Creamy Lentil & Mashed Potato Pie Cups

If you need a fun and flavorful vegan entree for the holiday season, but you don't want to spend lots of money on a Tofurkey roast, you've come to the right place! These personal, muffin-sized pot pies feel like a festive and fun gourmet treat, yet they are fairly simple to make. They're flaky, creamy, and savory little entree cups that will make each person feel special as they pick out their own!

RECIPE

Makes 12 pie cups

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large onion, diced

• 1 large or 2 medium carrots, chopped finely

• 1 large or 2 medium celery sticks, chopped finely

• 1/4 heaping cup olive oil (plus a couple of tablespoons for brushing)

• 2-3 diced portobello mushrooms (or you can use baby bella/crimini mushrooms)

• 4 hefty cloves garlic, minced

• 1 1/2 T fresh chopped thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)

• 1/2 tsp. dried sage

• 1/2-3/4 tsp. each salt and black pepper

• 2 T flour

• 1/2 c. coconut cream (or any unsweetened plant-based milk)

• 1 1/2 c. vegetable broth

• 2 c. cooked lentils (approx. 1/4 bag dry lentils)

• 1 package Pepperidge Farm brand froze puff pastry sheets (or any other vegan puff pastry)

Optional mashed potato topping:

• 3 medium gold potatoes

• 2 T vegan butter

• Additional salt and pepper

PREPARATION

Take out your puff pastry from the freezer and thaw according to package instructions.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place your onion, carrots, and celery in the olive oil over medium-high heat, and saute for 8-10 minutes, or until completely soft.

Add the mushrooms and the garlic. Sautee until all the water is cooked out of the mushrooms. Add in the spices, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.

Sprinkle in the flour to coat the veggies, and cook, while stirring, for 1-2 more minutes.

Add in the coconut cream (or milk), vegetable broth, and lentils.

Simmer all together for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thickened. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.

Take out your two thawed puff pastry sheets, flour your countertop, and roll the sheets out until they have increased in size by a third. Cut each sheet into 6 rectangles, so you have 12 altogether.

**Don't worry if you don't have a rolling pin. I don't have one either, so I usually just use a pint glass!

Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Take each rectangle and squish it into a muffin cup, pleating the sides a bit as needed, so the corners stick out of the top of the muffin cup like a flower.

Keep the center open like a little cup. No need to make them perfect here- they will puff up and look great!

Fill each pastry with about 1/3 cup of the lentil mixture, or however much it takes for the filling to be level with the top of the cup.

Once the cups are all filled, brush the exposed dough with some olive oil, so they will brown nicely in the oven.

Bake the pies for 12-14 minutes, or until the top pastry is golden, and the cups feel like they've firmed up.

If you're unsure that they're baked through, you can always use a knife to take a peek at the bottom of one of the cups and see if it's as golden brown as the top. You will want the bottom of your cups to look like this.

While the pie cups are baking, you can start on the mashed potato topping. You don't need this topping for these pies to be good, but I like it because it makes these little pastries over-the-top festive!

Peel and dice your potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Place in a pot and cover with cold water and a good pinch of salt. Place the pot on the stove and boil until the potatoes fall apart when you stick a fork in them.

Drain and place in a bowl and mash them with a potato masher or a fork. Or if you have a potato ricer, even better!

After they are mashed, add your butter and some salt and pepper to taste. Mix until combined, being careful not to overmix. Add more butter or some unsweetened plant-based milk if they are too crumbly.

When the pies are finished cooking, remove them immediately from the pan to cool on a wire rack or a plate. Place a couple of small spoonfuls of potatoes on top of each one.

I like to garnish these with a sprig of thyme or rosemary, but you could also pour on some gravy or even more lentil mixture on top! Or you could go nuts and plop on a little dollop of cranberry sauce!

Be creative and have fun with your plating, it's the holidays! Let's show 2020 we can still enjoy our holiday season this year!

If you make these cute little pies, be sure to take a photo and tag me on Instagram: @thecontentedvegan

Happy Holidays, everyone, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving this week!