Cheesy Baked Lentils

With their tender but firm texture, lentils are a great replacement for pasta in this riff on mac ‘n cheese. The acid in the tomato helps balance the richness in this dish.

Makes 6 servings (4 cups)

Total time: 30 minutes

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. minced fresh garlic 1 cup whole milk

Salt, black pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg to taste

1 Roma tomato, diced

1 cup brown lentils, cooked

(3 cups)

3/4 cup each shredded Parmesan and sharp Cheddar, divided Chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400°. Coat an 8-inch-square baking dish with nonstick spray.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring to a boil, and cook until thickened, 2 minutes; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Stir in tomato.

Off heat, stir in lentils and 1/2 cup each Parmesan and Cheddar; transfer to prepared dish. Cover dish with foil and bake lentils 30 minutes. Remove foil, top with remaining 1/4 cup each Parmesan and Cheddar. Bake casserole until cheeses are browned, 10 minutes. Let casserole cool on a rack 5 minutes, then top with parsley.

Per serving: 279 cal; 13g total fat (8g sat); 34mg chol; 276mg sodium; 26g carb (4g fiber, 3g total sugars); 16g protein