Zulandt's Lentil Casserole

Don't hesitate to cook this, it's not complicated, or demanding, just needs a little fussing over to check on liquid levels, but it's well worth your time. Console yourself in the process with a nice glass of Shiraz and you won't lament your losses. I've had a yearning for a lentil casserole for weeks, perhaps months now. I am a Mum of 3 fussy eaters, but I have a very demanding palate, with a penchant for herbaceous, flavourful, spicy dishes from all corners of the globe. So only about once a week do my husband and I get to savour something WE (read "I") like. This dish was delicious. I took the advice of many of Allrecipes cook's reviews before me and added: 1 garlic clove (next time blow the expense perhaps 2), chopped carrot (next time, another veggie as well), a tin of chopped tomatoes (an essential ingredient!) and I was heavy handed with the cumin and oregano. Hearty, filling (but not fattening), wholesome, delicious, and with lots leftover for heat-up lunches and one-parent dinners. This one is a definite addition to the family cookbook.

I thought it was yummy! I added carrots, fresh garlic, a little bit of frozen veggie mix and green onions to jazz it up a bit. Also used just a bit of breadcrumbs as I don't think much was needed. I added some chopped fresh tomato to the finished dish. Pretty good, will make again!

My family and guests all thought this casserole was fabulous, even my picky daughter. I did omit the zucchini because we are not big fans. Next time around, I will not use as much bread crumbs on top, but that did not affect the fantastic flavor of this dish. Don't be shy with the seasonings!

This is my favorite recipe ever!! Lentils and rice are boring to many people, but to me this recipes meets all of my criteria: cheap, healthy and it tastes great! I do not add the zucchini and I use chicken bouillon instead of vegetable. Additionally, I add about 4 minced garlic cloves to the sauted onion and I some cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes while the lentils are cooking. I also use italian seasoning instead of the oregano and add a little extra cumin. I also only add about half the amount of bread crumbs to the top. The cheese can be reduced to make it a healthier meal and it still tastes great! With these changes this recipes is my favorite!

I added lots to this recipe: garlic, carrots, celery, a bay leaf, Parmesan cheese, and no-salt seasoning. I also used leftover rice, which it's great for. I ended up needing less water for the lentils; about 4 instead of 6 cups water. Overall it turned out really well!

Wonderful recipe! I followed others suggestions and added garlic and a few chopped carrots. Didn't have zucchini and omitted the cheese (allergies). I did cut the recipe in half and thought it was just a little dry, so I added a can of diced tomatoes. Yum! Definitely a keeper!

This was absolutely delicious. My family isn't vegitarian, we just like eat healthy at times so I used beef bouillon cubes instead. Next time, I won't use bread crumbs, it really doesn't add anything to the dish. I will probably just top with cheese and bake at a higher temp to get a pretty top to the casserole. You could eat it before you put it in the oven if you wanted. Just make sure to salt and pepper to your taste before putting in the oven, or it could be a little bland.

I was actually getting ready to make speghetti when I realized I had sprouted lentils I needed to use and found this recipe online. I had celery, green pepper, onion, mushrooms and even some roma tomatoes chopped up and frying in my ground beef already so I added it to the rest of the ingredients (rice, lentils that I boiled briefly already spices, cheese) I didn't use the bread crumbs either... I used lots of old cheddar cheese and I accidentally grabbed curry instead of my cumin and ended up adding them both which was very yummy. I think without the celery, mushrooms etc. this dish would of been to bland and plain on the visual palette. I'll make this again with all the stuff I added this time... very yummy.

i added 2 carrots, 4 celery, and 2 handfuls of frozen corn and still too light on the veggies in my opinion. next time i will double the veggies and add garlic and tomatoes as others suggested. i will probably add more cheese too with the extras.

I thought this was pretty good but the rest of the family didn't really like it. Instead of the zucchini I used carrots and I cooked everything in a pressure cooker (about 10 minutes.)

It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. It was pretty bland. The second time I made it I tried doubling the spices, but it didn't seem to make any difference.

My husband and I enjoyed this casserole, though next time I will add a few things (garlic especially) for more flavor. The best part of this recipe is that my finicky daughter LOVED it, even asked for it instead of her usual sandwich or cheese stick. So this will be a regular on our menu.

