I don't normally post two days in a row (let alone post a recipe two days in a row), but once I laid mouth on this little slice of heaven, I figured it would be cruel and unusual to make you wait. And let's face the facts... we're all kind of over food blogs by the time Friday rolls around.
Though I can't say cooking is the last thing I want to do when I get home (cough cough...working out), it definitely ain't the first. I'm all about dumping a smorgasbord of goodies in a dish, throwing it in the oven and calling it a meal. But that kind of happens.... ummmmm oh ya, NEVER.
So when I saw Elise's recipe for Creamy Dijon Tempeh and Spinach Casserole that called for dumping like five things in a bowl and calling it a night, I was like whaaaaaaaa?? I want. I need. Like is this even real life?!
I made it the day she posted it and it surely didn't disappoint. I made a few changes based on what I had on hand, including ditching the sour cream for Greek yogurt and leaving out both the lemon juice and olive oil. Even with the changes, it tasted freaking fabulous and literally took 5 minutes to make. I knew I had to make my own version. Oh hiiiiii casseroooooole....I lurve you.
Most of my recipes are not the kind you can just throw together in a couple minutes. Sorry my dudes. I wish I was more flybytheseatofmypants, but I'm really not. Usually they involve some sautéing and some separate bowls. Not this time friends. Thanks to Elise's inspiration, this creamy casserole only requires one bowl and NO cooking.
The only ingredients that are totally necessary are the salsa, yogurt, spices and tempeh. Don't buy the cheap salsa either, considering the salsa is providing the main flavor here. Go big or go home! The corn (I used the roasted kind from Trader Joe's...best decision ever), peppers, green onions and spinach are just me trying to make this as packed with veggies as possible. They definitely add some serious texture and flavah flave, but you can easily use other veggies or simply whatever you have on hand.
I'm willing to bet most of you have Greek yogurt and salsa in your fridge. The tempeh may be another story. I get mine at Trader Joe's and I'm pretty much obsessed with it. It's an amazing minimally processed form of vegetarian protein that's also loaded with fiber, made simply from organic fermented grains and soybeans. Sounds narsty, tastes amaaaaze. Just trust me on this one, okay? Hey tempeh lovers...back me up in the comments mmmmmk?
Promise me one thing. Promise me that if you make this (which you must), you'll eat it with tortilla chips and avocado on top. This would also be ridiculously good stuffed in a fat taco shell. Match.made.in.heaven.
Creamy Mexican Tempeh Veggie Casserole
--inspired by this Creamy Dijon Tempeh and Spinach Casserole
Creamy Mexican Tempeh Veggie Casserole
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 3 1x
Ingredients
- ¾ cup salsa
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ tbsp hot sauce (such as Frank's, not Tabasco)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup spinach, chopped
- ½ bell pepper, chopped
- ⅓ cup frozen corn (I used Trader Joe's roasted corn)
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- 1 8oz package of tempeh, chopped into small cubes
- Avocado, for topping
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400F. Spray a medium-sized glass baking dish (I used a 6 inch, 4 quart round glass Tupperware) with cooking spray and set aside. You could also double the recipe and bake it in an 8x8 in baking dish.
- In a large bowl, stir together salsa, Greek yogurt, hot sauce, garlic, cumin and pepper.
- Stir in peppers, corn, spinach and green onions.
- Fold in cubed tempeh and stir to combine.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Serve garnished with cubed avocado and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese, if desired.
