Chickpea Casserole with Lemon, Herbs & Shallots

By á-30923

Ingredients

• hree 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained, or 5 cups cooked chickpeas
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 4 large shallots, minced or grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup cottage cheese (ideally the small curd variety of cottage cheese)
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt (ideally full-fat yogurt, and not Greek yogurt; it has too little moisture)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 stalks fresh rosemary (leaves only)
• 2/3 cup dried bread crumbs
• Olive oil

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch or other 3-quart baking dish with olive oil.

2. In a large bowl, mix the chickpeas with the rice, shallots, garlic, and lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Mix the beaten eggs in a medium bowl with the cottage cheese, yogurt, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Finely mince the parsley and fresh rosemary leaves. Stir the cottage cheese mixture and herbs into the chickpea mixture.

4. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and the bread crumbs. (At this point the casserole can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.) Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes, or until bubbling and golden. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.