Ninja-Fied King Ranch Casserole

Wicked Healthy

Say hello to our Ninja-fied King Ranch Casserole, with green chile cashew queso, black beans, jalapeño, salsa & herbage … our healthy spin on a southwestern classic!

Recipe courtesy of Wicked Healthy, for Veganuary
Imagery © Derek Sarno
Find more great-tasting recipes on the Wicked Healthy website.

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Ingredients

FOR THE GREEN CHILE CASHEW QUESO:
2 Cups / 200g butternut squash, raw
1.5 Cups / 150g raw cashews, soaked for at least an hour and drained
18-10 Garlic cloves
1 Tbsp coarse salt
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp white miso, heaping
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 sliced jalapeño (red or green)
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
3/4 Cup / 180ml almond milk
1/4 Cup / 50g canned vegan chilli
FOR THE CASSEROLE:
12 corn tortillas, cut in half
1 bunch Swiss chard, washed, rinsed and chopped
1 tin diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
Large bunch of chopped parsley, lightly packed
2 Cups / 400g black beans, cooked
1 avocado, sliced
1 Cup / 200g crumbled or roughly chopped tortilla chips
FOR THE SALSA PICO:
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 jalapeño, seeds removed, rinsed and diced
1 lime, juiced
Small handful of chopped cilantro, lightly packed
1/2 tsp coarse salt
TO GARNISH:
Small bunch of picked cilantro leaves, lightly packed
sliced jalapeño
lime wedges
TO SERVE:
Cooked brown rice (for the side, if desired)
extra tortillas and chips
hot sauce (we always have plenty on the table)

Say hello to our Ninja-fied King Ranch Casserole, with green chile cashew queso, black beans, jalapeño, salsa & herbage … our healthy spin on a southwestern classic!

Recipe courtesy of Wicked Healthy, for Veganuary
Imagery © Derek Sarno
Find more great-tasting recipes on the Wicked Healthy website.

Preparation

Serves 4 or more

Method

To make the Green Chile Cashew Cheeze

In a small saucepan, add butternut squash, cashews, garlic and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover with water and bring to a slow boil over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes until butternut is completely cooked. Remove from heat to cool, drain and add mixture to a high-speed blender.
Add in remaining ingredients (except the chilli) and blend for 3-4 minutes until wicked smooth, then add the chilli and pulse for 5 seconds to incorporate but still leave it chunky.

When you are ready to assemble the casserole

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly but evenly spray a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with oil. Layer 1/3 of the tortillas in the bottom, then top with 1/3 of the chopped chard. Combine the tomatoes, onion and parsley and layer 1/3 of that mixture, 1/4 of the green chile cashew cheeze, 1/3 of the black beans and 1/3 sliced avocado, so it’s evenly distributed. Repeat process two more times. Evenly add remaining Cashew Cream to the top and bake, uncovered, for 1 hour, or until bubbly and golden brown. Add the crumbled tortilla chips on the top and bake for an additional 5 minutes, keeping an eye on it to ensure they just turn slightly golden and do not burn.
While the casserole is baking, make the salsa pico by gently mixing all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Once bake time is done, remove casserole from the oven and let it sit for 10 – 15 minutes before serving.

To serve

Top with a few tablespoons of the fresh Salsa Pico (save some for the side) fresh cilantro, jalapeño, lime wedge and brown rice, tortilla chips and hot sauce as desired.