To say we’ve gotten a little rain this week would be an understatement.
You could maybe say there was a “little” rain on Monday and Tuesday. Not so on Wednesday.
Proof? Ithaca public schools, Ithaca College and Cornell were all closed yesterday morning due to flooding.
The waterfalls are running so heavily that you can feel the misty spray nearly 1/3 a mile away. And the creek down the street is bursting with muddy water, almost unable to contain it all.
On Wednesday afternoon, with all the grey and the wet, I couldn’t help but dream of hot, hearty dishes to make the evening a bit more cozy.
I’ve had these individual gratin dishes for forever now, but have never used them for anything other than serving. I didn’t know what to do with them… the typical cheesy potato gratin just wasn’t calling to me!
Then we went to Just a Taste with Dan’s mom two weeks ago, where we ordered the best lentil and sausage dish. Last night, I recreated it… sans sausage.
Lentil Gratin
This dish is hearty without being heavy, making it the perfect dinner for when the evenings are just starting to cool as we head into fall. If you don’t have individual gratin dishes, you could bake this in a small baking pan and add 2-4 minutes to the cooking time.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves 2-3, depending on the size of your gratin dishes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 medium carrots, diced
1 cup dry lentils
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the onions, garlic and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, or until all the vegetables are softened and beginning to brown.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Stir in the lentils, allowing them to toast for a minute or two before adding the stock.
Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low and cook until most of the stock is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.
Divide the lentils among two to three individual gratin dishes. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan, then bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and beginning to bubble. Serve in the gratin dishes.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
HOw cool! I have never heard of a lentil gratin before, looks great
These look yummy. So simple. I will be making something similar very soon! Great idea!
Michelle Hunt recently posted..Pretty in Pink
Gratin anything is good! And I love lentils
Aine @ Something to Chew Over recently posted..Vanilla Sponge Cake with Raspberry Jam and Cream Filling
This looks so warm & comforting– a great fall dish! …Speaking of ‘dish’… I think I need to get my hands on some individual gratin dishes … Love!
Amy recently posted..Challenge II, D11: Wrangling {Goals}
This looks lovely
Hope you guys are staying dry, we had 1.5 feet of water in our basement from all this rain. Today is going to be spent drying everything out. I wish it could be spent making this lentil dish instead though 
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen recently posted..Aspaeris compression shorts giveaway!
Hope you got everything dried and cleaned up!
We were very lucky, and had no flooding. A few blocks down, they were not so lucky.
we had so much rain this past weekend/beginning of the week that our roof was leaking and part of our den ceiling fell in this morning. it’s been a fun friday so far :\
i love gratins! i think i mostly just like saying they word, but they’re always so delicious.
WOW how creative, I love this idea and it is a great fall dish!
Koko @ KokoLikes recently posted..Deployment: 4 Months In
I’m just waiting for some cooler weather to make it’s way down here to Florida!!
sara @ the foodie diaries recently posted..Through the Years: Sophomore Struggles
This is a very clever idea – cheap, easy, and it looks tasty. Thanks for sharing. I love those dishes and I think I’d use them for serving salads in.
sarah, simply cooked recently posted..strawberry and nutella muffins (whole grain baking)
I have a bag of lentils staring me down. I couldn’t think of what to do with them. I think I know what I’m going to do with them now!
Jessica @ Healthy Dairyland recently posted..Salutation Nation and Pumpkin Butter
Do it, and let me know what you think!
I made this tonight in a 8×8 glass pan and it was mighty tasty! I think there’s also a lot of room for creativity and variations, which is awesome. Thanks for the great idea, Julie!
Emily @ Relishments recently posted..More Adventures in Canning
Definitely lots of flexibility to this recipe! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This looks great! I have never made lentils, but I just bought some to try. I think my husband will like this too!
I tried this tonight and it was really good! I didn’t cook them quite long enough so they were a little chewy, but the flavor was great! I’ll be making them again!
Casey
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
This is SO GOOD! I passed it along to my readers on my Facebook page. Thanks!
Stacy @Stacy Makes Cents recently posted..The 365 Project
Oh, I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks for sharing!