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One Pot Cheesy Mexican Lentils, Black Beans and Rice

December 5, 2016 by Danae 105 Comments

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A healthy, vegetarian, gluten free dinner the whole family will love! You won’t miss the meat in this easy to make, One Pot Cheesy Mexican Lentils, Black Beans and Rice!

A healthy, vegetarian, gluten free dinner the whole family will love! You won't miss the meat in this easy to make, One Pot Cheesy Mexican Lentils, Black Beans and Rice!Is it really already Monday again? I never feel like I have enough time on the weekends during the holiday season to get everything done that I need to. Between shopping, decorating, baking and get togethers it doesn’t leave much time for relaxing or meal planning.

Luckily I have slew of easy recipes, many of which can be made in a single skillet or pot, like this One Pot Cheese Mexican Lentil, Black Beans and Rice. Along with being a one pot meal it’s also vegetarian and perfect for meatless Monday!

A healthy, vegetarian, gluten free dinner the whole family will love! You won't miss the meat in this easy to make, One Pot Cheesy Mexican Lentils, Black Beans and Rice!I’ll be honest, we don’t follow meatless Monday very often in our house. My husband almost always wants meat with his dinner, unless he’s having a big plate of pasta. Pasta is fine every once in a while, but I don’t eat it often because I usually feel super bloated afterwards.

When I eat meatless I prefer to not just do straight carbs, but rather a mix of protein and carbs. Pulses just happen to be the perfect solution!

Many people have no idea what pulses are and up until a year ago I wasn’t familiar with the term either. Pulses are delicious, protein-packed, sustainable foods known as dry peas, chickpeas, lentils and beans.

A healthy, vegetarian, gluten free dinner the whole family will love! You won't miss the meat in this easy to make, One Pot Cheesy Mexican Lentils, Black Beans and Rice!They are a great source of protein and fiber as well as being lower in fat than many types of meat. I chose to use lentils and black beans in this one pot meal for a couple reasons.

Both are full of iron. One serving of black beans actually has more iron that a 3 ounce serving of flank steak! Iron is important, especially for women and even more so for female athletes. Not having enough iron in your diet can leave you feeling tired and low on energy.

Along with the nutritional aspects of using pulses in this recipe I also love the flavor and texture they add. Black beans have a nice creaminess to them and paired with the chewy and heartier lentils it makes for a great meat substitute.

A healthy, vegetarian, gluten free dinner the whole family will love! You won't miss the meat in this easy to make, One Pot Cheesy Mexican Lentils, Black Beans and Rice!When I served this One Pot Cheese Mexican Lentils, Black Beans and Rice to my husband I was skeptical if he would like it. Turns out he loved it! I can’t tell you how glad I am that I now have a few meatless, pulse filled meals that we can both enjoy.

2016 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Pulses (“IYP”). The goal has been to increase awareness of the many benefits of pulses, including their nutritional profile, environmental and sustainability benefits, affordability and potential to address global food security.

I encourage you all to take the Pulse Pledge if you haven’t already. It’s simple! Just commit to eating pulses once a week for 10 weeks. Check back next week for another awesome pulse recipe and learn about how versatile and sustainable they are as well!

A healthy, vegetarian, gluten free dinner the whole family will love! You won't miss the meat in this easy to make, One Pot Cheesy Mexican Lentils, Black Beans and Rice!

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One Pot Cheesy Mexican Lentils, Black Beans and Rice

One Pot Cheesy Mexican Lentils, Black Beans and Rice

Yield: 4-5 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

A healthy, vegetarian, gluten free dinner the whole family will love! You won't miss the meat in this easy to make, One Pot Cheesy Mexican Lentils, Black Beans and Rice!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1 clove of garlic, grated or minced
  • 1/2 cup uncooked long grain brown rice
  • 1/2 cup uncooked green lentils, rinsed (brown or red lentils may also be used)
  • 2-3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle powder (optional)
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup fire roasted tomatoes, drained
  • 4 ounce can diced green chiles
  • 1 small zucchini, shredded
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn, defrosted
  • 1 cup red enchilada sauce
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheese, I used sharp cheddar and part skim mozzarella
  • Cilantro for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat a large pot or saucepan over medium high heat. When the pot is heated spray with cooking oil and add in the onion and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes then add in the brown rice and lentils.
  2. Add in the vegetable stock, stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 35-45 minutes, or until the lentils and rice are tender. If there's any excess liquid drain it.
  3. Season the rice and lentils with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and chipotle powder. Add in the remaining ingredients except 1/4 cup of the cheese and stir together.
  4. Heat the mixture until the cheese is melted. Top with the remaining cheese and cover with a lid. Heat on low until the cheese is melted and the mixture is bubbly.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 356Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 1214mgCarbohydrates: 61gFiber: 15gSugar: 12gProtein: 21g
© Recipe Runner
Category: Skillet + One Pot Meals

