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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian Casseroles and Stews

    Jan 3, 2021 · Modified: Apr 6, 2021 by Becca Heyes · This post may contain affiliate links · 36 Comments

    Cheesy Slow Cooker Lentils

    965 shares
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    Total time: 3 hours hours 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 3 people
    4.98 from 37 votes
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    These cheesy slow cooker lentils are almost zero effort to make, they're tasty served in a million different ways, and you can use whatever veg you have on hand!

    Cheesy lentils in a slow cooker.

    I love using my slow cooker as it requires minimum effort (like, practically zero), to produce healthy, hearty food that I'm genuinely excited about eating. These cheesy slow cooker lentils are the perfect example - chuck it all in the pot, and a few hours later you'll come back to an awesome meal. What could be better?!

    A portion of cheesy slow cooker lentils in a bowl with garlic bread.

    No effort slow cooker meal

    These slow cooker lentils really are about as close as you can get to a zero effort meal.

    Dump everything in the Crock-Pot.
    Wait a while.
    Stir in some cheese, if you like.
    Eat.

    I never do slow cooker meals that require any amount of pre-cooking, as it totally defeats the point for me. I want my dinner to cook itself while I work, exercise, or play with my kids (or, let's be honest, just sit and watch TV), I don't want to have to do loads of prep beforehand. So all my slow cooker recipes really are dump-and-go.

    Uncooked lentils and vegetables in a slow cooker.

    Slow cooker lentils

    All you need to make these cheesy slow cooker lentils is:

    • dried green lentils
    • various vegetables (I used mushrooms and peppers, but see below for more ideas!)
    • chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock, to make the lentils nice and saucy
    • grated cheese

    That's all there is to it. No weird ingredients, nothing you'll struggle to find - just simple ingredients that you can throw straight in the slow cooker.

    After a few hours, the lentils will be soft, the vegetables will have cooked down into the sauce, and the mixture will be rich and full of flavour.

    I like to stir a bit of grated cheese through the saucy lentils before serving. The heat from the lentils will melt the cheese completely, making the sauce nice and creamy, and adding lots of flavour. You can skip the cheese if you'd prefer, but you might want to add some extra herbs or spices to make sure it's still tasty.

    Cheesy lentils in a slow cooker pot.

    What vegetables can I use in my slow cooker lentils?

    As I said, I added mushrooms and peppers to my lentils. Just cut everything into bitesized pieces, and in it goes.

    This kind of meal is great for adapting, though, so feel free to mix things up. Just make sure you stick to vegetables that are tasty after being slow cooked for a long time. I would avoid green veggies like broccoli, for example, that turn to complete mush when you overcook them.

    Here are some other vegetables that would work well:

    • peas
    • sweetcorn
    • aubergine (eggplant)
    • fresh tomatoes
    • potato / sweet potato
    • onions
    • carrot
    • parsnip

    If you really want to use softer vegetables like broccoli or courgette (zucchini), just add them about an hour before you want to serve.

    Cheesy lentils and vegetables in a slow cooker pot.

    Can I use frozen vegetables?

    The only bit of prep needed for these slow cooker lentils is a tiny bit of chopping vegetables. If you can't even face doing that (no judgement whatsoever, I'm the same 5 days a week), you can totally use frozen sliced veggies instead.

    My go-to frozen veg are peas, sweetcorn, sliced mushrooms, diced onions, and sliced peppers. I use these all the time, as they're so so handy. Just add them to the slow cooker with the lentils and other ingredients, and you're good to go.

    Just be aware that if you're adding a whole load of frozen stuff to your slow cooker, it will take a little longer to come to temperature, and therefore might take a bit longer to cook. Make sure everything's thoroughly cooked and piping hot before you serve.

    A portion of cheesy lentils with garlic bread.

    How to serve cheesy slow cooker lentils

    This is my favourite type of recipe, because not only is it insanely easy to make and so flipping delicious, it's also really versatile, and can be served in all sorts of ways.

    Some ideas for you!

    • on its own, as a stew
    • spooned over rice or pasta
    • scooped up with tortilla chips
    • over a jacket potato
    • inside flour or corn tortillas, to make lentil tacos
    • as lentil soup (just add a bit more liquid when cooking!)

    I served my cheesy slow cooker lentils on their own in a bowl, with a couple of slices of garlic bread for dipping. Utterly perfect.

    Cheesy lentils and garlic bread being scooped with a fork.

    📖 Printable Recipe

    Cheesy Slow Cooker Lentils

    These cheesy slow cooker lentils are almost zero effort to make, they're tasty served in a million different ways, and you can use whatever veg you have on hand!

    If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!

