Cheesy Lentils

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 1 cup red lentil
• 2 cups green lentils
• 2 bunches scallions, chopped on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 -2 cup shiitake mushrooms or 1 -2 cup other mushroom, roughly chopped
• 1.5 (14 ounce) jars cheese sauce (see note)
• 2 -4 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cups water
• 2 cups shredded cheese (we used cheddar)
• fresh coarse ground black pepper or grains of paradise
• 1 cup instant rice (optional)

Recipe

• 1 preheat your oven for 350°f.
• 2 heat olive oil in large saucepan or dutch oven. saute scallions on medium heat for about 3 minutes. add mushrooms and saute for about 3 more. now add all of the lentils, and stir them into the sauteed veggies till thoroughly mixed. turn up the heat to high and add the water.
• 3 bring to a boil, then reduce to low and cover the pot. let cook for about 20-30 minutes, till the green lentils are tender. (the red ones will turn into yellow mush. this is desirable).
• 4 remove from heat and drain everything in a colander.
• 5 tranfer lentils to either the pot you were just using, or a casserole dish if you're not using the instant rice. (the rice will absorb some liquid and provide for a firmer texture. the recipe works fine without it, though).
• 6 add 1.5 jars of cheese sauce (we used ragu parmesan mozzarella) to lentil mixture, and mix thoroughly. spread evenly in your casserole dish.
• 7 sprinkle/grind pepper or grains of paradise over the top, as desired. top everything with shredded cheese.
• 8 bake at 350°f for 15 minutes. at this point, the cheese will be melted. now turn your oven up to broil/500f and let broil for 5 more minutes. now the cheese topping will be a lovely toasty brown. :) remove from oven and serve.