Thanks to USA Pulses & Pulse Canada for sponsoring this post. As always all opinions are my own.

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Filed Under: Main Dish, Skillet + One Pot Meals Tagged With: Black Beans, brown rice, Cheese, Corn, enchilada sauce, Gluten Free, lentils, Mexican, one pot, pulses, vegetarian, Zucchini

Previous Post: « Apple Cranberry Galette {Vegan}
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rachel @ Baked by Rachel

    December 5, 2016 at 4:39 am

    I wish I could dive in immediately!
    Reply
    • Elizabeth B.

      January 22, 2018 at 8:35 pm

      This was delicious!!!! I had my husband make it and it came out exactly the way it looks in the picture! Plenty of leftover for lunch for tomorrow :)
      Reply
      • Danae

        January 23, 2018 at 12:28 pm

        I'm so glad you guys enjoyed it Elizabeth! Thanks for trying it out.
        Reply
    • Cindy H

      September 12, 2019 at 4:59 pm

      Only 1/2 cup of the tomatoes?
      Reply
    • Francine

      January 29, 2020 at 6:23 pm

      Can I make this the day before and reheat?
      Reply
      • Danae

        January 31, 2020 at 12:48 pm

        Yes! It makes great leftovers.
        Reply
  2. Julianne @ Beyond Frosting

    December 5, 2016 at 7:53 am

    I love this healthier option to enjoy Mexican food!
    Reply
  3. Taylor Kiser

    December 5, 2016 at 3:55 pm

    Love this one pot dinner idea! It's perfect for Meatless Monday or any night I'm needing a quick option for dinner. Looks so delicious!
    Reply
  4. Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction

    December 6, 2016 at 6:53 am

    I love meatless meals like this! I need more options like this for this crazy time of year!
    Reply
  5. [email protected]

    December 6, 2016 at 3:29 pm

    This looks so good for an easy tasty comfort dinner. Love Mexican :) Can't wait to try this!
    Reply
  6. B

    December 13, 2016 at 10:22 am

    Great meatless Mon. Dish. I made half a recipe and only had a little left. DH said 3-4 times last night how good it was. Definitely a make again meal. Your picture looks like it has corn but not in the ingredient list.
    Reply
    • Danae

      December 13, 2016 at 5:56 pm

      Hi! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the Mexican lentils! There is corn in the recipe, thanks so much for catching that for me. I've fixed the recipe and it's now listed in the ingredients.
      Reply
  7. Misty Mathews

    January 1, 2017 at 10:21 pm

    This looks delicious! I'm just curious if you knew what the fiber content is for nutrition info?
    Reply
    • Danae

      January 2, 2017 at 3:28 pm

      Hi Misty, There is approximately 10.5 grams of fiber in each serving (based on 5 servings). Enjoy!
      Reply
  8. Sofia

    January 9, 2017 at 6:09 am

    Looks so delicious. It is so cold, and this would be perfect to come home to. Thank you!
    Reply
  9. Sarah

    January 12, 2017 at 7:52 am

    Made this tonight and served with chips to eat like a mexican dip. The whole family liked it! We will definitely make this agan.
    Reply
    • Danae

      January 12, 2017 at 3:12 pm

      Thanks for trying the recipe Sarah and I'm glad you and your family enjoyed it! Serving with chips is always a good idea when Mexican food is involved. ;-)
      Reply
  10. vec

    January 13, 2017 at 12:48 pm

    Do you have full nutritional info for this recipe? It looks fabulous and I want to try it! Thanks so much!
    Reply
    • Danae

