Southwestern Lentil and Brown Rice Bake
Southwestern Lentil and Brown Rice Bake is cheesy, delicious, meatless comfort food even a carnivore will love! Packed with hearty lentils, wholesome brown rice, and a bold blend of southwestern spices, this dish delivers big flavor in every bite. Combine everything in a baking dish and let it bake away while you do other things. Perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends!
Servings: 6
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.
Video
Notes
TIPS:
- 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
Serving: 1 | Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 1131mg | Potassium: 340mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 643IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 227mg | Iron: 3mg