Ingredients needed to make baked lentil casserole
To make this easy vegetarian casserole, you will need the ingredients shown below: It’s a simple one-pot recipe, perfect for an easy weeknight meal. To make it you just need to throw in all the ingredients in a casserole dish and bake. But, the final dish that comes out is incredibly delicious and satisfying. It’s a great recipe for easy meatless meal days that everyone enjoys.
Lentils: I have used dried green lentils but you can also use brown lentils to make lentil casserole. Vegetables: In this recipe, green peas, carrot, celery, and potatoes are used. You can use vegetables of your choice. Other vegetables that go well in this recipe are cauliflower, broccoli, beans, mushrooms, sweet potato, and zucchini. This dish can be made with fresh as well as frozen vegetables. Onion: Red, white, or brown onion, all are fine to be used. Fresh herbs: I have used fresh parsley, you can use fresh cilantro, dill, rosemary, or the fresh herbs you like. Seasoning: To flavor this casserole, I used fresh garlic, dried oregano, red chili flakes, ground black pepper, and salt. You can use other seasonings too like Italian seasoning, onion powder, rosemary, basil, thyme, etc. Feel free to flavor it the way you like. Diced tomatoes: I have used canned diced tomatoes but fresh chopped tomatoes are fine too. Cheese: Use any melting cheese that you prefer, I used shredded cheddar cheese. If you are a vegetarian, make sure to buy animal rennet-free cheese. Vegetarian cheeses are made with plant rennet.
Other ingredient details and nutritional information are shared in the recipe card.
How to make (step-by-step instructions)?
To make this lentil vegetable bake recipe, just follow the easy step-by-step instructions given below: Step 1: Rinse green lentils and transfer them to a baking dish. Step 2: Add chopped vegetables, minced garlic, all the seasonings, and diced tomatoes. Step 3: Mix everything. Step 4: Add vegetable stock. Step 5: Cover the dish with an aluminum sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 200℃ ( or, 375℉) for around 1½ hours or until the lentils are cooked. Stir the dish once in between. Step 6: Take out the casserole and remove the aluminum sheet. Step 7: Spread shredded cheese on top. Step 8: Put the dish back in the oven. Bake uncovered at 200℃ ( or 375℉) for around 15 minutes or until the cheese melts. Your hearty lentil casserole is ready to be served!
How to serve lentil bake?
Serve this lentil vegetable bake hot or warm. It can be served with toasted bread, dinner rolls, crispy garlic bread, or any bread of choice. You can also pair it up with a rice, quinoa, or pasta dish on the side. Or, serve it with grilled vegetables or a salad.
Storing, freezing, and reheating tips
Transfer the leftover dish to an airtight container and refrigerate. It will be fine for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. To reheat, either microwave or put in the oven and bake covered with aluminum foil at 180℃(or 350℉) for around 12-15 minutes or until heated well.
Recipe tips, tricks, and variation suggestions
You can also use brown lentils instead of green lentils in this recipe. Brown lentils will get cooked slightly faster. Feel free to add vegetables of your choice like broccoli, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, green beans, mushrooms, cauliflower, etc. You can also make lentil casserole without the vegetables. You can also add uncooked rice, pasta, or quinoa, to this lentil bake. If doing that, add more liquid and use a larger baking dish. Instead of using canned diced tomatoes, you can also use fresh chopped tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes and plum tomatoes can be added too. You can also mix some cheese with the lentils and vegetables instead of just spreading it on top. If you are vegetarian, make sure to use animal rennet-free cheese. These days you can easily find cheese with microbial rennet which can be consumed by vegetarians. For a faster version of this recipe, use precooked or canned lentils and saute the vegetables in a pan before mixing them with other ingredients in a baking dish. You will then need to bake the casserole for around 40 minutes only. Use less stock in this case, around 1 cup only. I have not used any oil in this lentil casserole recipe but if you want you can add some olive oil or butter and mix it with other ingredients before baking.
Vegan note: Vegans may use vegan cheese or just skip adding cheese. This dish tastes good without cheese too.
Frequently asked questions
More vegetarian baked dinner recipes
If you enjoyed this lentil casserole and want to try recipes for more comforting baked vegetarian dinners then don’t miss to check out the following recipes:
More easy lentil recipes
Looking for ideas to include lentils in your meals? The following easy lentil dishes are worth trying: If you liked this recipe, please leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in the recipe card below. You can also follow me on Instagram, Youtube, and Pinterest.
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