      January 16, 2017 at 10:03 am

      Based on 5 servings there are approximately 318 calories, 5.7 grams of fat, 51 carbs, 11 grams of fiber and 17 grams of protein.
      Reply
      • vec

        January 30, 2017 at 8:40 am

        thank you!
        Reply
      • Lourdes

        March 20, 2020 at 2:21 pm

        Can't wait to make at home! I do have one question. is the sodium really 1,274mg?
        Reply
        • Danae

          March 22, 2020 at 4:30 pm

          Sodium can greatly vary in recipes depending on the brand of products you are using. If sodium is something you are concerned about I recommend calculating it based on the products you are using.
          Reply
    • Trish

      September 5, 2019 at 5:38 am

      It has become one of my favourite meals, as it is so tasty and substantial, healthy too. The best ever comment I had was from my daughter who cooks healthy nutritional meals for herself and her husband was. 'Mum could you give me that recipe'..so thank you.
      Reply
  11. Diana Fitts

    February 4, 2017 at 7:47 pm

    I made this recently and absolutely love it! Not only is it delicious, it's easily customizable and I had fun throwing in other vegetables and beans.
    Reply
    • Danae

      February 5, 2017 at 9:47 am

      I'm so glad you liked it Diana, thank you for trying it out!
      Reply
  12. Ashley

    February 15, 2017 at 4:02 pm

    We had this for dinner tonight and it was so good! Thanks!
    Reply
    • Danae

      February 16, 2017 at 4:46 pm

      Glad to hear you and your family enjoyed it Ashley!
      Reply
  13. Jeff

    March 8, 2017 at 8:27 am

    Question - How is the zucchini shredded? Use a cheese grater?
    Reply
    • Danae

      March 8, 2017 at 8:32 am

      Hi Jeff, a cheese grater is what I used to shred the zucchini.
      Reply
  14. Deepa Khetan

    July 19, 2017 at 2:07 pm

    Hi, I dotn have enchilada sauce. Any substitue? or can we make it at home?
    Reply
    • Danae

      July 28, 2017 at 1:11 pm

      Hi Deepa, You could try using salsa instead of enchilada sauce. It should work, although I haven't tried it this way. Homemade is always good to if you have the time, there are lots of great recipes out there. I currently don't have one posted on the blog.
      Reply
    • Heather

      May 17, 2018 at 5:12 pm

      We didn't have enchilada sauce. I made the easiest sauce ever. 1 3/4 cups hot water, an envelope of Taco flavouring and one can of tomato paste (the small one). Mix with a whisk. I only used a cup for this recipe so I'm freezing the rest to make this recipe again.
      Reply
  15. Delaney

    August 22, 2017 at 2:38 pm

    I hope you see this comment- just saw this recipe on Buzzfeed! Do you think it would keep in the fudge for a few days as a meal-prep option? :)
    Reply
    • Danae

      August 23, 2017 at 10:04 am

      Hi Delaney, Yes, you can definitely make this a few days in advance. I had leftovers for a couple days and they were great!
      Reply
  16. Enjoli Adams

    September 15, 2017 at 7:36 am

    I made it lastnight. It was very good. Great source of protein and that's what my vegetarian diet was lacking. Thanks. I did season way more than directed. I'm impressed
    Reply
    • Danae

      September 18, 2017 at 12:00 pm

      Lentils are a great source of protein, glad you enjoyed the recipe!
      Reply
  17. Layne

    September 25, 2017 at 7:28 pm

    We just started Meatless Mondays and this was a hit! I do think, however, that everything could simmer together rather than mixing the other half of the ingredients in the end (besides the cheese.) Which leads me to this question- have you tried this in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot?
    Reply
    • Danae

      September 27, 2017 at 11:28 am

      Hi Layne, Happy to hear the Mexican lentils were a hit! I haven't tried making this in my slow cooker (still need to get myself an IP), but if you try it I'd love to hear how it turns out.
      Reply
  18. Kimberly

    September 27, 2017 at 9:02 pm

    I’m wondering how it would turn out to substitute quinoa in instead of rice for a few less carbs and more protein?Anyone try that?
    Reply
    • Dianna

