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Are you ready for an amazingly delicious dinner recipe? I had about a 1/4 bag of lentils in my cupboard that I wanted to use up and found this recipe, which I tweaked a little. This Mexican Lentil and Brown Rice Casserole serves 4, and that’s a HUGE serving. It was incredibly flavorful and filling, and a must-have frugal vegetarian dish!

Rinse the rice and lentils, making sure the lentils don’t have any hidden rocks. Place it in an 8×8 casserole dish with some chopped green bell peppers.

Add a can of diced tomatoes, a can of green chiles, chopped garlic, spices, and chicken or vegetable broth. I always keep chicken bouillon cubes on hand, so I put in 3 and added 3 cups of water. Mix it all together very carefully; my dish was filled to the very top.

Place in a 375 degree oven and bake for 90 minutes, stirring twice during the cooking time. The liquid gets all soaked up as it cooks. When you stir the second time, add a cup of cheese and stir it in.

When it’s done, place another half cup of cheese over top and let it melt! Mine looks a little soupy; I think I just put a little too much liquid in because the rice and lentils were cooked perfectly.

It makes a huge bowl, and it was so amazing! You can serve with tortilla chips or taco shells, or just eat with a fork like we did!

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Mexican Lentil and Brown Rice Casserole

Yield: 4-6 servings

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Ingredients

• 3/4 cup green lentils
• 3/4 cup brown rice
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth (or 3 bouillon cubes with 3 cups of water)
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 4-ounce can green chiles
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Rinse the rice and lentils, and place in an 8x8 casserole dish with all other ingredients except cheese.
3. Bake for 90 minutes, stirring twice during the cooking time. Add one cup of cheese while stirring the second time.
4. When finished, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on top and let it melt.