This frightful Jack-O’-Lantern vegetarian pot pie is a comforting main course that will make a great centerpiece at your Halloween dinner table.
I’m all about savory dishes for Halloween, and I’m sure you are too. With all the sweets, cakes and candies, there’s nothing better than indulging in a satisfying savory course to warm you up after a long day of trick-or-treating! This vegetarian pot pie with butternut squash also makes a great comforting pie throughout winter.
Jack-O’-Lantern vegetarian pot pie
This Jack-O’-Lantern pot pie is a great take on my Vegetarian Pot Pie, with a spooky face to it! It’s prepared with butternut squash, lentils and other veggies, coated in a creamy sauce. Cutting shapes out of crust to resemble a jack-o’-lantern face gives this pot pie a little extra Halloween spirit, and makes it very festive too. Both kids and adults love it!
If you’ve never made pot pie before, the recipe may seem a little bit intimidating at first, but it doesn’t have to be. The homemade pie crust is recommended but you can use 2 discs of store-bought pie crusts to spare you some time in the making, and the filling is super simple to prepare.
The vegetarian filling
Butternut squash and lentils are the main ingredients of the filling, giving the pie a comforting and seasonal touch. They are then coated in a creamy sauce loaded with subtle nutmeg flavors.
Key steps to make the filling:
- I recommend you cut all your veggies first (butternut squash, onions, carrots, celery, garlic), so you can then focus on the cooking part.
- Sauté all the veggies until golden and crispy in the outside, and tender inside.
- Make the bechamel sauce with the flour, cream, vegetable stock and seasonings.
- Add cooked lentils (canned), and stir well.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed (important). Feel free to add more salt to enhance the flavors, and more pepper to bring some personality to the whole filling.
Can I make Jack-O’-Lantern pie ahead of time?
Sure you can! You can make the filling and the dough ahead of time, store in the refrigerator separately, then assemble and bake the pie on the D-day. Simply place the filling in an airtight container, wrap the discs of dough with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. You can also bake the whole pie, then let it cool completely, wrap foil on top and put in the fridge. It will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Then reheat in the oven before serving for about 20 minutes. However, I do not recommend assembling the pie and storing it uncooked in the fridge, or the dough might become soggy when baked.
Possible recipe variations
If you like the idea of Jack-O’-Lantern design on the pie crust, you can experiment with the face and involve all your family members to create your personal Halloween savory pie!
There are also many possible ways to adapt this recipe using different fillings. You can for instance make the recipe using my vegetarian pot pie filling (potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, green peas), or why not use a sweet filling in between and create a Jack-O’-Lantern Apple Pie version. You can also make Jack-O’-Lantern hand pies, using pumpkin cookie cutters to create the shape, with a sweet or savory filling inside.
Other Halloween recipe ideas:
- Haunted House Halloween Cake
- Vegetarian Halloween Grazing Board
- PB & Jelly Mummy Hand Pies
- Salted Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Jack-O’-Lantern Vegetarian Pot Pie
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Savory
- Diet: Vegetarian
This frightful Jack-O’-Lantern vegetarian pot pie is a comforting main course that will make a great centerpiece at your Halloween dinner table.
Ingredients
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)
Instructions
For the crust:
- 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.
- Flatten the dough a little bit, wrap into cling film and chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
For the filling:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Roll out the second pie crust to cover the pie, and cut a jack-o-lantern face with eyes, nose and mouth into it. Trim the extra overhang off the sides. Seal the edges by crimping with your fingers.
- 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.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Jack-O’-Lantern Vegetarian 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!
