This cheesy lentil casserole strikes my favorite balance: hearty comfort food made with wholesome, everyday ingredients. The lentils and brown rice cook right in the baking dish, along with veggies and dried herbs. It's a budget-friendly meal that's satisfying and easy to customize.
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I've been on a real lentil kick lately. I have a lentil burger recipe in the works, along with a new soup, and of course this lentil chili is always in regular rotation. So after putting together this collection of vegan casserole recipes a couple of weeks ago, lentil casserole was the perfect next step.
I liked the idea of combining lentils and rice with some veggies, seasonings, and water, and dumping it all in a casserole dish. So that's what I did... and we loved it!
Why You'll Love This Lentil Bake 💚
- No precooking or sautéing. Simply chop the veggies, rinse the lentils and rice, stir everything together, and pop it into the oven.
- Made with everyday ingredients. It's a practical way to put pantry staples and a few fresh vegetables to use.
- Great for leftovers. Make a casserole for dinner and enjoy easy lunches for the next few days.
- Choose your cheese. I used a double batch of my melty vegan cheese that I always use for pizza and topping casseroles. Or go with store-bought shredded cheese to make prep even easier!
What You'll Need
- Green or brown lentils: Use regular dried green or brown lentils, which hold their shape as they cook. Red lentils break down much more quickly and aren't a direct substitute here.
- Brown rice: The recipe uses uncooked brown rice. Any size grain is fine. Stick with brown, since the rice and lentils cook together and other types of rice will cook too quickly.
- Crushed tomatoes: Diced tomatoes also work, but we preferred the test batch made with canned crushed tomatoes.
- Mushrooms & veggies: Chopped mushrooms, onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper build savory flavors (plus a touch of vegetable sweetness), and allow us to use water instead of broth. For the mushrooms, white button or baby bellas (cremini) are usually easiest to find, though any variety works.
- Dried herbs: Oregano, thyme, tarragon, sage, and a bay leaf give the lentils and rice a cozy, familiar flavor. The small amount of tarragon adds a little something different without taking over.
- Vegan cheese: I used a double batch of my vegan cheese for pizza and melting. I added some jarred roasted red pepper to the blender to give it an orange, cheddar-like color, which is completely optional. It's delicious either way! Or sub 2 cups shredded dairy-free cheese.
How to Make Lentil & Brown Rice Casserole
These photos give you an overview of the process. You can find the full recipe below.
First, check the lentils for debris and rinse well. Also rinse the rice. Chop all of the vegetables, and add everything except the cheese to a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Tip: The lentils and rice will sink to the bottom. I like to carefully peek at the underside of my glass dish to make sure the rice and lentils are spread around evenly.
Bake uncovered in a preheated 400°F oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and carefully cover the entire dish with foil. Bake covered for another 30-35 minutes.
NOTE that your casserole won't have as many mushrooms as the photo above. After photographing this test batch, I made it one more time to dial in the amounts and liquid. 🙂
Uncover, gently stir, and check the texture of a few lentils and grains of rice. If they're still a little firm, cover and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes. Uncover the casserole, and top with dairy-free cheese.
- If using my homemade "liquid" cheese (pictured), leave the dish uncovered.
- If using store-bought shreds, cover with foil. This traps the moisture and helps the cheese melt.
Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the lentils are tender and the cheese is melted.
Helpful Tips
- Seal the foil tightly. Trapping steam during the covered portion of baking helps the rice and lentils cook.
- Check for tenderness before adding the cheese. Taste a few lentils and grains of rice from the center of the dish. If they're still firm, give it a stir, cover, and continue baking before adding the cheese topping.
- Chop the vegetables fairly small. This helps them cook evenly and makes it easier to get a little bit of everything in each bite.
- If using my homemade vegan cheese, there's plenty of time to blend and heat it while the casserole bakes.
FAQ
No, just rinse and drain them and dump them into the casserole dish. They both cook in the liquid as it bakes. Not having extra dishes to wash is one of my favorite things about this recipe!
Those would require changes to the liquid and baking time, so I recommend sticking with dried green or brown lentils and regular brown rice for this version.
This is hearty enough to serve on its own, but a simple green salad, steamed broccoli, or roasted green beans are a nice addition.
I hope you enjoy this cheesy lentil casserole. If you try the recipe, comment below to let us know!
Recipe
Cheesy Lentil Casserole With Brown Rice
Equipment
- 9x13 casserole - 3-3½ quarts
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cups green or brown lentils
- ½ cup brown rice
- 3¼ cups water
- 1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes - with salt
- 1 medium yellow onion - chopped
- 4 ounces white or cremini mushrooms - chopped
- 3 medium carrots - peeled and diced
- 3 ribs celery - chopped
- 1 medium bell pepper - chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic - minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried tarragon
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- black pepper - to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups dairy-free cheese shreds - see Notes for homemade option
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Check the dry lentils for any stones or debris. Then rinse the lentils and rice, and drain well.
- Combine all ingredients except the cheese in a 13x9-inch (3 liter) baking dish. Stir well and spread everything evenly in the dish.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for another 35 to 40 minutes, or until the lentils and rice are tender.
- If using the homemade dairy-free cheese option, while the casserole bakes, prepare a double batch of my Vegan Cheese for Pizza and Melting (see Notes for details).
- Remove the foil and discard the bay leaf. Check a few lentils and grains of rice from the center of the dish. If they're still firm, give everything a stir, cover, and bake for another 5-10 minutes before adding the cheese.
- Spread the cheese evenly over the casserole. For the homemade cheese, leave the dish uncovered. If using store-bought shreds, cover again with foil (moisture helps the cheese melt). Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges are bubbly and the cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and ingredients used.
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