Lentil Loaf

AuthorMike
RatingDifficultyIntermediate
TweetShare
Yields1 Serving
Prep Time30 minsCook Time1 hr 30 minsTotal Time2 hrs
 1 cup Dry Brown Lentils (or 2.5 cups precooked Lentils)
 1 Small to Medium Yellow or Sweet Onion, Finely Diced
 4 Stalks Celery, finely diced
 3 Yukon Potatoes
 1 tsp Garlic Powder
 0.50 tsp Salt
 1 tsp Black Pepper
 0.25 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
 2.50 cups Vegetable Stock (just two cups if using precooked lentils)
 1 tbsp Soy Sauce or Tamari
 2 tsp Poultry Seasoning
 1 tsp Hot Sauce (Cholula or your favorite)
 0.75 cup Bread Crumbs or Crushed Crackers
 0.50 cup Shredded Cheddar (Sharp or Medium)
 5 Eggs, Beaten
Tomato Sauce
 1 cup Ketchup (Blend in a little BBQ sauce/Gochujang/Other Favorite if you wish)
 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
 1 tbsp Yellow or Dijon Mustard
 0.50 tsp Hot Sauce (If not already blended in above)
Making the Lentil Loaf
1

If using dried lentils, soak them in hot water, while you dice and prepare all vegetables.

2

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3

Add a little vegetable/canola oil to large dutch oven. Add chopped onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Stir in garlic powder and pepper flakes after a few minutes. Cook until veggies start to soften.

4

If soaking the lentils in hot water, drain them. Add lentils to the veggies, along with vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat, cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed. It will take about 1 hour for dried lentils, and about 30 minutes for precooked. Rest and cool for 30 minutes. (You don't have to let it rest that long, but it will make putting in the eggs a little less tricky.)

While you are waiting, prepare the loaf pan. Put some parchment paper into the loaf pan, pushing it down, then cutting off the excess so there's about one inch rising above the edge of the pan.

5

Mix in soy sauce or tamari, poultry seasoning, hot sauce, and crackers. Then stir in eggs and cheddar. (if the mix is still hot, making sure you are stirring quickly when adding the eggs. Mixing in a little of the lentil mixture into the eggs first can make that easier.) The consistency should be like oatmeal or grits or macaroni and cheese before baking. Thick, and glopping, not pouring off the spoon as you spoon it into the prepared pan.

6

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan.

7

Bake for about 90 minutes. I know. It's a long time. The internal temp should be around 190, and it should be firm to the touch.

While you are cooking it, make the tomato sauce by mixing all of the ingredients together and heating to combine them.

In the last 15 minutes of baking the loaf, spread 1/4 to 1/2 of the tomato mixture on top.

Cool slightly, slice, and serve drizzling more tomato sauce on top. At the Sweet Melissa Café in Laramie, Wyoming, they make this ahead of time, and heat it up by letting it sizzle on the flattop grill. It's a Guy Fieri DDD-approved dish and recipe. Check it out!

Ingredients

 1 cup Dry Brown Lentils (or 2.5 cups precooked Lentils)
 1 Small to Medium Yellow or Sweet Onion, Finely Diced
 4 Stalks Celery, finely diced
 3 Yukon Potatoes
 1 tsp Garlic Powder
 0.50 tsp Salt
 1 tsp Black Pepper
 0.25 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
 2.50 cups Vegetable Stock (just two cups if using precooked lentils)
 1 tbsp Soy Sauce or Tamari
 2 tsp Poultry Seasoning
 1 tsp Hot Sauce (Cholula or your favorite)
 0.75 cup Bread Crumbs or Crushed Crackers
 0.50 cup Shredded Cheddar (Sharp or Medium)
 5 Eggs, Beaten
Tomato Sauce
 1 cup Ketchup (Blend in a little BBQ sauce/Gochujang/Other Favorite if you wish)
 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
 1 tbsp Yellow or Dijon Mustard
 0.50 tsp Hot Sauce (If not already blended in above)

Directions

Making the Lentil Loaf
1

If using dried lentils, soak them in hot water, while you dice and prepare all vegetables.

2

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3

Add a little vegetable/canola oil to large dutch oven. Add chopped onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Stir in garlic powder and pepper flakes after a few minutes. Cook until veggies start to soften.

4

If soaking the lentils in hot water, drain them. Add lentils to the veggies, along with vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat, cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed. It will take about 1 hour for dried lentils, and about 30 minutes for precooked. Rest and cool for 30 minutes. (You don't have to let it rest that long, but it will make putting in the eggs a little less tricky.)

While you are waiting, prepare the loaf pan. Put some parchment paper into the loaf pan, pushing it down, then cutting off the excess so there's about one inch rising above the edge of the pan.

5

Mix in soy sauce or tamari, poultry seasoning, hot sauce, and crackers. Then stir in eggs and cheddar. (if the mix is still hot, making sure you are stirring quickly when adding the eggs. Mixing in a little of the lentil mixture into the eggs first can make that easier.) The consistency should be like oatmeal or grits or macaroni and cheese before baking. Thick, and glopping, not pouring off the spoon as you spoon it into the prepared pan.

6

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan.

7

Bake for about 90 minutes. I know. It's a long time. The internal temp should be around 190, and it should be firm to the touch.

While you are cooking it, make the tomato sauce by mixing all of the ingredients together and heating to combine them.

In the last 15 minutes of baking the loaf, spread 1/4 to 1/2 of the tomato mixture on top.

Cool slightly, slice, and serve drizzling more tomato sauce on top. At the Sweet Melissa Café in Laramie, Wyoming, they make this ahead of time, and heat it up by letting it sizzle on the flattop grill. It's a Guy Fieri DDD-approved dish and recipe. Check it out!

Lentil Loaf
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