Butternut Squash and Lentil Pot Pie

This butternut squash and lentil pot pie is prepared with a hearty and creamy vegetable filling, tucked into two homemade pie crusts. It makes a rustic and festive dish for the holidays, and a great family-friendly dinner to serve throughout the fall and winter months.

I first created this recipe as a Jack-O’-Lantern Pot Pie for Halloween a little while ago. The result came out so comforting and delicious that I decided to share the recipe again with you, in a more classic version. Because let’s be honest here: who would bake a Jack-O’-Lantern Pie when Halloween is over? I wouldn’t, so I wouldn’t expect you did either.

Back to the butternut squash pot pie, I prepared the recipe as a seasonal variation of my Vegetarian Pot Pie, that is a great hit among my readers. In this version, I wanted to combine butternut squash and mushrooms, but one of my guests didn’t like mushrooms so I replaced them with lentils. Never would I have imagined that it would turn out so great!

Why you’ll love this pot pie recipe:

• A festive dish ✔
• A rich and buttery homemade crust ✔
• A comforting filling with butternut squash ✔
• No mushrooms in the recipe ✔

What goes into butternut squash pot pie?

• Butternut squash. Or basically any other winter squash you’d like, such as red kuri squash, delicata squash, etc.
• Lentils. I replaced mushrooms with Puys lentils, and also tried the recipe with beluga lentils. Both option work very well.
• Other veggies: yellow onions, carrots, celery sticks and garlic. They add texture and complementary flavors to the filling.
• Seasoning. This includes nutmeg, thyme, salt and pepper. They enhance the earthy and refreshing flavors to the creamy filling.
• Heavy cream + vegetable broth. I used heavy liquid cream to combine all the veggies together, and added vegetable broth before I added the flour to thicken the mixture.
• All-purpose flour. It helps thickening the creamy filling so the pie holds its shape when slicing. It’s ok if some of the filling slips out though, we want to keep it creamy as much as possible.
• Homemade butter crust. This foolproof crust is the only one I use to make sweet and savory pies. It yields a rich and buttery crust.
• Egg. You need just one egg, to brush the crust and give a nice golden color.

Key steps to make butternut squash pot pie

1. Prepare the pie crust, divide in two, and let chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator. You can also make this step up to 2 days in advance.
2. Cut all the veggies (butternut squash, onions, carrots, celery, garlic). This will spare you some precious time while making the recipe.
3. Make the filling. Start with sautéing all the veggies until tender, then whisk in the liquid ingredients, the seasoning and the flour, until the mixture thickens. Then add cooked lentils.
4. Assemble the pie. Roll out the first dough, place in the bottom of pie dish and top with the filling. Roll out the second dough and use it to cover the pie, sealing and crimping the edges.
5. Final touches and baking. Make a few slits on top, brush with beaten eggs, and bake until golden brown.

Pro tips for success

If you follow the recipe to the T, chances are high for success. But find below some extra tips to guarantee an amazing result every single time:

• Go for homemade crust. This is my #1 recommendation when making pot pie. I know it’s tempting to go for store-bought pie crust, but the use of homemade butter crust makes the pie extra flaky and flavorful. It is simply unbeatable!
• Season and taste as you go. The filling has to be perfectly seasoned, and there is no other way to achieve it than tasting and adjusting seasoning as you go, in particular the salt.
• Let cool the filling before assembling the pie. If too hot, the filling will soften the pie crust and make it impossible to shape the upper part. I also recommend to roll out the bottom and top crusts in advance and let chill in the refrigerator until you add the cooled filling and assemble the pie. This will ensure you always work with a cold dough and guarantee best results.
• Make a few slits in the upper crust. This is key as it enables the steam to escape while baking.

Other festive recipes for you to try:

• Vegetarian Pot Pie
• Leek and Mushroom Pot Pie
• Vegetarian Mushroom Wellington
• Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Lasagna
• Cranberry Brie Tart with Pecans
• Rosemary Sweet Potato Bread Wreath with Baked Camembert
• Vegetarian Stuffing with Leeks

Butternut Squash and Lentil Pot Pie

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• Author: Delphine Fortin
• Prep Time: 2h
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 0 hours
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Savory
• Diet: Vegetarian

This butternut squash and lentil pot pie is prepared with a hearty and creamy filling, tucked into two homemade pie crusts. It makes a rustic and festive dish for the holidays, and a great family-friendly dinner to serve throughout the fall and winter months.

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the crust*:

• 3 ½ cup (15 ounces/420g) all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 cup + 4 Tablespoons (10 ounces/280g) unsalted butter, diced
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• ⅔ cup (5 ounces/150 ml) water, or more if needed

For the filling:

• ⅓ cup (80g) butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 3 small carrots, diced
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• ⅓ cup (40g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black or white pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
• 1 ¾ cup (420 ml) vegetable broth
• ⅔ cup (160 ml) heavy liquid cream
• 1 cup (150g) cooked brown or Puys lentils**
• 1 egg, beaten (for brushing)

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Instructions

For the crust:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Dice the butter into small pieces and crumble it with the flour until lumps are the size of small peas. Add sugar and stir well. Pour in the ice cold water, little at a time, mixing with a fork. Finish by hand and shape into a ball.
2. Flatten the dough a little bit, wrap into cling film and chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

For the filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish with butter and dust with flour.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet placed over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots and butternut squash, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until golden and tender. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Whisk in the flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg and fresh thyme. Slowly add the broth and cream, stirring frequently until thick, about 10 minutes. Add the lentils and stir well.
3. Roll out the first pie crust into a large circle, about 12-inch (30 cm) in diameter. Carefully place over the pie dish, prick with a fork and pour the filling over.
4. Roll out the second pie crust and use it to cover the pie. Trim the extra overhang off the sides. Seal the edges by crimping with your fingers. With a small sharp knife, make a few slits in the top crust for steam to escape.
5. Brush with beaten egg and bake for about 30 minutes or until crust is golden. Check the pie after 15 minutes, and place a piece of foil loosely over the top if the top starts to brown, then continue baking. Allow to cool slightly and serve!

Notes

* Note that this pie crust recipe makes 2 crusts, one for the bottom, the other one for the top part. If you happen to have any leftovers, make one or two individual pot pies in extra.

** I recommend canned lentils to spare you some time in the recipe, but you can also cook your lentils in advance if desired. I tried the recipe both with black beluga lentils and Puys lentils, and my personal favorite goes to the second one, although the belugas yield very good results too.

Christmas, Fall, Family-Friendly, Lentils, Pizzas & Quiches, Pumpkins (Winter Squash), Spring, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian, Winter

Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this Butternut Squash and Lentil Pot Pie, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!