      November 14, 2017 at 9:40 pm

      Havent tried it yet, but am planning on subbing quinoa. My thought was to cook it seperately, then add it, already cooked, during step 9 with remaining ingredients. Im concerned the quinoa could be mushy if it sits to cook for 40min with the lentils - this is my solution. We’ll see!
      Reply
      • Danae

        November 15, 2017 at 2:35 pm

        You've got the right idea Dianna. I would definitely cook the quinoa separately, 40 minutes is a bit too long for quinoa to be cooking.
        Reply
      • Trish

        December 18, 2018 at 5:23 am

        I’m feeling the same way with the french lentil...In my experience they only take 12 minutes to cook! I made them often at least twice a week! So Im scare that it will get muchy if I cook it with the rice! So should I cook it seperatly ??
        Reply
        • Danae

          December 18, 2018 at 10:00 am

          If you're concerned about the cooking time feel free to substitute brown or red lentils.
          Reply
  19. Lynn

    September 30, 2017 at 8:29 pm

    Made this tonight. We loved it! Nice to have some more easy vegetarian options. I love lentils but don't have enough ideas of what to do with them. Thanks for a great recipe!
    Reply
  20. lizzy

    October 2, 2017 at 8:18 pm

    I am a veggie and was looking for protein rich veggie recipe. Thanks for sharing.
    Reply
  21. Ligita

    October 17, 2017 at 4:02 am

    Perfect recipe. It tasted very good, not very dificult to make. I didn't have enchilada souce so just used canned tomatos with spices. Worked pretty good. I'm not vegeterian but make few days per week meat free. This dish is perfect replacement.
    Reply
    • Danae

      October 17, 2017 at 3:01 pm

      Thanks for trying out the recipe Ligita and I'm glad you liked it!
      Reply
  22. Brittany - The Anchored Kitchen

    October 26, 2017 at 12:55 pm

    This looks awesome. I had no idea lentils etc were referred to as pulses. Good to know. I agree with Meatless Mondays, it's hard to get my husband on board. Can't wait to try this one out. I would never have thought of using the lentils in there. Great idea!
    Reply
    • Danae

      October 27, 2017 at 5:13 pm

      Thanks Brittany! I love having the lentils in there for some added protein and iron.
      Reply
  23. Anna

    October 29, 2017 at 9:05 am

    Looks great. I was looking for more meatless but still high protein ideas. Just pinned it to try later. thanks,Anna
    Reply
    • Danae

      October 30, 2017 at 1:01 pm

      Thanks Anna, enjoy!
      Reply
  24. Nic

    November 16, 2017 at 12:53 pm

    Hello! This recipe looks delicious! I'm more so a green enchilada sauce fan, do you think sub-ing the red sauce for the green would totally throw off the flavor profile? Thanks in advance!
    Reply
    • Danae

      November 19, 2017 at 9:24 am

      Green enchilada sauce would definitely work. I'm usually more partial to green enchilada sauce as well. Enjoy!
      Reply
  25. Arreil

    December 6, 2017 at 5:11 pm

    When do you add the black beans?
    Reply
  26. René

    January 1, 2018 at 8:47 am

    This looks very interesting, but where I live I won't find all ingredients in cans or under the same name. The chili powder I have is about as hot as ground chipotles, so 1 (US) teaspoon would probably make this dish hotter than you intended (and my wife will support). Could I use ground red bell peppers (paprika) instead? Idem for the green chiles; should those be green jalapeños or similar, or green bell pepers? As a general guideline, is native (New) Mexican cuisine about as hot and spicy as Szechuan or South-East Asian cuisine (which is the impression I get from recipes and the few ingredients I do manage to get locally)?
    Reply
    • Danae

      January 3, 2018 at 8:32 am

      Hi René, If your chili powder is similar to chipotles, I would probably start with a 1/4 teaspoon and if you want it spicier add more. Paprika won't really add any heat unless it's Hungarian hot paprika, but a combination of the chili powder you have and paprika might be good. If you don't have green chiles available I would again maybe use a combination of jalapeños and green bell pepper. Unless you are using canned jalapeños it's hard to say how spicy the fresh ones will be until you taste it and I would hate for you to find yourself with a bunch of spicy ones and have the dish be too hot. New Mexican cuisine can be spicy depending on how hot the chiles are. They vary from mild to hot. I wouldn't say this dish as I made it is particularly spicy, maybe a 3 or 4 on a scale of 1-10. If heat is a concern I would recommend the substitutions I suggested above. Hope it works out for you!
      Reply
  27. Donna

