So, in an effort to add more fiber, expand what we eat, and the fact we are on a super strict budget, going to be trying lentils.
Issue is, I have severe food aversions due to autism so I want this to be as painless as possible. Add in I have young child showing signs of the same.
Game plan is to make a shepherds pie of sorts to feed a family of 6 (may be 7 tonight due to a surprise visit).
It's going to consist of:
– 1 pound of ground beef
– 1 large onion (that I already diced up)
– can of corn
– can of green beans
– can of cream of chicken soup
– 2 packets of instant potatoes
– shredded cheese
– seasonings (minced garlic, worcestershire, etc…)
– lentils
So how do I prepare these lentils so they cook well and go along with the other ingredients? I really want them to match the ground beef. And how much of this bag of lentils should I add?
by Lavender-Lemon-Witch
3 Comments
The only thing that comes to mind, is before using them, check really well for stones. I’m not sure why it happens, but it’s common to find them in lentils.
When I cook lentils with ground beef I first brown the beef. Then I add the lentils with water and seasonings. You want enough water or broth to cover the lentils and let them simmer until soft. Takes about 20 minutes or so. You can soak the lentils ahead of time but it is not absolutely necessary. I usually use one cup of lentils per pound of beef.
edit: seeing your comment about the picky eater my advice is to simmer and get the lentils as soft as you can. Then mash them up a bit with the beef. I have an extreme sensitive eater and do it that way and he doesn’t even take note that the lentils are there.
I might make split the ingredients and have one without lentils and one with, just in case the ASD prevents you or your kid from eating the one with lentils. People use lentils all the time to add bulk and save with meatloaf. I agree with the other poster about making them soft, then just mashing with a fork, they’d be pretty tender. If you look up beef and lentil meatloaf, it shows how they do it with just the meat, might help you integrate it better!