so many of your dishes! Keep up the tasty work! 💜
Hahaha, thank you so much for such a funny and KIND review Sara! I’m so happy you loved this so much! The reviews have been so amazing and I love reading them, thank you for taking the time to leave feedback!
this looks great! I’m thinking of remaking this into a hamburger helper-ish thing by subbing tortillas for macaroni and adding vegan ground beef. I’ve been craving something cheesy and zesty.
Ooh, that sounds yummy!
We have been plant basedfor four years and I have stayed away from fat and cooking with cashews. I was excited about this recipe. The cheese sauce was good. Brandi says it gets cheesier with cooking. I am going to make it again and heat it on the stove and serve as a dip. It had a cheesy tang and was great. First cheese sauce recipe we have liked. We did not enjoy the casserole. Too much tortilia and too rich. Great recipe for people used to eating higher fat. I will try again cutting nuts and tortilias. Thank you so much for all your hard work Brandi. I am anxious to buy your cookbook.
Hi Cindy! So glad you loved the cheese sauce and the first one you’ve liked, that is great! Yes, this is a super cheesy tortilla casserole so it is meant to be very rich, as that is how I like my recipes to taste and so they always go over with non-vegans so well. But if you’ve been fat-free for four years, then yes, it may be too rich for you. I am not fat-free, so it’s heaven to me and so many readers, haha. But thank you for the kind compliment, I appreciate it! Since you loved the cheese sauce, yes, many readers use this over nachos and burritos, etc. so that could be a great option for you to control how much cheese sauce you get at once 🙂
Hi Brandi! I made this dish last night and I really like it! I didn’t have a whole cup of cashews, so instead I used a mixture of cashews, macadamia nuts and walnuts all that I soaked and it still turned out well! I think it may have been ‘creamier’ if I had all cashews, but it was still really good! I will totally made this again!! I have just started to heavily think about going to a plant based diet and I LOVE your blog! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes! =)
Awesome Marni! Yes, cashews are sooo much creamier than all other nuts, but glad you still enjoyed it!
Wow I REALLY liked it. Just made it tonight in the wrong sized dish but still tastes great . Thanks again for another delish dish
So glad you loved it Rebecca! Thank you for the feedback!
I made this last week for a family dinner. I honestly hate to cook, and I struggle daily with what to make for dinner that will be healthy, plant-based and well received by two teenage boys. This recipe was so simple, healthy and DELICIOUS. My husband proclaimed that he would eat it regularly. One son seemed to like it, while the other ate everything but the corn. SIGH. I definitely plan to make it again and I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
That is so awesome to hear Michelle! And if he only picked off the corn, I’d say that is a huge success, haha! Some people just don’t like corn. Thanks so much for the feedback!
I just made this tonight. It is absolutely delicious….total cheesy goodness!!! My husband scarfed a huge bowl and gave it two thumbs up. And t was easy to make….yay! Thank you for creating such a tasty and healthy recipe with gorgeous photos!!!
That is awesome to hear Carrie! Yay! Thank you so much for the amazing review!
Awesome Carrie! So very happy to hear how much everybody loved it, thank you!
My family loved this recipe! I made it using half cashews, half beans. My husband asked me to add it to our dinner rotation!
So very happy to hear that Nina! I love the half and half version too because the beans are undetectable!
I’ve made this with the yogurt and with the tofu/vinegar substitution – both taste phenomenal! I’ll keep using the tofu substitution, since it’s less processed. Thanks for an incredible recipe – easy and tasty!
SO awesome to hear that Sara, thank you so much for the wonderful review!
Awesome dish! My family loved it! Thank you!
So awesome to hear that TC, thank you for the feedback!
Just made this and it is sooooo good. I will totally make again and again. Thank you.
Yay! So very happy to hear that Taylor, thank you so much!
This recipie is so amazing!! First vegan cheese sauce that tastes amazing..
Woohoo, love hearing that Amy, thank you so much!
Our favorite dish. We make it weekly.
Whoop! I love hearing that!
OMG This just took me back to late night tacos at ‘jack in the box’ in the early seventies.
Great taste and simplicity!! Who could ask for more!
10 STARS
Haha! That is so awesome to hear Dave, thank you so much for the amazing feedback!
I haven’t been this excited about a recipe in a long time, and this completely exceeded my expectations! My husband and I scarfed this down and are ready to have it on weekly rotation. I can’t say enough good things about this one!
