Lentil and Rice Casserole

Rice and easy-to-digest grain proteins make this lentil and rice casserole great for refueling after strenuous work, especially childbirth!

The Story:
We worked on this casserole for years, tweaking, adding, taking away, and finally we have come up with a winner we usually make three to four times a year. Philip was instrumental in putting this one together and we made it once and brought it to our synagogue for a pot luck. It was so popular, he got many requests for the recipe. When he typed it up and sent it out, it went a little viral in our community. It became one of the go-to meals to give new parents and is really good for post-partum mothers because of its high, but easy to digest protein.

This recipe is also easy to change around. We’ve substituted a bell pepper for the onion, changed around the spices and herbs, and even took away some breadcrumbs and oil. It truly is a very adaptable casserole.

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Gather your tools. You’ll need:

Lentil and Rice Casserole Tools

1. measuring cups 2. measuring spoons 3. quart measuring cup 4. large pot 5. spoon 6. sharp knife 7. vegetable peeler 8. grater 9. mixing bowl 10. large glass casserole dish

Gather your ingredients. You’ll need:

Lentil and Rice Casserole Ingredients

1. lentils 2. rice 3. bell pepper 4. salt 5. ground black pepper 6. spices and herbs 7. spaghetti sauce 8. eggs 9. carrots 10. nuts

Lentil Rice Loaf
Serves 12
Basic ingredients:
6 cups water
1½ cups uncooked lentils, sorted and rinsed (can be brown or red)
2 cups uncooked white rice
1 cup finely chopped onion or 1 cup bell pepper
1 teaspoon salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
spices and herbs, your choice (see note below)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup nuts (macadamia or walnuts are particularly tasty, but play around)

Spices and Herbs:
The say variety is the spice of life, so I love to experiment with different herbs and spices to enliven this recipe. Here are two sets I’ve tried which have both worked out well:

1 tbsp garlic (or onion) powder
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basill
~OR~
1 tbsp garlic (or onion) powder
1 tbsp sage
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp celery seeds

If you make up your own variations, let us know how they turn out!

Directions:
In a large pot, combine water and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the rice, onions, salt, pepper and additional herbs/spices; mix well. Cover and simmer for an additional 15-18 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice and lentils are tender.

Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes, though more than that is ideal. (This recipe would work well to prepare the mise on place the night before, boil the mixture the morning of, and bake in the evening.)

Transfer rice/lentil mixture to a large mixing bowl. Stir ½ cup of the spaghetti sauce, the eggs, and the oil into the mixture; it should now be loose and easy to stir. Stir in the carrots and nuts, and then finally stir in the bread crumbs (or substitute), mashing the mixture slightly during the last mixing.

Heat oven to 350 ºF. Spray a large glass casserole dish with cooking spray. Transfer the rice/lentil mixture to the dish, spreading evenly with a spatula. Spray top of mixture with cooking spray. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until top is golden-brown, loaf is firm, and a knife inserted into loaf comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes. Slice into portions and serve with warmed spaghetti sauce spooned on top.

This recipe can easily be cut in half if you want to make a smaller batch.

Warms up well and freezes great!

Top with spaghetti sauce or Sabra’s favorite- spaghetti sauce, poached egg, and a slice of pepper jack cheese.