Southwestern Lentil and Brown Rice Bake
Southwestern Lentil and Brown Rice Bake is cheesy, delicious meatless comfort food even a carnivore will love and is super easy to prepare! Simply combine everything in a baking dish, pop it in the oven and let it bake away while you do other things.
“LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe! It’s easy and healthy!”
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
Oh, the lentil joy! It seems like forever that my hubby and I have been making this dish! My husband and I began making this casserole back in my vegetarian days. We’ll just say those days were a long time ago so as not to date me.
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 and we’ve used that cookbook a lot.
This Southwestern Lentil and Brown Rice Bake is one of our favorites when we’re both busy and don’t have a lot of time to prep and cook. Quite often, we already have the ingredients on hand in the pantry.
The only fresh things you need is an onion, green bell pepper and cilantro for garnish if you like. It’s very easy to make minor substitutions as this is a versatile and forgiving recipe.
How to inspect lentils for debris:
One thing you always want to do when working with lentils is to look them over well for stones, twigs and odd-looking shriveled ones because those can be stone-like.
What I do is:
- Place a small amount–about 1/4 cup–on a plain white paper plate. A white surface makes debris easier to find.
- Look them over for any odd things and discard.
- Then, gently fold the plate to guide them into your pot or into a bowl.
- Repeat with the remaining lentils.
How to make Southwestern Lentil and Brown Rice Bake:
My recipe is significantly different from the original in the cookbook, however, the procedure remains the same:
- Combine all the ingredients in the baking dish!
- Cover and let it bake away while you do other things! About all you make dirty in the process is your knife and a measuring cup.
- Stir once during the baking process.
- Add cheese near the end and top with cheese at the end.
Southwestern Lentil and Brown Rice Bake for the win! Little to no effort and you have a cheesy, vegetarian dish even a carnivore would love!
For more great vegetarian casseroles, be sure to try my:
- Southwestern Squash, Corn and Poblano Casserole
- Summer Vegetable Parmigiana
- Brown Rice Cheddar Kale Casserole
- Healthier Turkish Eggplant Casserole (Imam Bayildi)
- Zucchini Corn Casserole
- Grains and Greens Casserole
- Brown Rice and Summer Vegetable Casserole with Feta and Black Olives
- Summer Squash Casserole
- Late Summer Vegetable Tian
Southwestern Lentil and Brown Rice Bake
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Ingredients
- 1/2 large onion - (or 1 medium onion), finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 medium green bell pepper - chopped (about 3/4 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 chiles - undrained
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning blend - or another Southwestern-style blend
- 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme - leaf–not ground
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- 2 cups shredded cheese - Monterey Jack, Pepperjack or white Cheddar, divided
- Chopped fresh cilantro - for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Combine all ingredients, except the cheese, in a deep 2-3 quart 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.
- Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.
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Recipe Notes
- Look the lentils over well for stones, twigs and odd-looking shriveled ones because those can be stone-like.
- Combine all the ingredients except cheese and cilantro in the Instant Pot.
- Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Allow pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes then release all the pressure.
- Stir in half of the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and cover.
- Allow everything to stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro.
- Bake and thoroughly cool. Store in airtight containers and freeze for 1-2 months.
- Thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat in the oven, toaster oven, or microwave.
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
I made this with green lentils and white basmati. It smelled delicious while baking, but I think 1.5 hours is too long for this combination: the texture of the rice and lentils were similar and both mushier than I’d prefer. I’ll try again and keep a closer eye on the cooking time!
Thanks so much, Julia! I’ve had green lentils take FOREVER to cook and then sometimes they cook very quickly–faster than brown lentils. The white basmati is definitely going to cook fast. If you wanted to use that combination again, you could always precook everything on the stovetop (including the vegetables) so its all the texture you want, combine in a baking dish and then just place in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until it’s heated through. You could also make a day or two ahead of time and then heat through later. Thanks again!
This is great to do as I have leftover cooked rice and leftover green cooked lentils. I’ll try the recipe tomorrow!!! Thanks for the great idea!!
Hi, Terri, If you’ve got already cooked rice and lentils, you’ll want to cook the vegetables in a skillet or saute pan first, then combine everything in a baking dish. You won’t need as much liquid, so just enough to moisten everything. Thanks so much and hope you enjoy!
I am excited to make this recipe. What capacity is your baking dish or what capacity would you recommend? Thank you!
Hi, Margot, Thanks so much for your great question! I would recommend at least a 2-quart baking dish. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
This was a delicious dish and so easy to bake in the oven! We were in a “light cheese” mood and skipped the cheese and it was still delicious. What a clever idea to bake rice with lentils in the oven like this, no sautéing, etc. It’s a keeper!
Thanks so very much, Margo! So glad you all enjoyed and this is now one of your go-to recipes as it’s been one of ours for over 20 years! Thanks again!
I make this for meal trains all the time now, I’ve recently started eating vegan… Even without the cheese it is phenomenal!
Thanks so much, Melissa! So glad you enjoy! Vegan cheese should work just fine. I’d love to know what a “meal train” is, however. Thanks again!
A meal train is a sign-up sheet, usually (maybe always?) online, for when someone has a baby or is ill. An organizer finds out food allergies, preferences etc. From the family receiving it, posts that information plus dates when meals will be needed online, then this is circulated by e-mail invitations to interested parties. My academic department does this whenever someone has a baby and will welcome cooked food for a few weeks. It’s a great system! Everyone helps out a little and the recipients get a lot of help without needing to ask anyone. Google “meal train” and you’ll get to a website that features the calendar system for free.
Hi, Kristine, Thanks so much! I had never heard it referred to as a “meal train” before but we’ve done it many times and have also been the recipient after breaking a kneecap. It’s a wonderful thing to do for people. Thanks again!
What is the nutritional value on this recipe? Or at least the sodium level?
Thank you!
Hi, Liz, Thanks so much for your question! I’m in the process of adding nutrition to all of my recipes and updated this one today for you. The nutrition information is computer-generated so it’s only an estimate. You can adjust the sodium level down by using no-salt-added tomatoes, lower-sodium or salt-free broth, etc. Thanks again!
Do you think this could be made with white rice instead of brown rice?
Thanks,
Karen
Hi, Karen, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, it could be made with white rice, but the white rice does not take as long to cook as brown rice. The length of time it takes to cook brown rice is on par with the time it takes to cook lentils. What I would do is saute the vegetables, cook the lentils and white rice, then combine it all and then bake it. You could even make it a day or two ahead of time that way. Thanks again and hope this works for you!
Followed recipe and was delicious! I will definitely make again.
Cooking time was just right.
Thanks so much, Alice! So glad you enjoyed and it came out perfectly. Please stay in touch!
If I were to use frozen brown rice and lentil burgers,chopped up, and adjust the liquids….. what do you think??
Hi, Louise, Thanks for your question. I don’t see why not! Let me know how it works for you.
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.