Baked Lentils with Cheese

My mom came up with this recipe when I was a teenage vegetarian, and now it is one of my meat-loving husband's favorite dishes and still one of mine to this day.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins
• Calories: 383 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups water
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 0.25 teaspoon dried sage
• 0.25 teaspoon dried thyme
• 0.25 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 0.25 teaspoon pepper
• 1.5 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1.6666666269302 cups dry lentils

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 2

In a 3 quart casserole, combine the water and lentils. Season with the bay leaf, salt, pepper, marjoram, sage and thyme. Stir in onions, garlic, and stewed tomatoes.

Step 3

Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir in the carrots and celery. Cover and continue to bake until the lentils and vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven a third time, stir in the green bell pepper and sprinkle cheese over the top. Bake, uncovered, until cheese has melted, about 5 more minutes.