Vegan Cottage Pie Jack ‘O Lanterns

I adapted an old family recipe to make this delicious vegan cottage pie. It was one of my favorites when I was a child, so I thought it would be fun to make for Halloween or Samhain! You can use the filling to stuff peppers, put it in a baking dish, or do both like I did. Here are the ingredients you will need (peppers are optional):

I like to add some vegan cheese on top as well and really like this new cheddar jack one from So Delicious:

You will need to have a batch of mashed potatoes made up before you start this recipe. If you also want to make two ghosts per jack ‘o lantern, you will need to make a double batch of potatoes.

Prepare the Gardein beefless ground. Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a non-stick pan, then add the crumbles and toss to coat them evenly with the oil:

Add one teaspoon of the Magickal Seasoning Blend and mix well. Cook for several minutes, then remove from the heat.

Add the crushed tomatoes, sriracha, another teaspoon of Magickal Seasoning Blend, and the cornstarch to a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine, being sure there are no lumps of cornstarch left.

Add the petite diced tomatoes and whisk again:

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan, then add the carrots and onions:

Toss to coat the vegetables, then add the remaining two teaspoons of Magickal Seasoning Blend and mix again:

Cook the vegetables on medium-high heat for ten minutes, stirring every two to three minutes:

Add the mashed roasted garlic, stir it in, and cook for another three minutes:

Turn your oven on to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the defrosted green beans and the tomato sauce to the cooked carrots and onions:

Mix together. Cook for 15 minutes to thicken the sauce, stirring frequently:

Add the defrosted peas and corn, stir them in, and cook for three more minutes while stirring continuously:

Add the seasoned beefless ground and mix together:

If you are making jack ‘o lanterns, carve and clean your peppers just like you would a Halloween pumpkin:

My mom made a pattern so she could decide where best to cut out the eyes, nose, and mouth:

They looked so cute!

Place the bottoms of the peppers in a baking pan that has been liberally sprayed with non-stick spray. Stuff the peppers and really pack the filling in well. Leave some room at the top for the mashed potatoes.

Add some mashed potatoes and vegan cheese shreds. I used about a tablespoon of the shreds per pepper.

Add the pepper lids and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour.

You will have enough filling for ten medium-sized peppers, or four or five peppers plus an 8” x 8” or 9” x 9” pan, or you can use two pans and no peppers. I made four peppers and one pan. Use half of a recipe of mashed potatoes and about 1/3 cup of the cheese shreds per pan.

Here are the finished peppers:

My mom shaped an extra bit of mashed potatoes like ghosts and added capers for the eyes and mouths. One batch of mashed potatoes is enough for four or five peppers and the ghosts to go with them. If you want to make two ghosts for each of 10 peppers, though, you will need to make a double batch of mashed potatoes. (One batch would be fine if you are freezing half of the filling to bake later – see the recipe notes.)

Here is the baked cottage pie:

My mom and I had a lot of fun making these together, and we hope you enjoy this old favorite recipe as much as we do! Happy Halloween and Blessed Samhain!