Cheesy Spaghetti-Sauce Lentil Loaf

Ingredients

4 cups lentils, cooked or canned
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon basil, dried
1 tablespoon parsley, dried
12 teaspoon salt
12 teaspoon black pepper
250 g aged cheddar cheese, shredded, MacLarens Imperial Aged Cheddar, crumbled or 1 12 cups sharp cheddar cheese
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups spaghetti sauce

Directions

If using dry lentils, bring to a boil in 5 cups of water.
Simmer, covered, until very tender, even mushy.
Drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together oats, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Stir in lentils.
Stir in crumbled cheese, beaten eggs, and spaghetti sauce.
Pour into a greased 9" x 5" loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about1 hour 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out free of raw egg and the loaf is fairly solid.
A slice of lentil loaf also makes a good sandwich filling.
When I want to make a large batch of lentil loaf to freeze for packed lunches, I prepare a double or triple batch of the recipe, and pour it into large muffin cups.
I bake the mini-loaves for about 40 minutes or until solid, cool them on cookie racks, and freeze them in a ziploc bag or individual plastic containers.
When I leave for work, I grab a lentil-mini loaf and a vegetable side dish and go.
These mini-loaves reheat well in a microwave.
They are also good served at room temperature.