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!

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 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
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!

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. Yum
Thanks Kelly, sounds wonderful!
Would this be freezer friendly?
Absolutely!
Can you use other lentils?
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.
I want to try this but is the timing for high or low setting please
Hi Lynda, it says in the recipe – “Cook on high for 3 ½ hours” :)
This was really good!! I used sweet potato, onion carrots and some beef broth. It was really good. Forgot the cheese.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
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.
Sounds good! Hope you enjoyed it :)
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!
Thanks Tiffani, so glad your whole family enjoyed it! :)
hi there, what did you use to calculate the nutritional information? I am adding mine and am coming up nowhere near what you have.
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.
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?
No I think it would reheat just fine in the microwave :) Glad you like it!
I absolutely love this veggie dish! It’s so tasty! It’s easy to make too!
Thanks Kathy!