15 Meaty Plant-Based Recipes for the Holidays

Music is in the air and festive decorations are up. You’re busy running to your next potluck. But what will you bring? You want to wow your friends with your amazing cooking skills, and show that plant-based meals can be delicious, as well as satisfying, to everyone’s taste buds. So, we dove into our awesome Food Monster App and found a variety of meatless, vegan entrées to enjoy this holiday season.

1. Lentil Loaf With Celery Root Mash

Source: Lentil Loaf and Celery Root Mash

If you’re looking to quench your cravings for meatloaf or simply need an effortless, nutrient-dense recipe that doesn’t disappoint, you need to try out this Lentil Loaf and Celery Root Mash by Gabrielle St. Claire. Lentils can have the same hearty texture as meat and are perfect for recreating classic umami flavors. For a healthier alternative to mashed potatoes, this recipe uses celery root! When mashed, it is starchy and fluffy- just like the cozy mashed potatoes you grew up with.

2. Maple-Glazed Mushroom and Lentil Loaf

Source: Maple-Glazed Mushroom and Lentil Loaf

This hearty Maple-Glazed Mushroom and Lentil Loaf by Liz Martone will remind you of that Sunday evening meatloaf that many of us grew up with. Made from mushrooms and lentils, it’s dense and meaty, with a delicious maple ketchup glaze that sinks in as it bakes. This loaf is tender, moist, and full of these beautiful savory flavors that paired so perfectly with the sweet bite of the ketchup glaze.

3. Mushroom Stroganoff

Source: Mushroom Stroganoff

This Mushroom Stroganoff by Molly Patrick is a classic comfort food dish that pairs perfectly with a cracking fire and snow falling outside your window. After you’ve made it once, you will quickly add it to your weekly dinner rotations until tank top season, at which point, you only might give it a rest.

Winter Cookbook: Heartwarming Plant-Based Recipes for the Cooler Months

As the seasons change and the weather gets chillier, there is truly nothing better than spending time in the kitchen with loved ones while cooking up cozy, soul-warming, home-cooked plant-based meals. This vegan winter cookbook includes 75 stunning vegan recipes with amazing photos! With this cookbook, you’ll find countless comforting recipes to inspire you and help you make the most of winter’s abundant variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables! This cookbook features warm and comforting plant-based recipes like Pasta with Creamy Chestnut Pesto and Mushroom Bisque With Cashew Cream, festive sweets like Glazed Cinnamon Bun Cookies and Caramel Topped Gingersnap Brownies, and Roasted Winter Vegetable Bowls with Couscous, Romesco Sauce, and Tahini Drizzle, this cookbook offers everything you need to create a stunning winter spread!

4. Bolognese Lasagna

Source: Bolognese Lasagna

If you’re a fan of bolognese but are looking for a healthier, compassionate, and sustainable way to replace meat, listen closely. You can have your lasagna and eat it, too! This easy vegan Bolognese Lasagna by Aryane Héroux-Blais is made with textured soy protein, for a version that is very close to the traditional meaty recipe.

5. Pumpkin Shepherd’s Pie

Source: Pumpkin Shepherd’s Pie

Comfort foods and pumpkins are a match made in heaven. This delicious Pumpkin Shepherd’s Pie by Ella Suihko is packed with a spicy chickpea tomato filling and then covered with a layer of creamy pumpkin purée. It is the best food to warm you up on a cold windy and rainy day when salad is no longer an option. Even though the ingredients list is quite long, this recipe is super simple and easy to make.

6. Swedish Mushroom Meatballs

Source: Swedish Mushroom Meatballs

Making the perfect veggie meatball is an art and the secret is seasoning. These Swedish Mushroom Meatballs from the Cruelty Free Family are blended with fragrant onions, garlic, nutritional yeast for cheesiness, Sriracha, savory liquid aminos, and a few other spices. After being formed and baked until crispy, these meatballs are tossed in a creamy cashew sauce which tastes amazing over mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice. Yum!

