Ingredients
Method
Preheat the oven.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
Assemble.
- Add the rinsed red lentils to a large casserole dish. Pour in the bone broth and add the butter, minced garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together.
Cover and bake.
- Cover tightly and bake for 45 minutes.
- Carefully uncover and stir. The red lentils should be extremely soft and beginning to break down into a thick, creamy consistency.
- If they're still too loose or the lentils aren't completely tender, cover and return to the oven for another 10–15 minutes.
Make it a mash.
- Once the lentils are completely tender, stir them vigorously. Red lentils naturally break down as they cook, so they should transform into a thick, creamy mash without needing a blender.
Finish it.
- Stir in ¼ cup nutritional yeast. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed.
- If the mash becomes thicker than you'd like, stir in a splash of warm bone broth until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Serve.
- Serve warm anywhere you'd normally reach for mashed potatoes, rice, polenta, or another cozy base.
Notes
Red lentils matter here.
Red lentils are split and naturally break down as they cook—that's what gives this recipe its creamy, mash-like texture. Green, brown, or black lentils won't behave the same way, so I wouldn't substitute them and expect the same result. Your bone broth will determine your salt.
Homemade bone broth can range from completely unsalted to pretty salty. Start conservatively, then taste and adjust after adding the nutritional yeast. Adjust the consistency.
I like this thick enough to use as a base for chili or roasted chicken. If yours gets thicker than you'd like, stir in warm bone broth a little at a time until it's exactly where you want it. Don't skip the nutritional yeast.
This was actually an afterthought when I accidentally created this recipe, but it ended up being one of my favorite parts. It adds a savory, nutty, almost cheesy depth without actually adding cheese. Make it vegetarian or vegan.
Swap the chicken bone broth for vegetable broth and use your favorite plant-based butter. What to serve it with:
Think of this anywhere you'd normally use rice, mashed potatoes, or polenta. It's especially good underneath my Smoky Pumpkin Beer Chili, but I'd also serve it with a Weekly Roast, roasted vegetables, mushrooms, or anything with a sauce worth soaking up. Storing & reheating:
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The lentils will thicken considerably as they cool. When reheating, add a splash of bone broth or water and stir to bring the creamy texture back. Freezer friendly:
Portion completely cooled lentil mash into freezer-safe containers or bags and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or reheat from frozen, adding a splash of broth as needed.
Red lentils are split and naturally break down as they cook—that's what gives this recipe its creamy, mash-like texture. Green, brown, or black lentils won't behave the same way, so I wouldn't substitute them and expect the same result. Your bone broth will determine your salt.
Homemade bone broth can range from completely unsalted to pretty salty. Start conservatively, then taste and adjust after adding the nutritional yeast. Adjust the consistency.
I like this thick enough to use as a base for chili or roasted chicken. If yours gets thicker than you'd like, stir in warm bone broth a little at a time until it's exactly where you want it. Don't skip the nutritional yeast.
This was actually an afterthought when I accidentally created this recipe, but it ended up being one of my favorite parts. It adds a savory, nutty, almost cheesy depth without actually adding cheese. Make it vegetarian or vegan.
Swap the chicken bone broth for vegetable broth and use your favorite plant-based butter. What to serve it with:
Think of this anywhere you'd normally use rice, mashed potatoes, or polenta. It's especially good underneath my Smoky Pumpkin Beer Chili, but I'd also serve it with a Weekly Roast, roasted vegetables, mushrooms, or anything with a sauce worth soaking up. Storing & reheating:
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The lentils will thicken considerably as they cool. When reheating, add a splash of bone broth or water and stir to bring the creamy texture back. Freezer friendly:
Portion completely cooled lentil mash into freezer-safe containers or bags and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or reheat from frozen, adding a splash of broth as needed.