Yesssss! Amber, your review and photo on Instagram totally made me chuckle! I’m so happy you and your hubby loved this so much! I feel the same way about this dish, LOL! Thank you so much for taking the time to rate the recipe!
Hi Brandi,
I just had to send you a note to tell you how much we LOVE your tortilla bake!!! We’ve already made it twice and love the “cheese” sauce so much have already been thinking about using it as a base for many other recipes.
Also, because I prefer to use blue-corn, I decided to forgo the tortillas in the recipe (as I could not find any blue-corn tortillas in my grocery store). I just baked up the rest of the ingredients, crumbled the chips onto the bake, which was delicious and crunchy (I only crumbled it onto the portion on my plate, so that they didn’t get soggy in the leftovers).
Thank you again!! This has been such a great addition to our plant-based recipes!!
This looks so so good! Can’t wait to make it! Can you use this cheese sauce as a nacho dip, have you ever tried it?
Yes, Amy, that would be delicious! But you will need to heat the cheese sauce over the stove first to thicken it up and that should work!
Awesome thanks!
I made this last week and the entire family
LOVED it! I’m thinking of making the cheese sauce and bringing corn chips and veggies for an upcoming potluck. How does the cheese sauce do if it sits out for a couple hours? Should it be refrigerated beforehand or is it good to go right out of the blender?
Hi Teresa! It’s good to go straight from the blender! You may want to slightly heat it up over the stove to thicken it some since it’s on the runny side from the blender. That is a personal choice though. But it is fine sitting out. Just give it a stir every now and then.
While everyone else is getting the turkey ready tonight, I made this for dinner. Huge hit! Perfect. And cannot believe how good the cheese recipe is! Thanks much.
So awesome Randy, thank you so much! Yes, so much better than turkey, right?! And healthier! Thank you for the lovely review and sharing!
So delicious! My husband says he doesn’t like casseroles, but he tucked into this one. The “cheese sauce” was so cheesy that dairy was not missed. Will make this again soon and may add olives and green chilies next time.
That is so wonderful to hear Annie, thank you so much for the awesome review!
This dish is absolutely delicious! Definitely a keeper.
Yay Kat! So happy to hear that!
Excellent recipe! My entire [non-vegan] family loved it! I was a bit worried about the amount of cashews, as my family usually dislikes cashew based cream/mac and cheese/Alfredo sauces, saying they are too nutty tasting, but this did not have a cashew flavor whatsoever. I used one slightly rounded cup of cashews which amounted to about 130 grams for me, not 165, but the sauce seemed perfect with this amount.
I used So Delicious unsweetened plain yogurt and I loved the idea of using yogurt instead of nutrition yeast- it was very cheesy and delicious. We will definitely be making this again soon!
That is so awesome Sammy, thank you for the wonderful review and rating! Oops, yeah that should be 150 grams, not 165. I always do a rounded cup and it’s 150, but it’s not too big of a deal to be slightly off. I agree, no cashew taste whatsoever! So glad it was loved by all, thank you!
I’m a huge fan of your website and always recommend it to everyone. I just made this, but since I’m currently living in Germany, I couldn’t find corn tortillas. So I brought all the components to work – the sauce, black beans, and salsa – and thickly sliced potatoes and baked them in the work toaster oven. I heated up the cheese sauce in the microwave and the 2 guys I work with said it smelled like Taco Bell haha! I layered the beans, sauce, and salsa on the potatoes and it was really good and so filling! Since I had leftover sauce, I put it out with some tortilla chips and the guys gobbled it up, knowing it was a vegan cheese sauce. We added some sriracha and it was even better. Your recipes appeal to everyone because of the everyday ingredients and flavors that people are familiar with. Oh, and the only modification I made was to halve the cumin and do half beans/half cashews to cut down on the richness. Perfect!
haha, Taco Bell, I love it! I’m so happy to hear how much you and your coworkers, guys no less, loved it! Yay!! Thank you so much for the lovely review!
This is amazing! I used a can of refried pinto beans and a can of whole pinto beans in place of the black beans and it was so incredibly good. The cheese is sauce is divine. We will be adding this to our weekly dinner menu! Thanks so much!
So awesome to hear that Rayne, thank you so much for the amazing review!
This recipe is so good! I’ve made it for a few friends now, and everyone always goes back for seconds. The cheese sauce is amazing–I’m definitely going to use it for nachos as well. 🙂
That is so awesome to hear Penny, thank you so much for the amazing review!
