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!
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.
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!
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 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.