Warm hearty comfort food, nothing beats that. My only alterations were to add some carrots and celery and upped the zucchini. The only thing I will do next time is make a smaller batch, it really makes a lot!

My family *loved* this. I'm a picky eater, so I often cook them things that I don't taste. As I was mixing the ingredients before putting it in the casserole dish, I started to doubt it coming out well - but they really loved it. I did make a few changes. I didn't have zuchini on hand so I added carrots, mushrooms, garlic, red bell pepper and tomatoes. I also added red curry to the spices. I didn't have bread crumbs, so I crushed up some butter crackers and I added garlic powder to the cracker and cheese mixture.

Great recipe! Very filling and warm, a perfect winter meal. I added garlic as did others who reviewed, and I also added fresh tomatoes, two bay leaves and turmeric to the lentils. I generally like my veggies less cooked, so I threw the zucchini on top of the lentils during the last 5 minutes to let them lightly steam. I also used less cheese than was called for but stuck with the 3/4 c bread crumbs. I would definitely make this again!

I liked this recipe. I don't think it needed the cheese at all, but it added a little bit of saltiness. I also don't think it needed to really be baked at all- but maybe that's just me. Everything was wonderful and smushy before I put it in the oven, but it was a little bit dry after baking. Next time I'll just throw it all together in a casserole dish and call it a meal.

Overall this turned out very good. Very inexpensive meal that makes A LOT (meaning several nights of leftovers). The only thing I didn't like is that it turned out a little drier than I liked, still edible but is there anything that can be done to moisten it up a little? I followed the directions exactly and it turned out pretty tasty. Just a tad on the dry side but nothing that would prevent me from making it again. :) I'm actually eating some of the leftovers for lunch as I type this!!

Yum! I just made this and can't stop eating it. I don't know if there will be any left for dinner! It is a tasty casserole and I like the fact that it wasn't made with cream of something soup!

Yummy comfort food that I will definitely make again. I skipped the bread crumb step and just mixed cheese into the lentil and rice. Nice warm lunch on cold days. Great with Pickapeppa sauce/Tabasco!

This was a big hit with my family and our company. I doubled the recipe which was a big mistake as the original recipe makes a very large quantity. We will make this again and again!

I have made this a number of times now. It is, an many ways, a comfort food. Depending upon how healthy I want it to be, I adjust the amount of cheese and/or sometimes omit the breadcrumbs. Also, I play with the amount of spices and sometimes substitute other spices, such as basil instead of oregano, or I add a bit of curry powder to it. Yum! Also, I always use chicken stock rather than water and then omit the buillions, because I feel that it is easier to watch the amount of sodium that way.

Even though this recipe was panned by other reviewers, I was compelled to give it a try. I thought it was fantastic. If you look beyond Wal*Mart, you can find veggie boullion cubes. Any health food store will carry them. I found mine at Wegmans--a major grocery chain. I will make this again when I have the time. This would have been 5 star if it did not take so long.

Even better if you put a little ketchup on the top. My 1 year old LOVES it!

Why is this recipe listed as "vegetarian?" Is it really that hard to use vegetable bouillon cubes? Not that vegetarians are used to converting, but don't call it vegetarian if there's meat.

It takes a long time to make, and it good use some more cheese, but it does taste good and is a great recipe for people on a high fiber diet like myself.

The recipe is pretty basic. Some spices and a spicy sauce could recover this.

I made ahead of time and cooked in a 400 oven for 30 minutes. It was wonderful! No complaints from anyone.

Very homey and rustic. Cut recipe down to four servings, and it still made a huge casserole.

Bland and boring...even for vegetarian food.

Seemed to me that the bread crumb topping made the dish too dry. I would leave that part out next time.

This makes a lot! I added a carrot, celery and a can of diced tomatoes as others suggested. Otherwise, there’s not enough veggies to help cut all the rice and lentils. I used veggie broth to cook the rice which did not take as long as the recipe says. Also, the lentils did not take nearly as long or need that much water. I used dairy feee cheese and panko bread crumbs. Keep and eye on the lentils or you will have a mushy mess!