7. Holiday Vegetable Loaf With Cranberry Glaze

Source: Holiday Vegetable Loaf With Cranberry Glaze

Need an entrée that will please all palates? This Holiday Vegetable Loaf With Cranberry Glaze by Jasmine Briones is it. The combination of the quinoa, oats, mushrooms, and nuts provide this dish with the perfect “meatloaf” texture — and it’s speckled with cranberries, so it’s perfect for the season. Finish it off with your choice of our cranberry glaze recipe or a traditional meatloaf glaze. Recipe created as a guest post for Sweet Simple Vegan by Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen.

8. Garlic and Thyme Pan Seared Mushrooms

Source: Garlic and Thyme Pan Seared Mushrooms

If you like mushrooms, you’ll love this recipe: Garlic and Thyme Pan Seared Mushrooms by Renee Press. I like to serve these over pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, toast….the list goes on. You can use any mushrooms, though our favorite is portobello, cremini, or chanterelles as you see in the picture. But regular ol’ white button mushrooms would work great as well. The key to delicious mushrooms is to cook them over medium heat until they release their water and start to crisp up a bit. At that point, you can add lots of chopped garlic, a splash of white wine if you like, and a generous pinch of thyme. Salt and pepper to taste and they’re ready to devour!

9. Mushroom and Eggplant Lasagna

Source: Mushroom and Eggplant Lasagna

There are many ways to make a vegan lasagna. Many want it as similar to a regular lasagna as possible while others want to make it with more vegetables or gluten-free. Here we have a recipe for a delicious lasagna with homemade tomato sauce, mushrooms, and a delicious homemade vegan mozzarella made from cashews. Try this Mushroom and Eggplant Lasagna by Lisa Andersson and Erik Huss, and be amazed.

10. Portobello Mushroom Steaks With Cheesy Rosemary Polenta

Source: Portobello Mushroom Steaks With Cheesy Rosemary Polenta

Do you know what else is delicious? Portobello Mushroom Steaks With Cheesy Rosemary Polenta by Michaell Johnson. These meaty mushrooms, drizzled with a balsamic reduction, sit atop a bed of cheesy, creamy homemade polenta. Pair it with some zesty roasted carrots or sweet potatoes, kale salad, and a glass of wine for a sweet and complete date night or Christmas dinner.

11. Rustic Cassoulet With Veggie Sausage

Source: Rustic Cassoulet with Veggie Sausage

This Rustic Cassoulet with Veggie Sausage from Plant Tribe is a spin on the classic French dish that usually calls for an abundance of different types of meat, and of course, this version is plant-based. It’s a warm and comforting meal, full of seasonal vegetables and delicious smoked sausage. Perfect for big gatherings!

12. Swedish Meatballs With Lentils and Black Rice

Source: Swedish Meatballs with Lentils and Black Rice

These Swedish Meatballs with Lentils and Black Rice by Ida Hemmingsson-Holl are so yummy! Serving these with the right sides, like potato mash, red cabbage relish, and plenty of gravy brings out the best of their flavor and texture. They’re a real traditional Swedish treat that’s perfect for dinner.

13. Portobello Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

Source: Portobello Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

Everyone needs a go-to recipe for shepherd’s pie and this Portobello Lentil Shepherd’s Pie by Megan Sadd is a must-try. This hearty, savory shepherd’s pie has a delicious filling of French lentils, sautéed mushrooms, and vegetables in red wine gravy. Topped with creamy mashed potatoes, it’s the ultimate plant-based comfort food.

14. BBQ Lentil Meatballs

Source: BBQ Lentil Balls

Simple plant-based ingredients of lentils, rice, mushrooms, and BBQ sauce. This BBQ Lentil Balls recipe by Megan Sadd makes a vegan protein-packed dish! Great for potlucks!

15. Spicy Seitan Sausages

Source: Spicy Seitan Sausages

Serve these Spicy Seitan Sausages by Iva Mrdjanov any time of the day, seriously. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They’re perfect and hearty!

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
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