Pastel de choclo

Pastel de Choclo is a South American twist on a shepherd’s pie, and we’ve twisted it again to make it plant-based. The mushroom and squash filling provide a filling and satisfying texture packed full of traditional Chilean spice and flavour.

This recipe is:

• Flavourful
• Filling
• Lower glycemic index
• Complex carbs

If you love this pastel de choclo, try our Cranberry Lemon Yogurt Muffins next.

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Pastel de Choclo

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Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 acorn squash

Corn topper

• 5 cups corn (6 corn on the cob or 1 bag frozen corn)
• 2 tbsp cornmeal
• 1 bunch basil (10 leaves)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1.5 tbsp coconut oil
• crushed walnuts

Veggie Bottom

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 3 small/medium onions, diced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper
• 1 can lentils (or equivalent soaked lentils)
• 2.5 cups mushrooms, diced small
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 1 tbsp paprika
• black or kalamata olives, sliced
• cayenne (optional)

Instructions

 

Acorn squash

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Slice acorn squash in half and remove the seeds and pulp from the inside.
• Slice squash in 1/4 thick rounds.
• Lay squash on baking sheet and baste with olive oil and cayenne pepper if using.
• Bake until squash is soft and lightly browned.
• Remove from oven and let cool.

Veggie Bottom

• Heat a pan over medium heat and sauté half an onion.
• Once onion is translucent, add the diced mushrooms, salt, pepper, and apple cider vinegar. Cook until mushrooms have reduced.
• Once the mushrooms have reduced, add the rosemary leaves and balsamic vinegar. Cook for 4 minutes and then add the lentils (if canned rinse and drain fully) and bouillon cube dissolved in 3/4 cup water (or if using soaked/drained lentils, 1 1/4 cup water).
• Stir in the rest of the onion, ground cumin, paprika, and additional salt and pepper to taste. Cook until lentils are fully soft and the mixture is moist.
• Turn off heat.

Corn Topper

• If using fresh corn, boil corn cobs until corn is al dente (not fully soft). Let the corn cool and then use a knife to slice all corn from husk.
• In a large pot heat and cook corn until soft. Add coconut milk, basil, salt, pepper, paprika, and continue to cook, occasionally stirring for approximately 10 more minutes.
• Blend the corn mixture with a hand mixer on pulse. Make sure to leave some chunkier parts.
• Add cornmeal and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes. Consistency should be firm.
• Taste and adjust seasoning to taste. Cool and then serve. It will thicken slightly when cool.

Assembly

• In baking dish, layer the veggie bottom as a base, filling the bottom of the dish.
• Add a layer of acorn squash on top of the veggie mixture and olives sprinkled over the top.
• Cover the squash layer with the corn topper.
• Sprinkle crushed walnuts over top.
• Bake until slightly brown.

Notes

Recipe Cost Breakdown

Ingredients	Quantity	Measure	Cost
Corn	5	Cups	3.49
Cornmeal	2	Tbsp	0.14
Basil	1	Bunch	3.29
Salt	2	Tsp	0.01
Pepper	1	Tsp	0.11
Paprika	1	Tsp	0.06
Coconut oil	1.5	Tbsp	0.69
Olive oil	2	Tsp	0.16
Onions	3	Each	3.90
Ground cumin	1	Tsp	0.18
Salt	1	Tsp	0.006
Pepper	2	Tsp	0.22
Lentils	1	Can	1.79
Mushrooms	2.5	Cups	3.49
Fresh Rosemary	1	Sprig	0.15
Apple Cider Vinegar	1	Tbsp	0.02
Balsamic Vinegar	2	Tbsp	0.30
Vegetable bouillon cube	1	Each	0.75
Paprika	1	tbsp	0.17
Total			18.93
Cost per serving			6.31

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