Recipe(tried): Baked Lentils with Cheese

I had a roommate about 25 years ago who made this casserole as a vegetarian meal one day. I had never eaten lentils before; now I crave it and make it regularly. Hope you enjoy it too. (I do cut back on the cheese now; but really does taste good with the amounts the recipe calls for. I sometimes shred the carrots, instead of slicing them, and used diced tomatoes instead of the whole ones.)

BAKED LENTILS WITH CHEESE

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine in shallow 9x13-inch baking pan:
2 cups canned tomatoes
2 cups water
1 3/4 cup lentils, rinsed
2 large onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 whole bay leaf
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp each: marjoram, sage and thyme

Cover lightly and bake 30 minutes.

Uncover and stir in:
2 large carrots, sliced 1/8-inch thick
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery

Cover and bake 40 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in:
1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

Sprinkle on top:
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Bake uncovered 5 minutes until cheese melts.

Servings: 6
Source: Mennonite "More with Less" cookbook/1976.