Southwestern Lentil and Brown Rice Bake is cheesey, delicious comfort food even a carnivore will love!
Heads up oh beautiful, wonderful readers! This is an update to the original post dated January 1, 2015. The following information is dated June 8, 2016.
First of all, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for making this one of my most popular, most pinned, most replicated recipes. Love you all and thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback.
Seems like forever that my hubby and I have been making this dish, however, some of you had problems achieving a fully-cooked dish in the amount of time specified in the recipe.
I felt your pain. Few things are worse than waiting on a dish that simply will not cook when you’re hungry and all eyes are on the oven.
As recently promised in a comment, I retested this dish. I baked it in the same white baking dish as the original. I even invested in an oven thermometer to see if my oven was running super hot. The oven temperature specified in the recipe is 375 degrees, however, my oven thermometer actually registered 350 degrees during the retest.
Overall it turned out as I stated in the recipe. However, I have updated the recipe to be more specific with times, materials and process.
- Use a glass or ceramic baking dish as they conduct heat better than metal.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil as a loose-fitting lid allows too much liquid to evaporate.
- Only stir once during the baking process as lifting the lid halts the cooking process.
- At 1 hour 30 minutes (90 minutes), remove the lid, stir in half the cheese, place the other half on the top and continue baking uncovered another 20 minutes or so for the cheese to melt and brown slightly.
- Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
As much as I would like, I can’t account for every variable and ovens and products vary in performance. Hoping that these tweaks will make this delicious dish work better for you!!!!
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming………
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Oh, the lentil joy!
This Southwestern Lentil and Brown Rice Bake is meatless comfort food that even a carnivore will love. My husband and I began making this casserole back in my vegetarian days, which we’ll just say was a long, long time ago so as not to date myself.
The recipe we originally followed is “Lively Lentil Bake” from Hot, Spicy and Meatless, Over 150 Delicious, Fiery and Healthful Recipes by Dave DeWitt, et. al., the folks behind Chile Pepper Magazine. This collection of spicy vegetarian fare was published in 1994.
Our recipe is significantly different from the original, however, the procedure remains the same–combine all the ingredients in the baking dish and let it bake away! About all you make dirty in the process is your knife and a measuring cup.
It’s one of our favorites when we’re both busy and don’t have a lot of time to prep and cook. Most of the time, we already have the ingredients on hand or we make minor substitutions as this is a versatile and forgiving recipe. The authors of the original recipe suggest stuffing bell peppers with the finished product. Brilliant!
When working with dry lentils, always be sure to look them over carefully for anything foreign such as stones. Place a small handful at a time on a white paper plate. A white paper plate works well because you can easily pour the lentils directly into whatever you’re making after inspecting them.
Serve with warm corn tortillas and a crisp, fresh salad.
Southwestern Lentil and Brown Rice Bake for the win!
Thank you, hope you enjoy and please share this From A Chef’s Kitchen reader favorite!
Southwestern Lentil and Brown Rice Bake
Southwestern Lentil and Brown Rice Bake is comfort food even a carnivore will love!
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3/4 cup brown lentils
- 3/4 cup long-grain brown rice
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can (15-ounce) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (4-ounce) diced green chilies
- 1 tablespoon taco or other Southwestern seasoning blend
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups shredded cheese (Monterey Jack, Pepperjack or white Cheddar), divided
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine all ingredients, except the cheese, in a deep 8 x 8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish and mix well. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 1 1/2 hours, stirring once while the mixture is baking.
Remove the foil, stir in half the cheese and place the remaining cheese over the top.
Return to oven (uncovered) and bake until cheese has melted, approximately 20 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.
Just wanted to double check. The brown rice and lentils used in this recipe are not cooked? Thanks!
Hi, Vanessa, You are correct; they are not cooked. Just combine everything in a baking dish and let it bake away! Thanks so much and hope you enjoy!
This is so great! My 24 month old loves it! I’m vegetarian and my husband is not and he even likes it. I make it usually once a week. The past couple of times I’ve added half a can of corn since I omit the bell peppers and it’s delicious! Thank you!
Hi, Jess, Thanks so much!!! So glad everyone including the meat-loving hubby is enjoying it! The addition of corn sounds wonderful! Thanks again!
How long would you cook it for on low in a slow cooker? Can beef broth be added to it…I don’t have vegetable broth?
Hi, Michaela, I would do 7-8 hours on low and I think beef broth would be just fine. I put vegetable broth in the recipe to keep it vegetarian but if you don’t object, I think beef broth would be just fine! Thanks so much and hope you enjoy!
