Cheesy Lentil Bolognese Bake

Posted on by llbalanced
Cheesy Lentil Bolognese Bake
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    [post_date] => 2017-07-10 07:42:40
    [post_date_gmt] => 2017-07-10 13:42:40
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    [post_title] => Cheesy Lentil Bolognese Bake
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    [post_modified] => 2018-02-03 18:35:48
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07.10

Y'all, whatever higher power you believe in (if any), THAT is where today's recipe comes from.

Seriously. I am not being irreverent or sarcastic. This past Sunday, while my husband and I were enjoying a much needed day at my family's farm, I was hit with an image of this recipe. It came to me as I hiked through the sun-dappled woods: a vision this bake, cheese bubbling and steam rising. This dish was exactly what we needed in the coming week.

Y'all know I am promote and use high-quality, humanely sourced proteins. However; I also believe that most of us should be working towards incorporating more plant-based meals (SOURCE for this opinion).

And it is just so darn easy to do, with recipes like this!!!

This baked lentil bolognese is hearty, creamy and nurturing to mind, body and soul.

All kinds of satisfying with protein and fiber from the Banza noodles, Kite Hill cream cheese, lentils and veggies, you won't miss meat!

This recipe does require a few steps, but none are difficult, and it makes a TON of food. So your hard work will be rewarded many times over! Plus, this recipe freezes beautifully.

I would not recommend trying to omit the cheddar cheese. If you have a brand of dairy-free or vegan cheese that melts well that you love, you can use that (I don't know of any). But if you don't have a cheese sub, I'd suggest just making the lentil bolognese and treating it like a pasta sauce.

For a little green, you could stir in a cup or two of frozen spinach or peas or broccoli into the bolognese!

Please let me know if you give this a try, and TAG ME on Instagram (@lauraleabalanced) so I can see your creations!!! xoxo

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TOTAL TIME :
12servings
INGREDIENTS
  • 7 ounces noodles of choice (I use fusili, brand linked below)
  • 2 cups sweet potato, peeled & diced into 1/4" pieces (approx 1/2 lg sweet potato)
  • 1 1/2 cups carrots, peeled & diced into 1/4" pieces (approx 2 medium carrots)
  • 1 cup yellow onion, diced into 1/2" pieces (approx 1/2 lg onion)
  • 4 clovesg garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium Tamari (sub low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos)
  • 1 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 3/4 cup plain Kite Hill Cream Cheese (sub regular cream cheese)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil (sub melted coconut oil, brands linked below)
  • 1 15 ounce can diced organic tomatoes
  • 2 cans brown lentils. Rinse and drain one can & just drain the other
  • 3 packed cups grated grassfed cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS
  1. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions, then rinse and cool (al dente is a few minutes less than recommended. Should still be a little chewy). Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grab a 9.5x13.5x2 casserole dish.
  2. Chop sweet potato and carrot and place in a sauce pot. Add water to cover then bring to a boil. Once boiling, boil for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. Dice onion and mince garlic. Set aside. In small bowl, whisk together paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, black pepper and coconut sugar. Set aside. In a high powered blender, puree tamari, tomato pasta, cream cheese and water. Set aside.
  3. Heat a large wide pot to medium heat and add oil. When oil moves quickly around the pan, add sweet potatoes, carrots and diced onion. Cook, stirring every minute or so, until onions are softened and translucent. You can add splashes of water to the pan as necessary to prevent browning/sticking. The takes about 6-8 minutes.
  4. Add minced garlic and spice/coconut sugar mixture and stir to incorporate evenly. Cook another 2-3 minutes, again adding splashes of water as necessary, until garlic is softened and fragrant. Add tomato paste/cream cheese mixture, can of diced tomatoes and both cans of lentils. Stir to incorporate evenly, then allow to cook another 5 minutes. Mixture should be thick and bubbling around the edges. Remove from heat and allow to cool while you grate cheese.
  5. Assemble Casserole: Add 1/2 of your lentil mixture to the bottom and spread in an even layer. Top with 1/2 of your al dente noodles, then 1/2 of your grated cheese. Repeat with remaining goodness. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbling around the edges. Note that some of the noodles will get crunchy, which is my favorite part! Optional: Before removing from the oven, broil until some of the cheese turns golden brown on top.
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