Baked Lentils with Cheese

I'm a very frugal person and always have been.  I've always believed that it was because my parents and grandparents had it so hard during the depression and lived so frugally from there on.  So then I marry a man who can't hold onto a dollar for the life of him.  But he is awful cute.

I've been making Baked Lentils with Cheese since my college years.  I'd make it in my big casserole dish and eat it serving by serving throughout the week until it was gone.  I like it, but it is also very frugal. It was in my lunch box the previous post.

It came from my favorite cookbook.  The one that my paternal grandmother gave me that I discussed in the post about Beef and Barley Soup.  This poor book has obviously seen better days.  I've been thinking about taking the binding off and putting it into a three ring binder.  Can anyone think of a better solution? 

The broken out pages are between Arroz Con Pollo, another frugal dish if you leave out the saffron, and Cheese Strata, which reminds me so much of a dish my materal grandparents ate.  Anyway, I recommend this for a vegetarian but delicious meal that feeds a crowd for penny's.

Baked Lentils with Cheese.
12 oz bag lentils, rinsed
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 T. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/8 t. marjoram
1/8 t. crushed sage
1/8 t. crushed thyme
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1 large can of tomatoes
2 large carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 c. celery, thinly sliced
3 c. shredded medium sharp Tillamook cheddar cheese

In a large casserole dish mix all ingredients except the carrots, celery, and cheese.  Cover and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  Uncover, add the carrots and celery, and bake for 40 minutes more or until the vegetables are tender.  Discard the bay leaf. Add the cheese and cook for 5 additional minutes. 

Interesting that the original recipe calls for 2 onions and 2 tablespoons of salt.  I've never made it that way.  Also, it calls for American cheese, which I have never used.  There are some other small changes I've made over the years to suit myself.  Husband won't go near it so it's all mine.

Remember to be humble.