I prepared this in my smaller slow cooker earlier this morning and came home later on, it stuck to the sides and bottom of the pot. The top was dry and rice was mushy. Was I supposed to use a bigger crock pot?
Hi, Michaela, Hard to say as I don’t know what size slow cooker you used. Did you use brown rice? It can be really frustrating sometimes with different brands of things, too.
Looks awesome, wondering if red lentils would work also in this recipe? I never cooked with lentils of any type before so I’m unsure of any difference in flavor.
Hi, Courtnay, Thanks for your question! I don’t think there would be a difference in flavor, but there will be a big difference in texture. Red lentils cook much faster than brown lentils and they tend to almost “melt.” If you’ve never cooked with lentils before, be sure to look them over well as there can be tiny stones or other foreign items. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
This looks yummy! Has anyone used a crockpot to make this? If so how long would you cook it for? TIA
Hi, Karissa, Thanks for your question. I think it would work well in a slow cooker. Just add the cheese toward the end. If you try it, let me know how it goes. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
I would like to make this for our Church’s Potluck. I will need to make it on Friday. How do I reheat it?
Hi, Gayle, Thanks for your question. I would bake to the point where you add the cheese. Let it cool thoroughly and refrigerate. You can add the cheese at this point. You may need to add a little water or broth. Then, reheat in the oven, adding the rest of the cheese at the end just as though you were continuing on with the recipe.
I’m not a vegetarian, but was looking for a recipe to use my lentils and this was great! I topped my plate with jalapenos, a little salsa, and crunched tortilla chips. Thanks
Thanks so much! I don’t consider myself a vegetarian either but really enjoy meatless meals. This is always one of our favorites! Thanks again and glad you enjoyed!
Love the texture of this dish! It’s in our regular meal rotation. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe 🙂
Thanks so much, Beth! So glad you and your family are enjoying. It’s been a favorite of ours from when we were married and it is still and probably will always be one of our “go-to” recipes! Thanks again!
I am in throes of making this dish. It smells delicious however no where on the actual recipe does it say the oven temperature. If I hadn’t t read the commentary as I was going through the photos I would not have known what temp the oven should have been set. It may be me but I couldn’t find it. I will let you know how it comes out.
Hi, Donna, The oven temperature of 375 degrees is right underneath “Directions.” I know… it is hard to see but that’s how my recipe program works. 🙁 I hope to change my recipe program sometime this summer. The one I will be using is still in development. Thanks so much and hope you enjoyed!
Hi. I have made this soooo many times. During the summer I make it with fresh pepper and chilli, pretty much as directed. But in winter I made it as follows: rice, lentils and seasoning as directed, a handful of my homegrown dried pepper, celery and onions. A one pint jar of my home canned salsa and a tbsp tomato puree. Three cups of water, cook as directed, fabulous and fast!
I plan to send jars of the dry ingredients off to college with my 18 year old in the autumn. We ALL love it even my husband who is a fanatical meat eater!! (I have stirred in chopped chorizo on occasion for a surprise!!!)
Thank you
Hi, Rebecca, Thank you so much and so glad you and your family are enjoying this recipe so much! I absolutely love your idea about putting the dry ingredients in jars. That would make a great gift for someone! Again, thank you so much, please stay in touch and Happy Mother’s Day!
This was delicious and turned out perfectly – will definitely make again.
Thanks, Amy! So glad you enjoyed!
This recipe was so easy to make, and very delicious!!!! Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Emily, So glad you enjoyed! Thank you so much!
Made this as a double batch this evening at 5000 feet altitude. After starting it, I read the comments about it taking longer- and I didn’t have time to spare- so I raised the temperature to 400º and did not stir it (I didn’t want to lose heat). I cooked it in a heavy ceramic casserole.
I also added 2 shredded zucchini and a big handful of mushrooms that needed a good home/to be eaten, as it looked like a recipe that would “hide” extra veggies well.
It was done at 90 minutes, as hoped.
It was very good; the rice and lentils were nice and toothsome, soft but with good texture/chewiness. We will make this again (and hide extra fridge veggies in it again, too).
That’s great, Jennifer! So glad it worked out for you. A previous commenter did it in her pressure cooker for 15 minutes so if you have one, that could be an option in the future. I hope to find time in the near future to update this recipe for the Instant Pot/electric pressure cooker. Thanks again and love the addition of all the veggies!
Have you had a chance to do instant pot directions? Please share.
