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Lentil Rice Casserole, a Frugal Recipe
Your Children Will Love
This lentil rice casserole is a great alternative to beef rice casserole, with brown rice instead of white and lentils in place of the ground beef. For most recipes, substitute one cup of dry lentils and two cups of water for every pound of ground beef.
For a "beefy" taste, add one and a half teaspoons of beef bouillon or a beef bouillon cube. When cooking lentils, it's one part lentils and two parts water. For brown rice you might want to add a bit more water than that.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice plus 3 1/2 cups of water
- 1 teas. salt
- 1/4 teas. garlic powder
- 1/2 cup dry lentils, plus 1 cup of water
- 1 teas. beef bouillon or one cube
- 2 tables. butter or margarine
- 2 tables. flour
- 1/3 cup of milk
- enough water to make a soup base
- dried mushrooms (optional)
- salt to taste
- 2 slices of whole grain bread
- 1 cup of cheese
Prepare the Brown Rice and Lentils
In a two quart saucepan, combine the brown rice, 3 1/2 cups of water, salt and garlic powder. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
When the rice is half-way cooked, it's time to start the lentils. In a one quart saucepan, combine the lentils, 1 cup of water and beef bouillon.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover the lentils and simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. When the lentils have been cooking for about fifteen minutes, it's time to make the white sauce. Also, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Make the White Sauce
You'll want a 4 1/2 quart pan or larger stockpot. You'll be using this pot to mix all the ingredients together.
Melt the margarine or butter on medium heat and then stir in the flour. Once the flour is all absorbed, stir in the milk. The flour mixture should start thickening pretty quickly.
Gradually add 1-2 cups of water until the sauce is the consistency of soup. Add salt to taste. If you have dried mushrooms on hand, crumble them and add them to your soup.
Mix 'Em All Together
Add the rice and lentils and stir until well mixed. Put the mixture in a well-greased casserole dish. Take two slices of whole grain bread and put them in a food processor until they become bread crumbs. Top the casserole with the bread crumbs. Top it all with grated cheese.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until bubbly. This recipe serves six.
Frugal Cooking Links:
These Homemade Cheese Crackers are a healthy indulgence
Enjoy cooking your own healthy soy dogs!
Make fresh bread from whole grains with your grain mill.
Use roses from your homestead garden to make a delicious rose petal jam.
Try this delicious spaghetti pie recipe!
How to turn a pumpkin into pie.
A cheesy vegetable quiche your family will love.
TVP - What it is and why it should be on the shelf of every frugal homesteader.
This beefy bulgur vegetable soup recipe combines wheat berries and beef-flavored TVP.
Tips on baking with honey
Try this honey crockpot cake recipe!
Frugal Enchiladas - a family favorite.
How to make your own sweetened condensed milk.
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