Quick question about bulking out food with lentils

[nappydaysagain]

Hi I regularly read on here about bulking out meals with lentils. Can anyone give me some quick tips on this please.
I've bought a bag of red split lentils from Lidl. Are they ok for this?
I just need a few pointers on how much I can add and to what sort of dishes. Was thinking chilli, shepherds pie . . .

They are perfect - especially for the sort of dishes you mention - tomato based ones where they aren't even particularly noticeable. I love lentils. They are so good for you too.

I generally just throw a handful in.

Red lentils are great in soups & casseroles because they cook down to a thick 'fluff'. I make a Tomato, Lentil and Bacon soup with a can of tomatoes, 3oz lentils, two rashers of chopped smoky bacon, onion, carrot and water. Simmer until everything is tender and blend until smooth. In beef casseroles or mince dishes like bolognese, chilli or shepherds pie, replace 8oz meat with 3oz lentils and add a little more liquid than normal so that they can swell up. The texture is different but, if there's plenty of flavour in the sauce, very pleasant

Green lentils tend to hold their shape better than red but take longer to cook. They can be cooked from dry in about 30 - 40 minutes but, if you soak them for an hour before using, they cook more quickly. If your family likes curries there are lots of recipes out there for 'Dahl'... very simple but tasty lentil-based curries.

because I teand to cook my casseroles etc in a slow cooker, I always rapid boil my lentils for 10 mins or so before transferring them in.

I chuck in a handful once the mince is browned, as I add a stock cube, and give them a minute to get really "stocky" before adding a tin of tomatoes and whatever else is going in (kidney beans, garlic, veg, spices, depends on the dish).
They totally disappear in a tomato dish, and are filling and nutritious.
Cooked, they can be added to mince for burgers too, or put into lasagne as a layer.

Thanks for the advise. These are the sort of tips I was looking for

I'm glad I came across this thread as I bought a pack yesterday - never really eaten lentils before - I 'm not keen on beans/pulses in general but figured that red lentils will melt down to nothing in soups/stews etc. so I won't notice them!

Do I need to pre-boil/soak lentils before I use them in anything?
It will be soups/bolognese/stews that I plan to use them in.
If I do a bolognese in the slow cooker for example, or if I make soup in a big pan?
There aren't really any cooking instructions as such on the pack that I bought?! Confusing!

Green lentils: always pre-cook (in a pan of boiling water) and discard the cooking water. If you don't the residue that collects on the top when the are cooked will bloat your tummy and run the risk of giving everyone the almighty trumps.

Red lentils: OK to throw in the dish and cook all together.

Red lentils only take about 10 - 15 minutes simmering to be tender. They should be fine in a slow-cooker without being pre-soaked

I've never heard of pre-cooking green lentils. I always just throw a handful in with a chilli when I slow cook one. Not noticed any issues with excessive trumping but maybe I have an iron gut :o

I always give mine a good rinse before chucking them in with whatever I'm cooking. I use red lentils mostly but green too sometimes, they don't disappear but add to texture which is yum I think. Red lentils are great for thickening so you'll never have a watery chilli/ spag Bol / whatever again

Add a bit of dried soya mince to chillies, cottage pie, etc.

I use green precooked lentils out of a tin, but then I'm doing it for health rather than economy reasons. Red or green lentils both go excellently in sausage casserole.

I use them because they are yummy!

I use red lentils in soups and to replace some of the meat in bolognese. green one are great in sausage casseroles and cassoulets. I rinse but don't pre-cook

When I do a spaghetti bolognaise I use chickpeas. :) if you make your own sauce and let it simmer a while they seem to absorb some flavour. It's very nice.

Lentils are great in bolognese etc, but for stew and dumplings I like to use pearl barley for bulking out. My gran introduced me to it, I guess it's a wartime tip!