Hi, Amy, I’ve been meaning to revise this for the Instant Pot/electric pressure cooker. I would combine everything in the IP/EPC except the cheese. Cook on high for about 15 minutes then let it release slowly. Add half the cheese, let it melt then top with remaining cheese. Thanks so much and hope you enjoy!
Do I need to preboil the lentils? I feel like adding the acidic tomatoes would keep them from softening.
GREAT question, Elizabeth and thanks so much! Lentils don’t seem to have the same issues that beans do when it comes to acid. Just make sure your lentils are not nearing their expiration date. Old beans and lentils CAN be a problem. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
My whole family (kids ages 8 and 10) loves this recipe! I’ve made it 10+ times – I make it as instructed, sometimes adding extra red and yellow peppers. We eat it with naan. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi, Laura, That really makes my day! Love to hear 8 and 10-year-olds getting into lentils and brown rice. Good on you! Thanks so much, so glad you’re enjoying! Please stay in touch!
My teenager that hates vegetables loved it! I’m totally going to cook this recipe again. It was great!
Glad to hear that, Cristina! Thanks so much and please stay in touch!
Can I used cooked lentils instead? If so, should i incorporate them in later as opposed to letting them bake the full time?
Hi, Kimberly, Thanks for your question. I don’t see why you couldn’t, but you will probably need to adjust the liquid since the lentils absorb a lot of the liquid. You could also use cooked brown rice. Saute the vegetables, combine in a baking dish with some liquid, the remaining ingredients and just bake it through. This recipe is very versatile!
Definitely adjust the liquid! I used cooked brown rice and there was a little more liquid than I would have liked. Overall great recipe!! The house smelled amazing!
Hi, Tamara, Yes, if you use cooked brown rice, it’s really not going to absorb a lot of the liquid like uncooked will. Thanks so much and glad you enjoyed!
I made this yesterday, turned out really good! I cooked it for 2 hours on 400 (my oven runs a little low) and then added cheese for another 20 minutes. I had doubled the recipe, next time I would reduce the broth by 1/2c or so. It tasted good though, thanks!
Thanks, Erin! Glad you enjoyed!
Hi!
I was looking for a simple and tasty bean-rie one pot meal, and this was the perfect one. Great recipe! Thx!
Hi, Petra, Glad you enjoyed! This is still and always will be one of our favorite meals! We had it last night as a matter of fact. Thanks again and please stay in touch!
After adding the cheese, do you keep covered for the remaining 20 minutes or leave uncovered?
Hi, Jacklyn, Thanks for your question. Return it to the oven uncovered so the cheese melts. Aluminum foil tends to insulate and the cheese won’t melt. I made a clarification to the recipe. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
Just wondering if I could use basmati rice for this recipe?
Hi, Kelsey, Thanks for your question. I think you could if the basmati rice was not terribly aromatic. Basmati rice has such a distinct flavor so you would want to keep that in mind. Perhaps it would be great. Please stay in touch and let me know how it worked.
I used Basmati brown rice and it was PERFECT.
Awesome! Thanks for the info!
I made this last night and it was delicious! I actually looked forward to my leftovers for lunch today 🙂 I followed the recipe and my casserole came out cooked perfectly.
Thanks, Trista! Glad you enjoyed and we have loved this dish like….forever! So happy to be able to share it with my readers and they enjoy it as much as we do! Please stay in touch!
Hello,
I’m testing out freezer meals I can easily dump in my crockpot or stick in the oven like casseroles. Would this recipe be something I can freeze as a casserole then stick in the oven or crockpot on a different day?
Hi, Patsy, Thanks for your question! You absolutely could. This casserole freezes and reheats GREAT. It would need to be cooked, of course, and cooled down thoroughly. We like to freeze it in smaller portions, which I think would work better for a slow-cooker, too. Thanks again and let me know how it works for you.
Will this be too spicy for a two year old?
Hi, Michele, Much depends on the two-year-old. I know some toddlers with pretty sophisticated tastes; others not so much. You might want to leave out the green chilies and use mild taco seasoning. Thanks so much and please stay in touch!
Made this recipe last night- I used red lentils (didn’t have any brown) and half the amount of cheese.. it was delicious! Didn’t have any problems with the liquid absorbing. Love how simple yet healthy this recipe is!
Glad to hear that Victoria and glad you enjoyed! Please stay in touch!
This didn’t work well for me in the oven, so I make it in a pot on the stove instead. Cooks in about an hour. Mix the cheese in at the end, after taking it off the heat.
edited to add: mix the cheese in at the end, after taking it off the heat.