    January 11, 2018 at 11:25 pm

    Thanks for the nice dinner recipe. Those lentils and black-beans are looking so good. I love spicy recipes. Can't wait to try it :)
    Reply
  28. Laurie-Anne Ranger

    January 25, 2018 at 5:22 pm

    We really enjoyed this vegetarian meal. I doubled the black beans and omitted the corn. I used half salsa and half taco sauce that I blended together instead of the red enchilada sauce. I will make again.
    Reply
  29. Laurie Kaye

    February 19, 2018 at 5:12 pm

    Was all set to make my usual humongous pot of Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili, then stumbled on this recipe and happened to have everything on hand, so gave it a try instead, optimistically doubling it for plenty of leftovers. Added chopped tomatillos and extra spices including ground coriander (cilantro), spicier canned diced tomatoes for added heat, and less (half) cheese...outcome was really a nice surprise - delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
    Reply
    • Danae

      February 20, 2018 at 2:25 pm

      Thanks for trying it out Laurie and I'm glad you liked it!
      Reply
  30. Kirsten

    March 12, 2018 at 8:32 pm

    Just tried this tonight- INCREDIBLE. I couldn't find enchilada sauce at the grocery store and didn't want to make any, so I used half a cup of tomatillo sauce instead. I also diced the zucchini, and added diced green peppers. I'll do the same next time, as this turned out absolutely perfect. Thank you so much for this recipe, I'll be making it again soon!
    Reply
    • Danae

      March 14, 2018 at 11:40 am

      Thanks for trying the recipe Kirsten and I'm so happy you liked it!
      Reply
  31. JesB

    April 11, 2018 at 1:06 pm

    I love this recipe. This is one of those clean-out-the-fridge recipes because I almost always have the ingredients and it's still delicious. It's also really adaptable. Thanks!
    Reply
  32. Erin

    April 21, 2018 at 11:49 am

    I made this for my brother, who is a vegetarian. It was fantastic, super easy to throw together, and a great thing to make to feed a large family of people. I bought tortillas for everyone to make their own taco out of this and served it with a side of plantains cooked in coconut oil. Thank you for this great dish! It was yummy.
    Reply
    • Danae

      April 24, 2018 at 11:42 am

      I'm happy to hear you and the family enjoyed it Erin! It does make a great taco filling doesn't it? :-)
      Reply
  33. Beth

    May 7, 2018 at 1:01 pm

    Great dish!!????thanks Danae
    Reply
  34. Heather

    May 17, 2018 at 5:17 pm

    This was phenomenal! So good. I've been trying to make more meatless meals and this one made me realize why. Thank you!
    Reply
    • Danae

      May 18, 2018 at 1:29 pm

      I'm happy to hear you liked it Heather!
      Reply
  35. Coconut

    June 16, 2018 at 6:30 pm

    Thanks for sharing, will be making it this week! A few things though: If the lentils are uncooked, shouldn't you leave them in a bowl of water over night? Also, this is very similar to the way we cook rice in my country (Spain. We normally use a ratio of 1 part of rice to 1.5 parts of water, maybe it helps somebody! Thanks again!
    Reply
    • Danae

      June 20, 2018 at 2:18 pm

      Lentils don't need to be soaked unlike other legumes. They cook in approximately 30 minutes or so and should be tender when the rice is. Thanks for sharing the rice cooking method you use too! :-)
      Reply
  36. Tiff

    July 13, 2018 at 6:16 pm

    We LOVE this meal. It’s so quick and easy and super delicious. It’s in our meal rotation. I’ve shared it with many others that have loved it as well.
    Reply
  37. Big Daddy

    July 25, 2018 at 5:19 pm

    Will definitely strain the rice and beans before adding other ingredients. Mine turned into soup. A extremely delicious soup!
    Reply
  38. Slicey

