Who knew you guys loved lentils so much?! Since I posted it back in October, my very veggie lentil bake has been super popular, with over 33,000 views so far. That number of views isn't unheard of around these parts, but it usually takes a while to build up - in just a few months, I think that's pretty good! Since you're obviously big fans of really easy, relatively healthy lentil-based dinners, I thought I'd offer up another option - this cheesy lentil slice!
Just like my very veggie lentil bake, this cheesy lentil slice is super high in protein and fibre, but it's still absolutely delish. The main difference between the two is that this slice can be... well, sliced. This means that as well as making a great dinner alongside some homemade chips and salad (or whatever else tickles your fancy), it can also be packed into lunch boxes or picnic baskets to be served cold. Gotta love a versatile recipe!
I cooked up this recipe using a selection of knives from TT Trading. You may think you've never heard of these guys, but have you ever seen the 'World's Sharpest Knife' being demonstrated in the supermarket? That's who I mean!
I'm always drawn in by a good supermarket demonstration (what can I say? I love kitchen gadgets. I once watched someone spiralise different vegetables for what felt like at least an hour) - and although these knives may look simple, they're super impressive in person. It's hard to watch someone sawing through a hammer with an ordinary kitchen knife, and not be impressed.
The little paring knife is great for chopping your way through all the veggies you'll need for this cheesy lentil slice, and the long carving knife meant I ended up with perfectly round slices of tomato (which may seem like an odd thing to say, but have you ever tried to slice a tomato with a blunt knife? It just ends up all squished!). There are also steak knives and a flexible fileting knife to complete the set.
The best thing about these knives is that they all come with a lifetime guarantee, meaning that you buy them once, and can have them replaced for free if you ever need to - forever.
Luckily, despite their super sharp blades, the World's Sharpest Knife set doesn't come with a premium price tag - less than £45 for the complete set (10 knives in total, plus two juicers!).
Once you've chopped all your veggies, it's just a case of mixing them with some cooked red lentils, oats, and a good handful of grated cheddar cheese. Top with those (perfectly round...) slices of tomato, and bake the whole lot until it's nice and firm. Then just slice it up!
You could try using different veggies, different cheese etc. if you feel like it. Just remember that since you want this cheesy lentil slice to set nice and firm, you'll need to thoroughly cook any particularly wet vegetables beforehand, and cut them nice and small. Other than that, the world is your... cheesy lentil slice.
📖 Printable Recipe
Cheesy lentil slice
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Print Pin CommentIngredients
- 380 g red lentils (~ 2 cups)
- 1 litre vegetable stock (~ 4 cups)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 small leek, halved lengthwise then thinly sliced
- 1 small carrot, diced fairly small
- 130 g green beans, cut into 1cm slices (~ 1 cup when sliced)
- 150 g rolled oats (~ 1 ½ cups)
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Black pepper
- 150 g cheddar cheese, grated (~ 1 ½ cups when grated)
- 1 large tomato, sliced
Instructions
- Add the red lentils and vegetable stock to a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Cook over a medium heat until the red lentils are tender and any excess liquid has cooked off - around 15 minutes. You'll need to stir regularly, especially in the last few minutes, to ensure the lentils don't stick to the pan.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan, and add the chopped leek, carrot and green beans. Cook for a few minutes over a medium heat, until the leek is soft. Set aside to cool.
- When the lentils are cooked, transfer them to a large mixing bowl, and add the cooked vegetables, rolled oats, smoked paprika, and a generous pinch of black pepper. Allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes, then add about ⅔ of the grated cheese (hold some back for topping). Mix thoroughly.
- Spread the lentil mixture out into a greased baking tin (mine measured 9 inches square), and smooth out the top. Add the remaining grated cheese and a few slices of tomato. Bake at 180°C (Gas Mark 4 / 350°F) for around 45 minutes, or until the lentil slice is firm and the cheese on top is golden (cover with foil if you feel the cheese is browning too quickly). Either serve immediately, or allow to cool and cut into slices.
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for ⅙ of the recipe.
Kate Curran says
Absolutely delicious! I substituted diced courgette for the green beans as I had no beans.
Becca Heyes says
Thanks Kate, glad you enjoyed it!
Natalie says
Made this tonight and it was delicious. How long will the leftovers keep in the fridge for?
Becca Heyes says
Great to hear! Up to 3 days should be fine :)
Abigail says
Great recipe I added mixed seeds sunflower, pumpkin sesame to give it more crunch
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says
Sounds great, glad you enjoyed it!
Del says
Am diabetic, and fell in love with your lentil slice...feel vegetarian is the way to go for me for a healthy future! thankyou
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says
Thanks Del, so glad you liked it! Hopefully you'll find lots more recipes around here to inspire you :)
Katydid says
How can I make the cheesy lentil bake with canned lentils?
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says
To be honest I'm not sure you could replace the red lentils with canned lentils without needing to tweak the recipe a bit, and I wouldn't like to advise when I don't have the ingredients in front of me. I do have a few other recipes using tinned lentils though if you're interested :) https://www.easycheesyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-lentil-recipes/#tinnedlentils
Gael says
This looks delicious. Is it ok to use green lentils ?
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says
Green lentils don't cook down as much as red, so I can't guarantee the slice would hold together in the same way. I'm sure it would taste fine though! :)
Sophie says
Made this for the family for dinner tonight - what a huge hit! The 8 yr old (the only veggie in the house) and the 2 yr old both devoured it and husband wants left overs for work lunch tomorrow! Really delicious and economical to boot. Highly recommended.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Awesome! Thank you Sophie :)
Hazel says
Made this a few days ago and it was fantastic! My other half said by far the nicest dish Ive ever made (and i cook a lot, & im not bad) - hes not even a veggie! Loved this recipe and the others ive tried from you.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Amazing! That's so so lovely to hear, thank you so much :) I hope you find some other recipes here that you enjoy as much!
Ana Kedves says
Sorry, I struggle with different names for oats types - would it work with oats like this: https://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=254853776
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Yes those should work fine!
Annabel says
I have those knives! As do my mother and my sister - Tesco's did a promotion on them several years ago now, and we all bought each other a set (like you do!). Excellent, especially for slicing tomatoes.....
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Haha it's definitely the kind of thing to buy several sets of at a time, and give them to everyone you know ;)