    4.98 from 37 votes
    Print Pin Comment
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 3 hours hours 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 3 people
    Calories: 553kcal
    Author: Becca Heyes
    (prevents your screen from going dark)

    Ingredients

    • 300 g (~ 1 ¼ cups) dried green lentils
    • 6 medium mushrooms, diced
    • 2 bell peppers, diced (I used yellow and red)
    • 400 g tin (~ 1 ⅓ cups) chopped tomatoes
    • 350 ml (~ 1 ⅓ cups) vegetable stock
    • 100 g (~ 1 cup) grated cheddar cheese
    • Salt
    • Black pepper

    Instructions

    • Add the first 5 ingredients (lentils through veggie stock) to the slow cooker, and mix well to combine. Cook on high for 3 ½ hours, or until the lentils are soft.
    • Add the grated cheese, and mix well until it's completely melted (you can put the lid back on for a few minutes to help it melt, if needed). Season to taste, and serve warm. I garnished mine with a little semi-dried parsley and some finely grated cheese.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 portion - Calories: 553 kcal - Carbohydrates: 74.7 g - Protein: 37.6 g - Fat: 12.7 g - Saturated Fat: 7.2 g - Cholesterol: 35 mg - Sodium: 274 mg - Potassium: 1568 mg - Fiber: 33.5 g - Sugar: 10.3 g - Calcium: 316 mg - Iron: 10 mg

    Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @EasyCheesyVeg or tag #EasyCheesyVegetarian!

    Love lentils? Try my lentil and halloumi curry!

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    Comments

    1. Alex Walsgott says

      September 09, 2023 at 3:36 am

      Would this be freezer friendly?

      Reply
      • Becca Heyes says

        September 11, 2023 at 9:13 am

        Absolutely!

        Reply
    2. Marta Gaal says

      June 20, 2023 at 12:02 pm

      Can you use other lentils?5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca Heyes says

        June 23, 2023 at 9:06 am

        I haven't tested this recipe using other lentils, but brown lentils should be fine, as they usually function basically the same as green. Red lentils cook down in a different way so they will give a different texture.

        Reply
    3. Lynda says

      May 22, 2023 at 3:10 pm

      I want to try this but is the timing for high or low setting please

      Reply
      • Becca Heyes says

        May 23, 2023 at 10:11 am

        Hi Lynda, it says in the recipe - "Cook on high for 3 ½ hours" :)

        Reply
    4. ahmom says

      February 01, 2023 at 12:32 am

      This was really good!! I used sweet potato, onion carrots and some beef broth. It was really good. Forgot the cheese.5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca Heyes says

        February 27, 2023 at 12:17 pm

        Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    5. Carolee says

      January 23, 2023 at 7:44 pm

      I have my first attempt at this recipe heating in our crockpot right now. I've made stovetop lentil pilaf with similar ingredients on the past, and am excited to try this easier variation. I will do a taste test first, but I always added a generous splash of zesty balsamic vinegar to my pilaf and might try it with this recipe, as well.

      Reply
      • Becca Heyes says

        January 26, 2023 at 9:14 am

        Sounds good! Hope you enjoyed it :)

        Reply
    6. Tiffani says

      December 16, 2022 at 5:42 am

      I made this tonight, but we have a large family, so I tripled the recipe. I also added sausage and onions. It was a hit! Even with my kids who hate vegetables!5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca Heyes says

        January 10, 2023 at 10:20 am

        Thanks Tiffani, so glad your whole family enjoyed it! :)

        Reply
    7. janet says

      November 15, 2022 at 12:48 am

      hi there, what did you use to calculate the nutritional information? I am adding mine and am coming up nowhere near what you have.

      Reply
      • Becca Heyes says

        November 15, 2022 at 12:33 pm

        Hi Janet, I use this calculator: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076

        Obviously the values will vary slightly depending on what ingredients you choose, but they should be roughly in line with the ones I've included in the post. What values are you getting? Please note that the nutritional information in the post is for 1 portion only, so 1/3 of the recipe.

        Reply
    8. Andreas says

      September 19, 2022 at 6:33 am

      Made this a couple of times and I absolutely love it! One of those times I replaced the chopped tomatoes with passata and it was actually equally as good!

      My only question would be, how does this hold up as a meal prep to have at work the next day?
      Would it become too soggy or too dry when microwaved the next day?

      Reply
      • Becca Heyes says

        September 21, 2022 at 8:28 am

        No I think it would reheat just fine in the microwave :) Glad you like it!

        Reply
    9. Kathy says

      September 17, 2022 at 7:55 pm

      I absolutely love this veggie dish! It’s so tasty! It’s easy to make too!

      Reply
      • Becca Heyes says

        September 21, 2022 at 8:27 am

        Thanks Kathy!

        Reply
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    Hi, I'm Becca! I've been a vegetarian for over 25 years, and unlike most of my other childhood pursuits, I actually stuck with it! I love cooking vegetarian food that's full of flavour, but doesn't take a lot of effort to make.

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