This mushroom lentil skillet combines a savory vegetable filling with a cheddar biscuit topping. Browning the mushrooms gives the sauce depth, while canned brown or green lentils keep their shape without a separate pot of cooking water. Six drop biscuits bake directly on the hot filling.
The filling should be creamy and spoonable, rather than soupy. The biscuit tops turn golden in the oven, and the pieces touching the sauce stay softer. Serve each portion with one biscuit and a generous scoop of lentils and mushrooms. Preparation time and yield are approximate.
Recipe at a Glance
- Approximate yield: 6 servings
- Prep: 20 minutes
- Cook: 40 minutes
- Resting: 5 minutes
- Total: 65 minutes
- Equipment: 12-inch oven-safe skillet; Mixing bowl; Pastry cutter or fork; Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces cremini mushrooms — 340 g; sliced
- 1 small yellow onion — diced
- 2 cloves garlic — minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour — 16 g
- 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth — 240 ml
- 1/2 cup heavy cream — 120 ml
- 2 15-ounce cans brown or green lentils — drained and rinsed; about 3 cups
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt — divided; adjust to taste
Biscuits
- 1 cup all-purpose flour — 120 g
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter — 42 g; cubed
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar — 57 g
- 1/2 cup whole milk — 120 ml
How to Make Mushroom Lentil Skillet with Cheddar Biscuits
1. Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Set a rack in the center. Drain and rinse the canned lentils, slice the mushrooms, dice the onion and measure both sets of ingredients. Use an oven-safe skillet; keep a 2-quart baking dish available if your skillet cannot go in the oven.
2. Brown the mushrooms
Heat the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 7–9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until their released liquid has mostly evaporated and some edges are browned. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme and pepper for 30 seconds.
3. Make the filling
Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the broth, scraping the pan, then add the cream and lentils. Simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until the sauce lightly coats a spoon. Start with 1/4 teaspoon salt, taste and add the rest if needed. Remove from the heat.
4. Mix the biscuits
In a bowl, stir the 1 cup flour, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Work in the cold butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cheddar, then milk just until a soft, shaggy dough forms. Do not knead or beat the dough smooth.
5. Top and bake
If needed, transfer the hot filling to the baking dish. Divide the biscuit dough into SIX similar spoonfuls and space them over the filling, leaving small gaps. Bake for 18–22 minutes until the filling bubbles around the edges and the biscuits are golden. Split the center biscuit to check that its middle is set with no wet dough; loosely cover browned tops with foil if further baking is needed.
6. Rest and serve
Let the skillet stand for 5 minutes so the sauce settles slightly. Spoon one biscuit and its surrounding filling onto each plate. Treat the skillet handle as hot even after the pan is on the table.
Ingredient Choices
Cremini mushrooms have a firm texture, but white button mushrooms work too. Keep the slices similar in thickness so they brown at a similar pace. If your skillet is crowded, brown the mushrooms in two batches rather than trapping their released moisture under a crowded layer.
Choose cooked canned brown or green lentils. Dry lentils are not a direct replacement: they need cooking and a different amount of liquid. Red lentils soften and break down much more readily, which changes the character of the filling. Drain canned lentils thoroughly before measuring them into the pan.
Cold butter creates small pockets in the biscuit dough. Warm or fully melted butter gives a different texture. Freshly shredded cheddar disperses easily; a pre-shredded cheese can still be used, but avoid a large mound of cheese on top of each biscuit.
Texture and Troubleshooting
The sauce should be slightly looser than a finished serving before the biscuits are added. If it is stiff, stir in broth one tablespoon at a time. If it looks watery, simmer it for another minute or two while stirring before it goes into the oven.
Keep the biscuit portions similar in size. A very large center biscuit may remain underdone while smaller pieces brown. Six modest drop biscuits also leave openings through which steam can escape.
Browning alone does not prove the biscuits are cooked. Check the middle of a center biscuit, where the dough sits over moist filling. The underside will be softer than the top, but it should not contain a streak of raw batter.
Make-Ahead and Serving
For advance preparation, make the filling, cool it promptly in a shallow container and refrigerate. Reheat it until hot throughout before topping with freshly mixed biscuit dough. A cold pan of filling changes the baking time, so do not rely on the same clock for a cold assembled dish.
A simple green salad or steamed green vegetable works alongside the skillet. The dish already contains flour and dairy; adapt ingredient choices carefully for individual needs rather than assuming it suits a particular diet.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers, within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the ambient temperature exceeds 90°F (32°C). Keep refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 3–4 days. Reheat until the filling reaches 165°F (74°C). Cover loosely to keep the biscuits from drying; their texture will soften during storage.
For leftover handling, see USDA guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use dry lentils?
Cook brown or green lentils separately until tender but intact, drain them, then measure about 3 cups. Do not add dry lentils directly to this filling.
Can I make the biscuit dough early?
For the most predictable lift, mix the dough close to baking. Keep the butter and milk cold while preparing the hot filling.
What if my skillet is not oven-safe?
Move the hot filling into a greased 2-quart baking dish before adding the six biscuit portions. Baking time depends on the shape and depth of the dish.
Mushroom Lentil Skillet with Cheddar Biscuits
Equipment
- 12-inch oven-safe skillet
- Mixing Bowl
- Pastry cutter or fork
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces cremini mushrooms 340 g; sliced
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 16 g
- 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth 240 ml
- 1/2 cup heavy cream 120 ml
- 2 15-ounce cans brown or green lentils drained and rinsed; about 3 cups
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt divided; adjust to taste
Biscuits
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 120 g
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter 42 g; cubed
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar 57 g
- 1/2 cup whole milk 120 ml
Instructions
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Set a rack in the center. Drain and rinse the canned lentils, slice the mushrooms, dice the onion and measure both sets of ingredients. Use an oven-safe skillet; keep a 2-quart baking dish available if your skillet cannot go in the oven.
- Heat the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 7–9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until their released liquid has mostly evaporated and some edges are browned. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme and pepper for 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the broth, scraping the pan, then add the cream and lentils. Simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until the sauce lightly coats a spoon. Start with 1/4 teaspoon salt, taste and add the rest if needed. Remove from the heat.
- In a bowl, stir the 1 cup flour, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Work in the cold butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cheddar, then milk just until a soft, shaggy dough forms. Do not knead or beat the dough smooth.
- If needed, transfer the hot filling to the baking dish. Divide the biscuit dough into SIX similar spoonfuls and space them over the filling, leaving small gaps. Bake for 18–22 minutes until the filling bubbles around the edges and the biscuits are golden. Split the center biscuit to check that its middle is set with no wet dough; loosely cover browned tops with foil if further baking is needed.
- Let the skillet stand for 5 minutes so the sauce settles slightly. Spoon one biscuit and its surrounding filling onto each plate. Treat the skillet handle as hot even after the pan is on the table.