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!
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?!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Slow Cooker Lentils
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Print Pin CommentIngredients
- 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
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
Love lentils? Try my lentil and halloumi curry!
Dani says
Made this and loved it and then added some Mexican style spices to it and served with rice, avocado slices and sour cream… Delish!
Becca Heyes says
Ahhh sounds incredible!
Sheila Owens says
I made this for the first time last night and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Becca Heyes says
Thanks Sheila, glad you enjoyed it!
Alice says
Amazing is all I can say!! Made this yesterday and I have to say they did not disappoint. I made a lot so there was some leftover which I added to chili today.
Claire Woodward says
Just eaten the a red lentil version of this recipe!!! Wow! So yummy, my slow cooker soaked up all the water at the start and i thought i had done something wrong and it wasn’t going to come out right. But it ended up being lovely! Thank you
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says
Glad it worked out for you in the end Claire, thanks!
Claire Woodward says
Just put this all in the slow cooker but with red lentils. No juice or water left from the stock and chopped tomatoes and only 40minutes into cooking. Its going to probably end up dry and not working doesn’t look anything like the picture 😳
John says
I was sent this recipe and wanted to try it today, but only have red lentils. Ever tried it with red?
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says
I haven't tried it with red lentils, I'm sure it would work, but the texture would end up being a bit different. They cook quite a bit quicker than green lentils, so you might find that the veg haven't quite cooked down as much by the time the lentils are ready. I bet it would still be tasty though!
Rachel says
This was delicious served over some Spanish rice! I made it with bell peppers and red onion, and cooked it in the Instant Pot instead of slow cooking. Super fast and easy. :)
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says
Sounds delicious, thanks Rachel!
Stephanie says
Made this with carrots, peppers and red onion. In my overheating slow cooker it was ready in 2 hours. I added paprika, because anything cheesy is improved with paprika. Very tasty, but I wanted to be more aware of the cheese as a separate flavour. Next time I might try adding it as small cubes.
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says
I agree about the paprika, especially smoked paprika! Yes the cheese makes everything creamy and tasty but isn't really a separate flavour on its own. You could try smoked cheese perhaps!
thapelo Kooreng says
My favourite I like lentiles.
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says
Thanks Thapelo! Lentils are fab aren't they!
Marietta says
I’m looking forward to trying this!
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says
Thanks Marietta, let me know how you like it :)