Cheesy Mexican Lentil Casserole
By: Heather Norman ...
Published: Thursday, April 8, 2010 - 9:02pm

Ingredients




2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped (I omitted this, I don't like celery)
4 cups water
1 cup dried lentils (green or brown) (I used 2 cups)
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (brown rice is recommended)
2 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup of salsa (this makes the consistency not too thick)
1 package (1 ¼ ounce)  taco seasoning mix
1 teaspoon chili powder (or to taste)
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese or monterey jack cheese

Preparation

1 In a large saucepan, saute the onions, green peppers, and celery in heated oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. 2 Add in the water; bring to a boil. 3 Stir in the lentils; cover, lower heat, and simmer 40 minutes (do not drain). 4 Transfer lentil mixture to a large bowl; add in cooked rice, tomato paste, salsa, taco seasoning mix, and chili powder; stir to combine. 5 Transfer mixture to a lightly greased medium-sized casserole dish. 6 Bake, uncovered, in a 350° oven for 20 minutes. 7 Sprinkle tortilla chips and cheese on top. 8 Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

About


This was surprisingly wonderful!!! Everyone loved it! I had some leftovers the next day and I added some fresh crushed chips, sour cream and topped it off with some salsa! I could eat this again and again!