    July 31, 2018 at 3:11 pm

    This was so good and so easy. I didn't use any enchilada sauce and I didn't miss it. I added some sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo. I used an instant rice packet - a yellow, spanish rice blend instead of the long grain rice. Since that rice is seasoned I didn't need to add as much additional seasoning to the dish. The instant rice only takes 10 minutes to quick, so I started with the lentils first and cooked those Until they were almost done. Then I added the rice with about ten minutes left, and instead of frozen corn, I added fresh corn cut off the cob at the end. It worked really well and was super tasty. I only used about 1/4 cup of cheese and that was perfect for me. I ate some as is, then I ate the leftovers on top of tortilla chips with additional cheese for some quick nachos. This is easy and forgiving to change it up with different spices that you have on hand, or to use a pre-seasoned rice mix, as long as you pay attention to the cooking time of the lentils and rice.
    Reply
  39. Hillary Millsap

    August 10, 2018 at 5:12 pm

    How would the broth amount change if I'm using the precooked lentils from Trader Joes? (And make the rice ahead of time?) Could I use the same amount of broth for just cooking rice and then add the lentils after?
    Reply
  40. Coral

    August 22, 2018 at 6:10 am

    This was an awesome dish. Will probably have enough for several days of leftovers haha! How is it you are measuring serving sizes?
    Reply
  41. RaeAnna

    August 22, 2018 at 6:10 pm

    Oh my goodness! This was delicious. I have a vegetarian daughter and a husband who, like yours, wants meat with every meal. Everyone loved this! I added corn chips (because I need a crunch) and a dollup of sour cream. ????????
    Reply
  42. Maggie Unzueta

    October 14, 2018 at 5:03 pm

    It looks incredibly delicious. I wish this were in front of me.
    Reply
  43. Laura

    November 7, 2018 at 8:36 pm

    Is this spicy if you omit the chipotle powder?
    Reply
    • Danae

      January 12, 2019 at 2:34 pm

      If you're using a mild enchilada sauce and mild green chiles it shouldn't be spicy.
      Reply
  44. sue della

    December 26, 2018 at 11:57 pm

    Shame no nutritional contents displayed
    Reply
    • Danae

      December 28, 2018 at 8:53 am

      Hi Sue, the nutritional info has been added.
      Reply
  45. Mark

    January 14, 2019 at 6:35 pm

    This was delicious! Took me far longer to make then it should have, but I'm not much of a chef, even for a super-easy recipe like this. I added some red bell pepper to the onions and garlic (cause I like red pepper), but otherwise, followed the recipe exactly. This will become a Meatless Monday staple!
    Reply
    • Danae

      January 16, 2019 at 8:38 am

      Thanks for trying out the recipe Mark and I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it! Trust me, even with plenty of cooking experience I can't always get my act together and simple recipes take forever. ;-)
      Reply
  46. Debi

    March 5, 2019 at 11:28 am

    I’m a Bariatrics girl. I’m always looking for other options for protein. Thanks for this one. Where can I find other pulse recipes. That are this delicious. Meat doesn’t always agree with my little tummy. I eat it. Just having other recipes would be great. Thank you in advance.
    Reply
    • Danae

      March 11, 2019 at 1:50 pm

      If you type "lentils" in the search bar there are several vegetarian recipes using them that I love. You can also type in "vegetarian" for a whole bunch more!
      Reply
  47. Marion

    March 17, 2019 at 2:09 pm

    Just made it tonight! Healthy, delicious and easy to make, thank you! I couldn’t find all the ingredients here in the UK so I swapped a couple (e.g. a fresh green pepper instead of canned chiles), it worked well :)
    Reply
    • Danae

      March 18, 2019 at 1:26 pm

      Thanks for trying the recipe Marion! Glad to hear you liked it!
      Reply
  48. Jessie

    March 18, 2019 at 5:43 pm

    This is stupid delicious. I want to make it for everyone I know.
    Reply
    • Danae

      March 22, 2019 at 8:17 am

      So glad you liked it Jessie!
      Reply
  49. Christopher Mullins

    July 2, 2019 at 3:41 am

    So I finally got around to trying out this recipe... and oh my dear sweet heavens is it GREAT! So easy, so healthy, and so TASTY! To give it some more "meaty-ness" for the carnivores in the family (I'm the only vegetarian lol), I re-hydrated some TVP (textured vegetable protein) and put it in after the rice and lentils were cooked. It was an absolute hit before I did that, but with the extra TVP in there, we ended up grabbing some gluten-free tortillas and making burritos! Thank you so much for this recipe. Its definitely a winner and a keeper!
    Reply
    • Danae

