Easy Lentils and Rice

We love lentils and rice... and I love to save money on our food as much as I can. We make this in an oven baking dish (or two) or in the crockpot.  It is filling, has protein, is liked by all in the family and it is a satisfying dish.

 I like to put this in the crockpot before church on Sundays with no potluck. (We have a potluck twice a month).  It is easy and fast to put all of the ingredients in, turn the crockpot on high.. and when we get home, lunch is hot and ready.

I use dry lentils (about 1 pound) and dry rice (about a pound also). I also add water so the crockpot is about half full or so. Then I add some chicken bullion powder, dried onions, Italian seasoning, olive oil and tomatoes - diced, or diced with chiles (mmm), or salsa.  

 My guys love this stuff, BUT they have to have tortillas to turn it into burritos. :)  I prefer it on a plate with no tortilla, but they love the burritos.

We usually add some cheese, salsa and sour cream, but we have also eaten them plain and they still tasted good... and were even cheaper to make. 

I like to eat mine without the tortilla...

 These can be made with a small amount of filling... or they can be stuffed.  My guys like them both ways... and they eat a lot. They eat more than one burrito. This can be served with salad, but this time, it was already 2:30 pm (it is hard to leave our brothers and sisters at church and we stay a while to chat!) and the kids wanted to eat right away, so no salad.

The flavor is good... and this is a meal that sticks with them for a while, without spending the money on meat to go in it. 

We did have kombucha also.

When there are leftovers (IF there are any leftovers!), they make a great snack for the guys, or can be added to soup the next day. 











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                                                 Lentils and Rice

          1 pound of dry lentils
          1 pound of dry rice
          9-12 cups of water or so (about half of the crockpot, for me)
          1 Tablespoon chicken bullion (sometimes I leave this out)
          1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (or whatever seasoning you choose)
          1 Tablespoon dried onions
          2-4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
          1 can tomatoes.... diced, diced with chiles, salsa, etc. (sometimes I put 2 cans)
Put all in the crockpot and cook.
         .......................
When cooked, these ingredients can also be used to form burritos or to garnish the food on a plate.
           Tortillas
           Shredded cheese (we like sharp cheddar on this)
           Sour cream
           Salsa

 Can be cooked in the crockpot on high for about half of the day... or low for all day. Can also be put into casserole dish (maybe an 11" x 15"... or I will add more and put 2 casserole dishes - 9" x 11" in the oven).  When done, make burritos by spooning the lentils and rice on a tortilla, add  cheese, salsa and sour cream, if desired, and roll into a burrito.  Can also be eaten on a plate with the cheese, salsa and sour cream. (at least that's how we like it! :)  Tortilla chips taste great with this. 

   This recipe can very easily be adjusted to your family's tastes... if you like it spicy, add more salsa or hot sauce.... change the flavor with different herbs or spices....  budget super tight? can't afford sour cream?  leave it out... it is still good.  No cheese? that's okay too.
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I figure that this recipe cost me about $7.00 to make and I served 8 people (5 of them were men or boys who eat a lot).... it would be more if you also serve tortilla chips with it. I shop sales to get a good price on the foods. I also shop at Aldis for many things.  Obviously, I can't spend this much on every meal or I would go way over budget, but this is a good hearty meal that we make once or twice a month.

Thank you for visiting my blog today. :)

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