Guest Post: Lentil Loaf

Though today's guest poster, Colleen, and I grew up in the same town, I don't think we met until sometime after highschool. I'm not sure I can pinpoint the exact moment, but I keep returning to the grainy memory of a sing-along in a mutual friend's basement. Whether we met then, or in another moment, I've always been glad to catch up with Colleen when we've both been home for the Holidays. And now that I know she's a talented cook, I'm glad we can catch up via this guest post!

I've been seeing a lot of recipes for meat-substitutes made with lentils lately: meatballs, burgers, and now, this loaf recipe. I think I'll take some inspiration from Colleen and experiment more with those lovely legumes.


This warm, protein filled lentil loaf is a great addition to anyone’s winter weekend meal regimen. Once you taste this Italian-style casserole, it will become evident that the multiple, time consuming steps are worth every minute.

I made a few adjustments to this recipe, mainly because of what I did and did not have on hand, both recipes are equally yummy. I imagine a southwestern twist on this recipe would also be great. Just by exchanging the herbs, sauce and cheese, you are able to transform this meal into a different dish all together.

I initially tested this recipe out on my fiancé, who is an omnivore and somewhat of a picky vegetarian-food eater. His double thumbs up were followed by a very quick and quiet dinner. This dish is a must when winter is dragging out too long and you need some comforting food to warm you up.

Lentil Loaf
Adapted from Everyday Italian

1 cup green lentils
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 cup medium brown rice
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, shredded
4 cups fresh spinach (or 10oz of frozen)
1 cup corn, frozen or fresh
½ cup of fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup marinara sauce, preferably homemade
1 tablespoon of Kosher salt
½ tablespoon of black pepper
1 ½ cup of diced whole milk mozzarella, divided
½ cup of shredded parmesan cheese, divided
1 tomato, sliced

Spread 1 tablespoon of the oil over a 10 by 4½ by 3-inch loaf pan.

Place lentils in a pot with cold water and bring to a boil. Drain, rinse and set aside.

Bring 3 cups of water and bouillon cube to a boil and add rice. Cook rice 10 minutes and add lentils. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer mixture for 30 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large skillet add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add onion and cook about 5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and garlic cook one minute. Add carrots and cook a few more minutes before adding the spinach. Cover until spinach wilts slightly, about 5 minutes.

When the rice and lentils are cooked trough, add corn, basil, oregano, eggs, marinara sauce, and salt and pepper to the mixture, mix together. Then add one cup of mozzarella, ¼ cup of parmesan and the spinach mixture, mix until incorporated.

Pour mixture in to the prepared pan and top with sliced tomatoes, pieces of fresh basil and the rest of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Cook for 45 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before cutting and serving.