      July 2, 2019 at 8:59 am

      Glad to hear you and the family enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for trying it out!
      Reply
  50. Jessica

    July 21, 2019 at 6:21 pm

    I made this yesterday and at the point where you are to drain off excess liquid I placed the whole mixture in a sieve and shook out everything I could but it was still a very gluggy mixture. at the end it definitely looked 'wetter' than yours and reheated the next day there is noticeable liquid at the bottom. The taste is good though and good for the budget too, but I had hoped it would come out looking a bit more like yours! I used a mixture of red and brown lentils but forgot to rinse them beforehand - could this have made that much of a difference? I may try again.
    Reply
  51. Kim

    November 21, 2019 at 7:08 am

    Does this recipe freeze? I'm working on stocking the freezer. Looks terrific and I'll be making it either way!
    Reply
    • Danae

      November 22, 2019 at 1:56 pm

      Yes you can definitely freeze this one!
      Reply
  52. Elaine Tsai

    January 27, 2020 at 5:37 pm

    Wow, was this delicious and there is enough for leftovers. Easy to make with clear concise directions. I made it exactly as written but with one small change. I added less chili powder and I put a dollop of sour cream on top. Just the right amount of heat for me and my daughter. This is a keeper. Thank you for the recipe.
    Reply
    • Danae

      January 28, 2020 at 9:15 am

      Thanks for the kind comment Elaine and I'm glad you enjoyed the lentils!
      Reply
  53. anna

    February 17, 2020 at 12:20 pm

    Healthy, delicious and easy to make. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
    Reply
    • Danae

      February 17, 2020 at 2:01 pm

      Happy to hear you liked it Anna!
      Reply
  54. Vicki

    March 21, 2020 at 2:59 pm

    Fabulous recipe as is or you can use as a base with other additions like colorful chopped bell peppers, jalapeño, salsa or whatever along that vein. I like the hominy suggestion but I had fresh corn from last summer I wanted to use out of my freezer. You can amp up the spices if you want more kick. Really such a versatile recipe! And healthy! Love it! Thanks so much for posting it!
    Reply
  55. Jan Myhre

    March 29, 2020 at 6:45 pm

    Where, oh where, has your recipe for One Pot Cheesy Mexican lentils, black beans and Rice gone??? Every link takes me to the reviews and not the actual recipe. It sounds so delicious and I would love to try it.
    Reply
    • Danae

      March 30, 2020 at 3:10 pm

      Hi Jan. I'm sorry you're having an issue seeing the recipe. An adjustment was just made to hopefully fix the issue. Would you mind looking again and letting me know if you still can see it. Thanks!
      Reply
      • Anna P

        March 31, 2020 at 5:36 pm

        I'm having the same issue as Jan. Would love to check it out - it sounds delicious!
        Reply
        • Danae

          April 6, 2020 at 10:28 am

          Hi Anna, I'm sorry you're having an issue seeing the recipe. I've checked with different browsers and it's showing up fine on my end. Are you using Chrome? If you're still having issues getting the recipe please email me and I will send it to you directly.
          Reply
  56. Sue Howes

    April 17, 2020 at 4:53 am

    YUM!!I made this last night. A few tweaks: in the UK I can't seem to get chipotle powder so bought paste, I omitted courgettes as no-one likes them unless fried to a crisp. For enchillada sauce, I used a large jar of bolognese sauce. It went down very well. There was enough for three portions last night and three for lunch today. Delicious served with tortilla chips. We said it would be good layered with tortillas and cheese, a sort of lasagne.
    Reply
  57. Michelle McElduff

    May 19, 2020 at 6:14 pm

    I made this tonight and the whole family had seconds! I didn't have zucchini, but wanted another veggie, so added cubed sweet potatoes. What's funny is hubby and the kids don't like sweet potato, but didn't even know it was in there. Haha!! This was delicious and so easy to make. Thank you!!
    Reply

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