Cheesy Slow Cooker Lentils

This blog post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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.

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 46 votes
Print Pin Comment
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 3 people
Calories: 553kcal
Author: Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 300 g (~ 1 1/4 cups) dried green lentils
  • 6 medium mushrooms, diced
  • 2 bell peppers, diced (I used yellow and red)
  • 400 g tin (~ 1 1/3 cups) chopped tomatoes
  • 350 ml (~ 1 1/3 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 1/2 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

Nutrition Facts
Cheesy Slow Cooker Lentils
Amount Per Serving (1 portion)
Calories 553 Calories from Fat 114
% Daily Value*
Fat 12.7g20%
Saturated Fat 7.2g36%
Cholesterol 35mg12%
Sodium 274mg11%
Potassium 1568mg45%
Carbohydrates 74.7g25%
Fiber 33.5g134%
Sugar 10.3g11%
Protein 37.6g75%
Calcium 316mg32%
Iron 10mg56%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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? Give it a star rating!Star ratings really help support the site – thank you!

Love lentils? Try my lentil and halloumi curry!

Save This Recipe (New)

💾 Save this recipe! Enter your email and I'll send the recipe straight to your inbox, so you'll never lose it again. Plus, you'll receive 1-2 emails per week with new recipes, and a FREE e-cookbook!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




38 Comments

  1. Made these last night doubling the recipe except for the peppers. I added 1 can of petite diced tomatoes and 1 can of petite diced with chiles. I had some shredded carrots left over from a previous recipe so I added those as well. After a taste test near the end, I decided to add 1 tsp cumin and 1 tsp chili powder about 15 minutes before I added the cheese. Delish. Added a nice subtle mexi flare without over powering. Used flour tortillas for scooping. Yum5 stars

    1. 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.

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

  3. 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.

  4. 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

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

  6. 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?