This Is My Viral Cheesy Lentil Bake

• servings: Feeds 4
• total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

I shared this a few months ago as a way to use the red lentils at the back of the cupboard...it turns a LOT of you have lentils at the back of the cupboard 😅

I've been making this for years - it's great hot and cold, so the leftovers are brilliant for lunch. I have converted many a Lentil sceptic with this one!

It makes me so happy that this has become a favourite with so many of you.

I've written up the recipe below, let me know if you've made it, or it's going on the list, A x

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated

1 onion finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

200g dried red lentils

600ml vegetable stock

100g grated cheddar cheese (plus extra for the topping)

2 slices of bread roughly grated into breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large non-stick saucepan

Add the carrot, and onion. Stir and fry on a medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add the chopped garlic for the final minute

Stir in the red lentils, before adding a little boiling stock. Bring to the boil.

Keep adding the stock a little at a time. Only add more when the stock has been absorbed. Stir regularly so it doesn't stick.

It should take around 15 -20 minutes for the lentils to be cooked and the stock absorbed.

Heat the oven to 180C

Add the 100g grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper and stir until the cheese has melted and the breadcrumbs have disappeared

Line an oven proof dish with greaseproof paper.

Place the mixture in the dish and gently press it down

Sprinkle grated cheese over the top

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes

Leave to cool and firm up a little before lifting the the baking paper out of the dish and cutting it into slices.