I’ve made this twice now, so just wanted to tell you how much I love this and give my modifications in case they’re useful for someone. I ended up using 1/2 teaspoon of cumin as the cumin flavor was too strong for my taste. I also found 1/2 teaspoon salt to be enough, but for omnis I’d probably use the full amount to better mimic dairy cheese. I made one batch with all cashews and one batch with half cashews/half white beans. While both were very good and not vastly different, the batch with all cashews was a bit more decadent and rich. So just depends what you’re going for. Thank you again for this great recipe. I’m slowly working my way through all the recipes I’ve bookmarked on your site over the years!
So glad you love the recipe so much Poppy and make it work for you! Yes, I’ve done both with beans and cashews and both are excellent but the full cashew version is of course the best! Yeah, 1/2 teaspoon salt definitely isn’t salty enough for me for that cheesy flavor, but that is great it works for you! Thanks for the lovely review!
Great recipe!!!! So delicious and friends who are non vegan eaters couldn’t believe how good it was. 😋
This will be a recipe I continually make and share with others.
Thank you so much Penny, you are the best for leaving such a wonderful review!
I love everthing about this recipe! The cheese sauce is shockingly amazing. It is super quick and easy to pull together. The majority of ingredients are staples in my house and always on hand. I am relatively picky about recipes that go into my normal rotation but this is definitely an easy yes. So honestly thank you because I am legit so happy about finding this.
So excited to make this. Got the groceries and couldn’t find plain soy yogurt…anywhere. Called every store in our town, including the heathfood store. Would coconut yogurt make it taste weird?
It’s a little disappointing that there are not more options for those of us who want to eat healthier….😓
Hi Amy, yes it says right above on the recipe that you can use soy or coconut yogurt 🙂 Actually, the coconut yogurt, the plain kind, is just as delicious because there is no sweetener added. Works perfect!
Do you think I could try tofu ricotta in place of the yogurt? I have never tried this recipe or the vegan ricotta before so I am unfirmiliar with the tastes and how they’d mesh, but it’s all I can think of that I have on hand. Also, just discovered your website and Can’t wait to try out these great looking recipes!
Hi Liz! My recipe calls for vegan yogurt, not vegan ricotta, which is very different. I would not use a ricotta. Vegan yogurt can be found at many grocery stores these days, so that is definitely what you want to use so you get the right flavor and texture!
I think every family member had a clean plate, so this was another winner! (My husband said 8/10, but I think he would only give 10/10 to things involving chocolate…) The tortillas almost totally dissolved in all the creaminess, which made for a neat texture although it provoked some initial protest from a child who had been promised something with tortillas (he soon stopped complaining). It didn’t taste particularly cheesy to me, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t good to eat! I’ll try with a different kind of vegan yogurt next time and see if that makes a difference. I think I will also add some green vegetables! Thanks for this and all the other fun recipes that are adding some variety and innovation to our winter meals!
Mine wasn’t this pretty, but it was delicious! Thank you for another great recipe. 🙂
So glad you loved it Janis! Thank you!
Wow, Brandi! I had to come here and leave a comment after making this for dinner last night!
That cheese sauce is incredible! I was licking my vitamix clean along with my 2 year old. 🙂
All 3 kids and husband loved this dinner. Simple, easy and so tasty! Thanks for a great recipe!
I did make mine in a 9 by 13 dish, and it was fine that way too. I didn’t like my smaller pans for it, they are too shallow.
Oh yay Nora, thank you so much for making it! I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you!
I’ve made this recipe many times now, and every time I love it. Sometimes I substitute a mix of kidney beans and pinto beans in place of black beans. I’m fortunate that our Whole Foods in Indianapolis carries two brands of unsweetened plain vegan yogurt. One is made from cashews (Forager Cashewgurt) and the other is made from almonds (kite hill).
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I love that it’s so easy yet so delicious.
Thank you so much Amy for the lovely review! That is great you find cashew yogurt, I need to try that sometime!
Really, really good! Definitely 5 stars for a vegan recipe! Highly recommend!!!!
Another winner! Easy, cheesy, creamy, filling! Brandi, what would we do without you? You’re the best! Thank you so much for all the effort you put into the recipes and for sharing them with us!
Thank you so much Andrea for this amazing review and for your kind words! I really appreciate it!!
