My family loves lentils. We try to have vegetarian meals a few times a week and try to eat lentils and beans in different ways like in these yummy cheeseburger lentil open-faced tortillas. These cheeseburger lentils are delicious and reminds me of the flavors of a cheeseburger, even perhaps the flavors of the famous Big Mac. It really is quite scrumptious and these can be made vegan by substituting the cheese.
Not only are lentils a great vegetarian option, good for you (thanks to lentils being rich in fibre), and taste yummy (they will take on any flavor you add to them), but lentils are affordable and go a long way! I often cook about 1 cup of dry lentils which I then divide into 2 meals. If I will not be cooking with the other half of the lentils within a few days, I put them in a freezer-safe container and freeze for another meal. They actually freeze quite well — you could double this meal and freeze half for when you need to heat a meal up quickly. If you’d rather not use tortillas, you can serve these cheeseburger lentils on toasted buns for a cheeseburger-style Sloppy Joe, atop nachos or as a salad.
Let’s get to it!
Add chopped onion and diced carrot to a skillet. I am using my cast iron pan – it’s one of my favorites to cook with. Add seasonings, a splash of oil and a bit of butter.
Cook until onion and carrot is tender, about 8 minutes.
Add 2 cups cooked lentils. Today, I’m using green lentils. They may not look appetizing, but they taste yummy.
Add smoky bbq seasoning and stir.
Add more bbq seasoning, as well as mustard, ketchup and relish. Add a splash of water. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes. I like to cook it for a few minutes to cook the ketchup a bit which makes the lentils taste much better and takes on the bbq seasoning while also creating a sauce which my family enjoys.
Stir well and add diced dill pickle and a spoon of pickle juice. If you wanted to freeze these lentils, you can do so at this point but do not add the pickle in until ready to reheat.
Stir well. Taste and adjust by adding more mustard or ketchup or pickle as needed.
Add a sprinkle of cheese, and turn off heat. Since we are having this meal during our no grocery shopping challenge, we are starting to run out of ingredients like cheese, so just a sprinkle is added to the lentils. And to be honest, it was plenty. Once the cheese is melted, it’s ready!
Add cheese to a tortilla, top with cheeseburger lentils, lettuce, pickles and homemade 1000 Island dressing. You can add any dressing you like. You can find our delicious homemade dressing here in this post: Reuben-Style Stuffed Peppers with Homemade 1000 Island Dressing
This meal is simple to prepare and yummy. It is always a hit in our home!
Cheeseburger Lentils
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1/4 tsp salt
fresh cracked pepper
1/4 tsp dried dill or 1 tbsp fresh dill
2 cups cooked lentils
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp smoky bbq seasoning
2 tbsp relish
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp mustard
splash of water, about 1/4 cup
1/3 cup diced dill pickle
1 to 2 tbsp pickle juice
1/2 cup shredded cheese
Saute onion and carrot in skillet with a splash of oil until tender. Add seasonings. Add lentils and cook until lentils are heated through, about 5 minutes. Add bbq seasoning, relish, ketchup, mustard and water. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add dill pickle and pickle juice; stir until mixed well. Turn off heat and sprinkle with cheese. Once melted, serve on tortillas with extra shredded cheese, lettuce and dressing of your choice. You can also serve the cheeseburger lentils on toasted buns, on nachos, on pasta or lettuce for a vegetarian cheeseburger lentil salad.
enjoy from Our City Homestead to yours