Cheese and Onion Lentil Rolls
Cheese and onion lentil rolls, made almost entirely from frozen and store-cupboard ingredients! So convenient, perfect for picnics, and so delicious!
This is the kind of recipe that makes me so, so desperate for someone to invent a healthier version of pastry. I could happily eat a million of these cheese and onion lentil rolls. I didn’t though, of course – I managed to stop myself after about thirty five.
(That’s a joke by the way, before anyone tells me that eating 35 of these wouldn’t be sensible. I know that.)
(Would be really tasty though.)
Cheese and onion rolls
I’m sure you’ve all tried cheese and onion rolls in the past, but they’re usually made with potato for bulk. This version uses lentils instead (hence the name!). Much as I adore potatoes, I wanted to try something a bit different that still kept the focus on the cheesy, oniony filling. But don’t panic if you’re not a huge lentil fan – my husband claims to hate lentils, and still polished off a whole load of these. So no fear! They’re not super lentil-y. The cheese and onion flavour totally shines through.
These cute little lentil rolls are absolutely perfect for picnics (if the sun decides it’s going to grace us with its presence again this year…). And the best thing about them is that they’re made so much more convenient using frozen ingredients!
Simple frozen ingredients
Yep – those flaky rolls are made entirely from frozen and store-cupboard ingredients. Well, plus a bit of cheese – but what self-respecting British household doesn’t have a block of cheddar in the fridge at all times anyway?
Since picnic weather is so unpredictable in the UK, it’s always a good idea to have an easy picnic recipe ready to go when the sun decides to shine without warning. Just have a block of puff pastry ready in the freezer, and whenever you’re woken up by the sun streaming through the window, you’ll know it’s time to get your picnic on.
I also used frozen parsley, and frozen onions, a.k.a my new favourite – I’ve always hated chopping onions. With frozen ones you don’t cry, you don’t have to faff about peeling off layers of papery skin, and you don’t even have to dirty a chopping board. Perfect for lazy cooks like me!
Cheese and Onion Lentil Rolls
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Print Pin Comment(if you suffer from allergies, please double check all ingredients before eating)
Ingredients
- 500 g puff pastry (~ 17.5 oz)
- 215 g (~ 1 cup) dried red lentils, or 560g (~ 2 1/4 cups) cooked red lentils
- 1/2 vegetable stock cube
- 1/2 tbsp oil
- 250 g frozen diced onions (~ 2 cups)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Flour for rolling
- 150 g cheddar cheese, grated (~ 1 1/2 cups grated)
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley (I used frozen)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 1 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Allow the frozen pastry to thoroughly defrost – either overnight in the fridge, or a few hours at room temperature.
- Boil the lentils in plenty of water, with half a vegetable stock cube crumbled in. When they’re completely soft (after around 20 minutes), drain them, and set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan, and add the diced onions and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or so over a medium heat, until soft. Set aside to cool.
- When the pastry is defrosted, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it’s around 3mm thick. I ended up with a rectangle measuring around 18 x 14 inches, but it’s okay if your rectangle is a slightly different shape. Cut the pastry into strips measuring around 4.5 inches wide (I ended up with 4 strips, each measuring around 14 x 4.5″).
- When the lentils and onions have cooled, add them to a mixing bowl, along with the grated cheddar cheese, chopped parsley, and plenty of salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Heat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
- Spoon the filling along the lengths of each of your pastry strips. Using a clean finger or pastry brush, dampen one long edge of each strip with milk, and bring the edges together over the filling. Squeeze the edges together to seal.
- Cut each strip into 2 inch pieces, and place seam-side down on a lined, lightly greased baking sheet. Brush again lightly with milk.
- Bake for around 30 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
Oh wow these sound delicious – I have to admit I haven’t ever tried anything like this but the idea sounds delicious. x
Yes! You’re a star. :D
I’ve chosen three of these to start on and will test them. I reckon I can take the result to work and make them my little guinea pigs. Looks like they can all either be served cold or reheated gently which is an unforseen bonus. I’ve recently got a book out of the library which is about how to vegan-ise recipes, and while I think it’s rather a few steps too far for me (and full of American products that I’ve never heard of), I think it might be able to actually help me de-egg the mini cheesy lentil loaves. It’s worth trying anyway.
Let me know how you get on!
These look brilliant Becca… a wonderful alternative to the good old sausage roll! We’re off camping for the weekend soon so I reckon I might have to make a batch of these to tide us over…
These are definitely the kind of thing to munch on around a camp fire! Have a great trip :)
I’ve actually never tried making my own cheese and onion rolls but these look so good! x
Nice variation using the lentils instead of potato for bulk, so much healthier. Aren’t lentils versatile and used in so many cultures around the world?
OH MY GAWSH!!! YUM!!! I adore lentils but never have I enjoyed them in rolls like this before – such a brilliant idea! And yeah – now if only someone would invent calorie-free pastry! :)
I don’t think I have seen frozen parsley before. I am all for no-calorie pastry dough too. I wish, I wish, I wish.
You can get several different herbs frozen, at least in the UK. It’s quite finely chopped so you just crumble off as much as you like and throw it straight in :)
Wow what a great alternative to a sausage roll. These look delicious. Perfect little party app.
These look absolutely delicious, I didn’t even know you could buy diced onions frozen, I will be looking out for those :)
These look absolutely delicious, I never even know you could buy diced onions frozen, I will be looking out for those :)
They’re a total life saver for a lazy cook! ;)