I finally made this tonight and it did not disappoint! It was super quick to put together and delicious! I did make it in an oblong dish but will need to cook it a little longer as the center was just warm (the edge pieces were hot.) Thank you!
So happy to hear how much you enjoyed it Amy, thank you for the feedback!
I follow you on Instagram and saw this on your stories- made it tonight- so yummy! I subbed soft tofu for the yogurt and the sauce turned out great! Thanks for sharing!
THANK YOU!! This recipe was easy, fast and delicious!! I was super excited to see that you aren’t using nutritional yeast (my family can’t stand the taste). We are transitioning to a plant based diet because of some health issues and it’s not always easy to find things that we all like. Your website is a huge help!
Yay! That thrills me Robin, thank you so much for the amazing review!!
I just made the cheese sauce to go with our taco night. I have 3 girls. One specifically can’t stand any non-dairy cheese/sauces that I’ve tried. She tried this with tortilla chips and couldn’t stop eating it! One of the others couldn’t believe that it was a vegan sauce. For once, I found something that everyone in the family will eat! Yay!! Delicious recipe! Thank you!
Do you think I might could sub silken tofu for the silk yogurt? I can’t get the yogurt where I live and need a substitute. It looks really good.
Hi Sam! I haven’t personally tried it but a few others have with success and noted above. You would need to add some white vinegar to it to get the tang like you would from yogurt. Maybe 1/2 to 1 tablespoon. Let me know if it works out!
Or a vegan sour cream would probably work well too.
I just made this recipe last night and it was fantastic and really simple!! I had everything on hand except salsa, vegan yogurt, and tortillas. I totally goofed and grabbed medium instead of mild salsa, so it was a bit too hot for me, but that was my error and I know it’ll taste perfect for my wimpy taste buds when I get the right salsa. I also didn’t add the layer of salsa in the middle because it wasn’t a very big container (and by that time I realized my error). It had a great texture, and had a very comforting casserole taste. It would also be easy to customize by adding more veggies, or soy curls or something. But it was great as is! So glad I found your website:)
So happy to hear it was such a hit Dacia! Glad you were able to get the ingredients to make this!! Thank you for the lovely review!
Absolutely delicious, super easy to make and even toddler approved!! A new favorite for sure!
Thank you so much Carolyn for taking the time to leave an amazing review, I really appreciate it!
OMG!!! I only made the cheese sauce (I am using it with a recipe from a different blog) and I am in heaven! My only disappointment is that my tongue can’t reach the bottom of my Vitamix container. I have only made cheese sauces with nutritional yeast in the past and they all kind of taste the same. This recipe blows them all out of the water!! I can’t wait to make the tortilla bake. And nachos. And baked potatoes. And anything else I can think of to use this cheese sauce. Thank you, thank you, thank you! And thank your husband for not being able to eat nutritional yeast! (BTW..made your Hearty Italian White Bean Basil soup a few days ago. Needed a basil recipe because my basil plant was out of control. Outstanding!)
Thank you so much Nancy! I’m so happy to hear how much you love the cheese sauce!! Hahaha about your tongue not reaching the bottom, I always feel that way too! So glad to hear you loved the Italian Basil soup too, yay!
Forgot to rate the recipe when I posted my comment
This was simply amazing! That cheese sauce alone, man I could bathe in it. Already plotting what else I can make to put this cheesy goodness on. While the cheese sauce is rich and decadent, the entire dish works though. I love the simplicity of the ingredients and how quick it comes together and most of all how incredibly delicious it is. My husband and teenager had to come back for seconds, and are putting dibs on the leftovers! Definitely a winner at our dinner table!
Made this last night for my 2-year old granddaughter who cannot have dairy or gluten & her parents are new to the ‘alternative’ eating thing. She ate an entire portion on her own and then polished off half of her mother’s portion. It was definitely a hit. I loved the cheesy ooey-gooey of it – better than ‘real’ cheese. It had more flavor. The only changes I made in the recipe were I had some left over rancho domingo beans – so mixed those with the black beans to get the 2x 15 oz and was OUT of smoked paprika (how did that happen?) so subbed in a tiny bit of adobo sauce to get that smokey flavor. Will absolutely be making this again! with the smoked paprika though – 🙂
Hi! I’m excited to try this. I bought the ingredients over the weekend. But I forgot to soak the cashews yesterday. I want to make it tonight. Is there a faster way for me to soak them? Thanks!