Thanks for your feedback, Jane! I plan to retest this dish in the near future. These issues just shouldn’t be.
Even better and faster in a pressure cooker. 15 min under pressure, natural release, stir in cheese, and dinner is ready! I make this about three times a month.
Thanks, Jane! That’s great to know. I love to use my electric pressure cooker. Love that you love it so much you make it so often!
I am making the recipe right now and am at the 90 minute mark in the oven. Virtually none of the liquid is being absorbed by the lentils or the brown rice. I am very frustrated.
Hi, Nicole, Well, I’d be more than frustrated! I just checked my recipe against the one in the cookbook that we’ve been making for years. The recipe in the cookbook says 1 1/2 hours at 350. I upped the oven temperature to 375 just to ensure everything got done for my readers. I’ve also made this several times for us and for clients since posting it. The issue has got to be different brands of lentils and rice cook at different rates. We use cheapo Kroger store-brand brown lentils and Riceland brown rice. I’ve cooked green lentils for clients and they can take a very long time to cook. I know well from experience that Whole Foods brown rice takes longer to cook than Riceland rice. I will note that on the recipe. Thank you and with how many times we’ve made this recipe, this just shouldn’t be!
Thank you so much for your quick reply. In the end, the recipe turned out delicious. My husband went back for second helpings. I just had to bake this dish for longer than 1 1/2 hours in my oven in order to get the lentils and brown rice to soften. I plan on making this recipe again because it was good.
YAY! So happy to hear that! I work in a lot of different homes with a lot of different appliances and I know that ovens can also vary. Thanks so much for reading and please stay in touch!
I think the lid you use must be the biggest difference? I made two different batches (one to freeze) and they cooked so differentlyin the same oven. One was in my cast iron enamel coated cuisinart dutch with heavy lid over and it turned out great following the recipe. The other batch I cooked in a white casserole baking dish with loose fitting glass lid. I covered it with tin foil as well but after 90 minutes it was still a soupy mess and I had to cook it for much longer. In the future I’ll just use the cast iron dish.
Thanks, Natalie! That’s very interesting and great to know! It’s one of the reasons I LOVE cooking in my cast iron Dutch oven.
We made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic! I was surprised, actually! It didn’t have the earthy brown rice and lentil taste that I was expecting. It was moist and flavourful and perfect with fresh tortillas. My husband ate his wrapped up like a burrito. I borrowed another commenter’s idea and I cooked it with one chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, but removed the pepper before adding the cheese at the end. I think it gave it a nice flavour without adding too much heat that way. My husband likes to make skeptical cracks about being hungry when I choose meatless meals, but he really liked this, found it filling, and said I should make it again. I don’t see a place to give this five stars, but five stars!!!
Thank you, Laura! You made my day! You definitely always should change things to suit your taste. My husband and I love things crazy over-the-top HOT, so I tend to hold back on recipes. Please stay in touch!
Can you use minute brown rice??? It looks so delicious I can’t wait to make this!!!
Hi, Cindy,
I would add it toward the end and just heat it through since Minute brown rice doesn’t take long at all. Thanks for your question and please stay in touch!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was very good! I’m ten weeks pregnant and lentils are a great source of folate, so I was excited to try this recipe. It was definitely a success and I will be making it again. My husband also really liked it and he is more of meat lover than I am. It was also very easy and didn’t dirty a lot of dishes! Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi, Kristy, Thanks so much for your feedback and so happy to hear this was a success for you! Congratulations on your family addition!
I wanted to add I meant to give it five stars, but my original comment was from the pinterest app on my phone and I couldn’t click on the fifth star for some reason… Sorry!
Hi, Kristy, Thank so much!
I made this almost exactly as stated (left out the chiles since I didn’t have any). My family LOVED it! We scooped it up on naan…but it would be great on tortillas or as nachos. Will definitely be making this again – thanks for the recipe!
Thanks so much, Laura and glad you enjoyed it!
I made this a couple weeks ago, and just put another pan of it in the oven for tonight’s dinner. Switched it up a little bit to our tastes….like adding a can of drained black beans….we love it! With or without the cheese…..but w/o cheese I add diced avocado. LOVE!
Great! Thanks so much for your feedback, Monica. It’s been a favorite of ours for a crazy long time and I sometimes even change it up!
Made this for lunch today – very good. I used a dutch oven, heated the mixture to boiling and then put the pot in the oven for an hour. Would also be good as burrito filling.
