Alternative Title in Honor of Minnesota: Lentil and Brown Rice Hot Dish
I’ve been making this recipe for a few years now and thought I’d share it.
It is not:
- fancy
- gourmet
- particularly photogenic
It is:
- simple
- easy
- cheap
- comforting
- kid-friendly
I’m particularly drawn to the cheap part right now. As the holidays hit and money starts to flow out the door, I always feel the need to tighten up the grocery budget a bit. I think lentils, beans, rice and other grains will be on frequent rotation in our kitchen. I may also have to ban myself from Whole Foods. Anyone else feeling the budget pinch?
Oven Baked Lentil and Brown Rice Casserole
- 3 cups vegetable broth or water (or combination of both)
- 3/4 cup uncooked lentils, rinsed and sorted
- 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
- 3/4 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: bay leaf + salt if using water instead of broth, rosemary, basil, any herbs to your liking
- Preheat oven to 325F
- Mix all ingredients in a 2 qt baking dish.
- Cover with lid or foil and bake for about an hour, or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- That’s all. See – so easy!
It’s good topped with crushed red pepper, nutritional yeast, parmesan cheese and/or gomasio. I usually serve it with some bread for a simple but filling and tasty dinner.
I love new hot dishes!! I just picked up a cookbook from the 50′s – so many casseroles!
This is such a cool idea! I can’t wait to try it. I’m on a lentil and rice kick right now.
Sometimes simple dishes are the best dishes! This sounds yummy and I love the idea of not having to cook the lentils first! Brilliant.
We too are definitely feeling the budget distress. At times it makes it hard to fully enjoy this time of year, so I have to consciously remind myself to be thankful for what we do have…
oooooooooo . . . easy! What a perfect warming fall “casserole.” (And yes, even though I live in MN, I’m NOT a native, and “hotdish” is just something I can’t quite get a handle on! I’ll stick with “casserole,” thank you very much!)
I like to say hotdish, just because it makes me smile. But, yes, it’s an odd description. Plus, my recipe doesn’t have cream of something soup, ground beef or tator tots, so it’s not really a MN hotdish.
Very nice dinner Michelle. Yes, I just did my once per month whole foods trip. I love it and hate it all at once!
Sorta feel like I am stalking you, but am loving all your ideas. This dinner was a hit with everyone tonight! I doubted the kid-friendliness of it but it was gobble up. Powered up the bread machine after probably a 7-year hiatus, too. Thanks!!
I’m pretty sure it’s not stalking when I put my stuff on the world wide web….
Glad you liked it! It’s not the prettiest, but the flavors are pretty kid friendly. I love the bread machine. I find vegetarian meals like soups and casseroles go a lot further with good bread. Plus, if my kids don’t like the dinner, they can at least eat bread and sides. I’m using my late grandmother’s bread machine which is at least 20 years old. Still works great!
I’m going to try this recipe very soon. I like the fact it is a simple recipe, quick to put together, wholesome and fuss-free. All meals should be like this! Thanks for sharing it and more of the same please! Best wishes, Christine.
YAY! I’ve been looking for a non-soup lentil recipe (husband says I’m can’t make soup for awhile, we’ve had a TON of it recently…it’s so easy). This is on the menu for this week!
how many does this feed?
4-6, depending on appetites.
Thanks, Michelle. I love lentils and love to use my oven in the fall to help warm up the kitchen without turning on the thermostat. I am also enjoying the vegan recipes. My husband and I are leaning in that direction.
This was a hit at our house last night, Michelle. The flavors remind me of a lentil loaf I used to make before I went gluten-free. I did add some sage and used shredded carrots. I definitely plan to keep this recipe handy. Thanks for posting!