Pastel de choclo

filling & flavourful

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 30 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 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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Watch Alicia make ‘Pastel de Choclo’