Are you suppose to add the liquid from the can of diced tomatoes? I am wondering if the people who mentioned their rice and lentils were still hard did this or not?
Hi, Candice, Yes, I always add the whole can with juice. There’s a lot of flavor in that liquid!
I used Rotel and drained the liquid because I didn’t have chilies. I also cooked it in my pressure cooker for 15 minutes and natural release and it was AMAZING. It worked out perfectly. Definitely a keeper–even for my meat obsessed husband.
Hi, Ellen, Oh, I love to hear that! So glad this worked out for you and that everyone enjoyed! Thanks so much and please stay in touch!
do you have a rough guess of what the calories might be?
Hi, Halley, Thanks for getting in touch. I use a recipe management program called MasterCook to analyze recipes. When I analyzed this recipe as I wrote it, I came up with 425 calories for four large servings. If you reduce portion size to feed six people and use as a side dish, the calorie count is 284. You could also use less cheese or use a 2% cheese to drop the calorie count even more. Another way for you to analyze recipes is through Self Magazine’s http://nutritiondata.self.com/ I don’t provide a nutritional analysis on my blog because as a personal chef, I’ve learned it’s just an estimate anyway and there can be variables. Thanks again and please let me know how you enjoyed it.
I made this, looks so yummy and was so excited about this! I ended up adding an entire pack of taco seasoning and 1.5 extra cups of broth because the rice would not cook on the amount you suggested. I also had to cook for an additional 40 minutes and rice still was not done. I love the taste and will make again but will add less liquid and add cooked rice and lentils next time, because mine would not cook :(. Hard lentils and rice throughout. Otherwise good.
Hi, Amy,
Someone else said they had a hard time getting the rice to cook. I rechecked the recipe from Hot, Spicy and Meatless that my hubby and I have been making forever and the recipe calls for the mixture to be cooked for 1 1/2 hours at only 350 degrees. I cranked the oven to 375 and it all got done per my recipe. I cook in numerous kitchens for various personal chef clients and ovens definitely do vary. I did some muffins yesterday for a client and baked them one minute UNDER the directed time and I was starting to smell burned chocolate. OY. Not. Good. Rescued in the nick of time. Different brands of rice may require different cooking times.
You should definitely adjust to your taste. My hubby and I like things over-the-top hot and seasoned, so I try to cut back in my recipes. It’s easy to spice and season things up, but if something is too crazy hot to start, it’s difficult to fix! A recipe is only a roadmap, but how you get to the final destination is up to you!
Could I make this in the crockpot?
Hi, Carrie, I absolutely think it could be done in a crockpot. In fact, I’ve been meaning to retest it in a crockpot. If you get to it before me, please let me know how it goes.
Did you try this in the crockpot?
Hi, Julie, Thanks for your question. I have not done it in a slow-cooker yet. When I do that, I will update the post. If you try it, would you kindly report back on how it went? Thanks so much!
Thank you. I’ll check back from time to time. I like your recipes. Your neighbor, Lee Ann, told me about you. I made it in the oven, and it was super easy and Yummy!!.
Thanks, Julie! I’ll have to thank Lee Ann!
I made this in a crockpot at 4 hours on high and it turned out great! I subbed some of the veggies for what I had on hand and added a little bit of salsa at the end. Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you, Julia! And thanks for the timing information on doing it in a slow-cooker. Happy Holidays to you!
Love lentils & was just looking for this type of mix it all together style dish..:O) to make on Friday for meals at work on the weekends :O) just perfect can’t wait to try this weekend…
I made this dish last night. Ended up adding 4 cups broth, as rice was a bit al dente with only 3 cups liquid. Also added 2 tsp Chipotle with adobe sauce to liven it up – Flavors were very good. Will make again with the above adjustments.
Hi, Stacie, Thanks so much for your feedback! I cook a ton of rice for one certain client of mine and I’ve found it’s possible for cooking times/liquid to vary by brand. Love the addition of chipotle!
Great recipe for a healthy lunch option. I did add black beans for a nice addition!
mmm, that looks yummy! and you made it look good too, it’s really hard to photograph lentils and casseroles because they usually look just meh. But this looks cheesy and delicious!
Yum, this looks delicious! Definitely going to try this for dinner soon. 🙂
This is the ideal recipe for me to make for myself and my vegetarian family.. thanks for sharing it!
I’m a vegetarian and am always looking for easy healthy casseroles like this to throw together on a weeknight. Sounds awesome!
This recipe looks amazing. I just saved it and will try it out this week. Thanks! Love your website.