Creamy Lentil Rice Casserole

With Jamie gone and it being just Nya and me for dinner, I've been a little unmotivated in the kitchen. I haven't been doing anything elaborate, instead, throwing things together at the last minute. But with friends with toddlers coming into town, I needed get back to "real" cooking, and prepare dishes that are not only packed with nutrients, but yummy for all ages!

I adapted this recipe from April over at Kid Tested Firefighter Approved. It was one of the first dishes I made when eliminating dairy from my diet, and one of Jamie's first favorites in the plant based world. This is usually my go to dish when I have to bring something to parties because everyone always loves it, and I can be getting ready while it bakes (a HUGE plus to slaving away in the kitchen all day!).

It does take a long time to bake, but is easy to prepare and full of creamy goodness. And the best part, it's made from whole foods, so it's a great first dish for toddlers!

What you need:

6 cups water or veggie broth

1 cup brown or green lentils

1 cup brown rice (quinoa and millet work here too!)

1 large onion, chopped

8 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed

4 cups loosely packed spinach, chopped

2 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Cheeze Sauce 

3/4 cup raw cashews

1 1/3 cup water

4 tsp mellow white miso (any will work, I always happen to have the white on hand)

Juice from 1 lemon

4 Tbsp nutritional yeast

4 tsp tapioca starch (cornstarch or arrowroot powder work also!)

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

dash of cayenne pepper


What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine all ingredients except for Cheeze Sauce in a 13 x 9 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour 45 minutes.

3. In a high speed blender or food processor, combine all ingredients for the Cheeze Sauce, and process until smooth and creamy.

4. After the 1 hour and 45 minutes, remove foil, add cheeze sauce, and stir until combined.

5. Keep uncovered and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

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