Baked Lentils with Cheese

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 2/3 cups dry lentils
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 0.25 teaspoon pepper
• 0.25 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 0.25 teaspoon dried sage
• 0.25 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 large bay leaf
• 2 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1.5 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Mix water, lentils, stewed tomatoes, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, marjoram, sage, thyme, and bay leaf together in a 3-quart casserole dish.
3. Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
4. Stir in carrots and celery; cover and continue to bake until lentils and vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes.
5. Stir in bell pepper, then sprinkle Cheddar over top. Bake, uncovered, until cheese has melted, about 5 more minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.