Hi Megan! Do you have a Vitamix? If so, no need to soak. If not, some people boil the nuts in water for 30 minutes, drain and then blend. Just make sure to blend long enough until completely smooth. You don’t want gritty sauce 🙂
I loved how easy the cheese sauce is to throw together! Added a splash of jalapeño brine to the cheese sauce to give it a little extra kick and some gardein beef crumbles with taco seasoning to the bake and it was delicious. I’m very happy that lunch for tomorrow is taken care of as well! Never been disappointed with a recipe on here, will be purchasing the cookbook!
I’m so glad you loved it Brenda! Thank you for the review!
This recipe is insanely delicious. I feel so naughty when I’m eating it because it’s so cheesy and creamy. I’ve just made it for a second time and it’s in the oven as I am typing here. The only change I made was to use standard wheat wraps as the corn tortillas we get in Australia often have tonnes of additives…
Haha, naughty, love it! I’m so glad you love it Josie, it’s one of our favorites!!
Totally yummo!!! My kids have not really enjoyed us going vegan and tonight was the first night they licked their dinner plates clean as! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
That’s such an awesome testimony, kids are picky! Thank you so much Shan!
This dish was amazing!! I love spicy food so I added a diced jalapeno to the corn/black bean layers and it was the perfect amount of heat. This is seriously one of the top ten vegan dishes I’ve ever made!! Can’t wait to make nachos with this cheese sauce!!
Yay! So glad you loved it so much and that is some awesome feedback, thank you so much Monique!!
Just made this tonight for the first time. So creamy and cheesy! Classic comfort food for sure! My daughter even said, “this one’s a keeper!” and we can’t wait to eat the leftovers this week 🙂
Have you ever included Soycurls or TVP in this?
If so, should I add with the beans and corn mixture?
Thanks
No I haven’t since I don’t use them in my recipes, so I’m not sure. I’ve never cooked with them. This is very hearty on its own but I guess just put it in with the beans?
I tried this over the weekend and I am in love….. The “cheesy” sauce is YUM ! I can’t wait to put it on a baked potato, oh the possibilities!
I made the lower fat version 1/2 beans 1/2 cashews and thought it was fantastic! My sauce was a bit gritty because I used my food processor but, was not a problem when eating. Everybody raved about it….Vegans and non vegans. I also tried 1/2 with sauteed (in veggie broth), onions and red bell peppers, it was really good too! Thank you for the recipe! I do miss cheese…..but not anymore !
Yay! This makes me so happy to hear Cris, so glad the half bean version worked well, too! Thank you for the lovely review! Would you mind clicking the star rating as well, they are so helpful for me (you’ll have to leave a brief comment again) thank you so much!
I have never used or tried dairy-free yogurt because it is so difficult to find where I live. However, a store carries Silk brand “Plain”, but when I looked at the ingredients it has sugar (8grams per serving). Is this normal for soy-based yogurt? Is this really “plain” enough for this recipe or will this be a sweet yogurt and too sweet for this recipe? Thanks for the help.
Hi DG! That kind has a very slight sweet taste to it that I think would still work fine. I’ve used it before. Some may notice it but with all the salsa and spices I find it hard to notice. However, the So Delicious brand carries a plain unsweetened coconut one that is the best. Do you have a Sprouts or Whole Foods, I find it there.
This is the very first recipe I made from your site, and now I’m bookmarking more and more of your recipes and buying your book! I’ve tried to “go vegan” before but have felt so uninspired by a lot of recipes or been intimidated by the long, obscure ingredient lists. For this recipe, I either had everything on hand or could easily find it in my supermarket.
Best of all? My three kids and husband loved it too. It’s a keeper.
Oh, wonderful Christina! This makes me so happy to hear and wow, even better that your whole family loved it! Yay!
This has become a firm family favourite – easy to make and absolutely delicious!!
So glad to hear that Heike! Thank you so much for the feedback!
I tried the tortilla bake last night and it was delicious. My only issue was in getting the center of it to heat up enough. I ended up baking it for a total of about 15 minutes foil on and another 15 foil off which, as you mentioned, makes the sauce on top firmer. I still wasn’t able to get the center to be at a proper hot temperature. I made this in a 9 x 9 glass casserole dish. Any thoughts? Aside from only eating around the perimeter it was delicious and I can’t wait to try the leftovers. Thanks so much for a great recipe Brandi!
