Cheesy lentil and rice casserole
Lentils and brown rice bake low and slow in seasoned broth under foil, then get broccoli and a blanket of melted cheddar, a nearly hands-off casserole that feeds a crowd.
- 110 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 6
- About $1.11 a serving
- 320 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 6 servings.
- ¾ cup lentils, brown or green, rinsed
- ¾ cup brown rice
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar, divided
- 2 cups frozen broccoli
From your pantry
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp salt
Each serving has about 320 calories, 16 g protein, 40 g carbs and 11 g fat, and costs about $1.11 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No shredded cheddar? Cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese or Monterey Jack cheese works.
- No frozen broccoli? Broccoli works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 350°F.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Stir the lentils, rice, broth, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, thyme, salt and ½ cup of the cheese together in a 9-inch square or 2-quart baking dish.
Cover the dish tightly with foil and 75 minutes.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Timer: 75 min
Dolly’s tip: Seal the foil tightly around the edges. The trapped steam is what cooks the rice.Take off the foil, stir in the frozen broccoli, cover again, and 15 minutes more, until the rice and lentils are tender and the liquid is absorbed.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Timer: 15 min
Dolly’s tip: Careful lifting the foil. A cloud of steam comes out first.Uncover, sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top, and 10 minutes, until and bubbly.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Timer: 10 min
Let it sit 5 minutes, then scoop onto plates.
Timer: 5 min
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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