Lentil Bake is perfect as part of a main meal but also as part of a packed lunch. Great for kids of all ages and fantastic for baby-led weaning
Lentils and sweet potato rarely featured in my diet before having kids. Now they seem to be a weekly staple and I'm always experimenting with new ways to serve them. Both Finn and Rory love them, I know that if I make something with either of these ingredients that it will generally be a hit with them. This Curried Lentil Bake is no exception.
Some of my most viewed recipes involve sweet potato and/or lentils so I'm guessing they are a popular food choice for other parents too. My sweet potato, lentil and carrot croquettes and lentil lasagne are particularly popular.
This dish is made up of lentils, vegetables, sweet potato and eggs, making it very nutritious, very tasty and easy for babies to eat.
How to Store Lentil Bake
Lentil bake is easy to make but does take a little bit of time to prepare. I often make it at the weekend for lunch and then freeze the leftovers in individual portions. Freeze on a baking tray until frozen and then transfer to a ziplock bag or freezer container. Alternatively, you can refrigerate the leftovers for 3 to 4 days.
Although I prefer it straight out of the oven it still tastes good cold and the boys are more than happy to eat it. If you are looking for non-sandwich ideas for lunch-boxes then this dish is perfect.
Recipe FAQs
Lentils come in a range of sizes and colours. In this recipe, I chose to use red split lentils. When they are cooked they go mushy and the texture is perfect for a bake. The smooth texture is also baby and kid-friendly. As other lentil varieties hold their shape more when cooked, I do not recommend using a different lentil type in this recipe.
Lentils may be small but they are a great source of fibre, protein and minerals all of which babies need for proper development. Lentils do have a reputation for causing gas and it is often recommended not to introduce lentils until 8 months of age. Red lentils are lower in fibre and are therefore believed not to cause gas as easily.
Start by giving your baby a small amount of lentils, if there is no symptoms of digestion upset then try offering a little more.Other Lentil Recipes...
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Curried Lentil Bake
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 celery stalk (finely chopped)
- 2 medium carrots (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon mild curry powder*
- 1 cup (175g) red split lentils
- 2 â…“ cups (580ml) vegetable stock*
- 1 medium (1 ½ cups) / (235g) sweet potato (cut into approx. 1 cm cubes)
- ½ cup (70g) frozen peas
- 3 eggs (lightly beaten)
Instructions
- Heat oil in pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots then reduce the heat to low and cook for approx. 10 mins (until softened.)
- Add the curry powder and cook for a further minute
- Add the lentils & stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer until cooked, soft and stock absorbed (approx. 20 mins)
- Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a pan and fry the sweet potato cubes, on a low heat, for approx. 10min. (add a little water if needed)
- Pre heat oven to 180C/350F/Gas4
- Once lentils are cooked, allow to cool slightly and then add the potato, egg and peas. Stir until combined.
- Place the mixture in a greased, ovenproof dish (mine was 10" x 7.5")
- Bake in the oven for 30-40 mins or until set and golden (mine took 35 mins) but timings will vary with ovens.
- Slice into squares. I cut into 20 pieces.
Recipe Notes
**If serving to a baby or young children use homemade stock or very low salt stock. Nutritional information is an ESTIMATE only and is calculated using an online calculator. The facts are based on 1 of 20 squares. Facts will vary depending on the brands of ingredients used and size of vegetables.Â
Nutritional facts
NOTE: This recipe was first published on Jan 25th, 2016. It has been updated with new photos and now provides more information, answering some commonly asked questions.
Anne says
Could I make this in the pressure cooker ?
Amy says
Hi Anne, I haven't a great deal of experience cooking with a pressure cooker so can't say, sorry. I'd love to know if you try it!
Jo says
Hi! Love this recipe but what’s the safest way to reheat it? Thanks,
Jo
Amy says
Hi Jo, So happy you like the recipe. We usually just eat leftovers cold. If re heating I'd use the microwave.
AJ says
Fantastic recipes! I'm going to give this one a try this weekend. Do you think the sweet potato could be thrown into the simmering pot instead of cooked separately? Im all for minimizing dishes 😛
Amy says
Hi Aj, Thank you! Sorry for just getting back to you now. I had major mac book issues and I am now writing this message from my shiny new one! Did you try it? I'd have thought that if you added the sweet potato to the simmering pot that it would be too wet a mixture. I'd be interested to know if you tried it and how it worked out.
Briony says
Hello, really want to make this for my baby (and myself). If I was to freeze and thaw over night to serve for tea how long would i cook it for? Thanks x
Amy says
Hi Briony, I have frozen this lots of times but have only eaten it cold after freezing. I can't say for sure but I'd guess around 20 mins at 180c covered with foil. Alternatively you could microwave until piping hot.
Amanda says
I made this with packet egg replacer (potato starch based) for my dairy/egg intolerant baby. An ambitious move as this kind of slice really needs egg as a binder. Unfortunately it didn't quite hold together after baking. However the flavours are great and I'll still give it to my baby as a mushy finger food or with rice added to bind it up a bit more
Amy says
Thanks for the feedback Amanda, people are always asking for egg replacement so it is good to know what does and doesn't work. Glad you enjoyed the flavour regardless.
Aria says
These look absolutely amazing!! Really I can’t wait to try it! , thanks for sharing !!
Amy says
Thanks Aria! You are so sweet!
Devin says
Just wanted to let anyone else know who is wondering, I cooked this up last week and just thawed a serving I froze and it came out perfect. I just cut what was left when fresh into portions and froze on baking sheet with wax paper then transferred to ziplock bag. Recipe is absolutely delicious by the way, I'm a vegetarian and husband and baby are not and this was the first thing I've made that I could really get on board with; yummy, healthy, and filling. Love trying out your recipes!
Amy says
Thank you so much for the feedback Devin and I'm so glad you have found something that you can all enjoy. I love to pop squares of this in my son's lunch box, freezing in portions is great for this.
Niamh Dean says
Hiya how did you defrost them? Thank you
Ayeisha says
Hey! Did you reheat it after you thawed it? If so how did you reheat it and for how long?
Also did you thaw it in the fridge overnight m?
Sorry I’ve been searching on this on how to freeze and thaw as I’ve made 2 batches now and ended up throwing loads away!
Thank you
Jen says
I know this post is old but I just wanted to add I made this with a chia egg ( I used 2) it didn't hold together as nicely as in the photos but enough that my 11 month old could pick up little bites. That said it held together well when cold. This will be added to my regular rotation. Thanks for the recipe.
Amy says
Hi Jen, thanks for letting me know. I get asked a lot if egg replacements would work so it is good to have this feedback. Glad you enjoyed it ??
Liz Priestley says
This looks delicious! Do you think it'd work with drained canned lentils?
Amy says
Thanks Liz, I have never tried it with anything but the red split lentils so I can't say how it would turn out. I have never really used canned lentils before so can't really say, sorry. If you do decide to try, i'd love to know.
Amy says
I'd love to try this recipe but my daughter has an egg allergy. I often subsistent egg with banana but I'm not that would go here. Have you ever tried it with a different binder? I might try with a chia egg
Thanks
Amy says
Hi Amy, I have never tried a different binder with this unfortunately. I would say a chia seed egg or flax seed egg could work. You could maybe try cream cheese too. Hope it works for you, please let me know ??