Hi Denise, so glad you loved it! Mine is always hot. Did you make the casserole immediately after making the cheese sauce? It was warm, right? If so, then I would just cook it covered with the foil longer so it gets thoroughly warmed through, like 20-25 minutes and then remove the foil! 🙂
Best vegan cheese sauce by far, second to none! Entire recipe is outstanding! Thank you for sharing.
Yay, thank you so much James, so happy you loved it!!
Just FABULOUS! Just the easiest recipe followed exactly! Husband LOVED it. too. Thank you for this cheese sauce — I have been cooking vegan for quite a while and that sauce is a winner. Now I can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Woohoo! So very happy you loved it and your husband did, too!! Thank you for making it!
OMG WHAT IS THIS?!!!🤤 This dish has completely blown my mind, and Im Mexican!😅 I cant believe I haven’t made it any sooner! It was delicious, I loved that I didnt even have to use Nutritional yeast for cheese! And just like everyone else, my kids(3&10) loved it so much they actually asked for seconds!!!! Like, omg wow!!! Thank you thank you Brandi for sharing this delicious recipe, it will now be added to our weekly menu!
Did I miss the temperature you cooked it at?
Yes, it’s listed under step 2.
Insanely good. I’ve made this several times already and it’s back on my dinner schedule this week. My almost 18 year old has gotten incredibly picky and more often won’t eat my vegan meals anymore. This one he chows down like you’ve never seen. He ends up polishing his plate well before us. I’ve used this cheese sauce over nachos as well. I pity anyone that hasn’t tried this dish 😁
That is so awesome to hear!!
I LOVE this sauce!! I can’t eat nutritional yeast either / causes a tummy ache. 🙂
This is so good. My favorite way to eat now is without corn and adding in a layer of black bean dip (black beans processed with a little salsa and cumin) and also adding in a layer of your almond ricotta. It is so rich and amazing. LOVE. sometimes topped with some guacamole.
I look forward to it every week now.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
I’m so happy to hear that Kristina, thank you so much for the review! The almond ricotta sounds amazing too!
This taco bake was PHENOMENAL!! I absolutely loved it as did my daughter who is a very picky eater. She had 3 servings at dinner (small ones)… My husband who is a meat eater when we go out to dinner, loved this meal and said its a keeper! Thank you for sharing these wonderful recipes.
So wonderful to hear this! Thank you for the review!
So easy and delicious! It’s been a long time since I’ve had King Ranch Chicken Casserole, but I feel like this is a great plant-based version! So yummy! Thank you for sharing your recipes with the world!
Oh yay, I’m so glad you loved it!
I’ve made this a couple of times and really like it! I only had 1 can of black beans last time I made it so I added some pinto beans. I also added a can of green chilies and more scallions. (Love my onions!) I had to cook it a tad bit longer due to the added juice from the chilies but it worked out great. Thanks for such a tasty recipe!!
So happy it was a hit Shree, sounds so good with the chiles!
Awesome sauce!!!!
I used 3/4 cup tofu, well drained after measuring, plus the 1 TBLS apple cider vinegar. Only need 3/4 tsp salt and I used fresh cooked flour tortillas. Two layers of 2 tortillas each. Very yummy!
So happy you loved this Dana! Homemade tortillas sound so delicious!
That was extra firm tofu…sorry
I made this last night using a different nacho cheese sauce recipe. It was really good although I felt it needed a slightly larger dish. I don’t think I could have fit everything in the 85×85 that you suggested. I also didn’t think in would take only 20-25 min to warm up. Sure enough, it took about 35 min to get it jut pleasantly warm…..I would have left it longer but everyone was standing around waiting! Overall it was a great tasting dish….a knock-out-of-the-park recipe! Thank you.
Hi Janet, glad you enjoyed it! The main part of this recipe is my cheese sauce, which is what everybody loves so much about this recipe and it’s what really makes the dish, so I would definitely try that too! 🙂 And the 8×8 dish I use works perfectly, which you can see in the photos it fits just fine. It’s the same dish I use everytime I make it. If you used a different sauce then that may have affected how it filled up the pan you used. Mine is always done in the time listed too, but of course, ovens can always vary. I also make it right after making the cheese sauce in my vitamix, so that means the cheese sauce is already warm, which is part of it too.
This recipe looks so delicious! I can’t wait to try it!
Thank you!