How to make layered veggie muffins for your next meatless Monday meal.
I really wasn’t sure what to prepare for this post but in the end, I decided to make an adapted version of Julia Child’s Vegetable Gateau. I left out the crepes and turned the recipe into a layered Vegetable Muffin. This is a hearty muffin that would make a nice lunch, I eat them for breakfast. The muffins also freeze well. Enjoy!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Chop the carrots into matchstick-size pieces. You can use the food processor but I find something therapeutic about standing up and cutting the carrots into sticks. You have to watch out though; it can become a little obsessive trying to make them all the same size.
Melt a tablespoon of butter in a large fry pan, add the carrots and dill, (the pungent flavor of dill adds a unique blend to the carrots) cook on medium heat until soft about 8 minute’s salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
In the same pan add the other tablespoon of butter – sauté the onions until soft. Turn the heat up to medium-high and toss in the sliced mushrooms. Cook the mushroom fast so that they don’t release too much moisture, let them brown a bit, add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a separate bowl from the carrots.
Place the broccoli in boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Drain; add salt and pepper to taste add butter if you wish I left it out and just added the salt and pepper. Chop the broccoli into small pieces and set aside in a separate bowl from the other vegetables.
To make the sauce place all the ingredients into a container or you can use the food processor. I used a drop down blender. Blend until creamy and smooth.
Fill the bottom of a large muffin tin with some grated cheese, press down. Add a layer of broccoli then some cheese then liberally spoon some of the sauce over the layer.
Add the next layer of mushrooms, cheese and sauce. Press down on each layer.
Now add the carrots and cheese and spoon on the rest of the sauce. The cream should be visible almost to the rim of the pan.
Place the muffin in the oven for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top is nice and browned.
If you like this recipe you might also like my Root Vegetable Paella, perfect for another Meatless Monday Meal!
If you’ve tried this Layered Veggie Muffins recipe or any other recipe on askchefdennis.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram @chefdenniseats and @chefdennistravels, Twitter and Facebook.
Layered Veggie Muffins
Ingredients
Veggie Filling
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 lb carrots cut into matchsticks
- 1 tablespoon dill
- 1 lb mushrooms sliced
- 2 bunches broccoli florets chopped small
- 3 small shallots chopped
- 1/4 lb Swiss cheese grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cream Sauce
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 eggs
- 4 oz cream cheese
- Generous pinch of nutmeg
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Chop the carrots into matchstick size pieces. You can use the food processor but I find something therapeutic about standing up and cutting the carrots into sticks. You have to watch out though; it can become a little obsessive trying to make them all the same size.
- Melt a tablespoon of butter in a large fry pan, add the carrots and dill, (the pungent flavor of dill adds a unique blend to the carrots) cook on medium heat until soft about 8 minute’s salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- In the same pan add the other tablespoon of butter - sauté the onions until soft. Turn the heat up to medium high and toss in the sliced mushrooms. Cook the mushroom fast so that they don’t release too much moisture, let them brown a bit, add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a separate bowl from the carrots.
- Place the broccoli in boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Drain; add salt and pepper to taste add butter if you wish I left it out and just added the salt and pepper. Chop the broccoli into small pieces and set aside in a separate bowl from the other vegetables.
- To make the sauce place all the ingredients into a container or you can use the food processor. I used a drop down blender. Blend until creamy and smooth.
- Fill the bottom of a large muffin tin with some grated cheese, press down. Add a layer of broccoli then some cheese then liberally spoon some of the sauce over the layer.
- Add the next layer of mushrooms, cheese and sauce. Press down on each layer.
- Now add the carrots and cheese and spoon on the rest of the sauce. The cream should be visible almost to the rim of the pan.
- Place the muffin in the oven for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top is nice and browned.
Nutrition
Christina
These muffins are great, but the prep time is extremely misleading. It took me nearly an hour and a half to get these in the oven (all the veggie chopping, cooking, making the sauce, grating the cheese, etc). It’s a good thing I wasn’t in a time crunch to make these. Maybe I’m a slow poke, but I would love to see someone do all that prep in 20 minutes! Just wanted to alert anyone attempting this recipe that it is A LOT of preparation. But all that being said, it’s worth it! it is absolutely delicious!!
Nami | Just One Cookbook
This is such an interesting concept/method and I love these muffins!! These are something that I’d love to feed kids as a snack. Congrats on your guest post Suzi, and thanks Chef Dennis for the wonderful guest!
mangiabella
oh wow, these veggie muffins look absolutely mouth watering, I am so hungry right now just looking at them!!!!!!!! Fabulous recipe, fabulous guest post!
Ally
These look fantastic! Great color & presentation.
http://allykayler.blogspot.com
Britne @ Shabbott's Habits
Oh my! I just love this. Like quiche without the crust, but So. Much. Prettier! Love, love, love how this looks when you cut into it.
Elizabeth @Mango_Queen
What an amazing recipe for healthy, delish muffins and a fantastic post ! I love all the mouth-watering photos! Thanks for sharing your TGIF guest post & recipe!
cooking rookie
These muffins look so pretty, and with that amazing cream sauce and all the cheese they must be a real comfort food!
B n B
This looks great. They don’t stick to the bottom of the muffin pan do they?
Trish
Suzi…..these look awesome!
Suzi
Thanks Trish.
Suzi
Thank you Dennis. What a great opportunity this has been, all the way to the top. WOW.
You are the King!!
Enjoy your weekend.
Suzi
Christine
Congrats on Foodbuzz top 9!
Lori Lynn
Love this vegetable filling.
Congrats on T-9!
LL
Peggy
What a great idea for breakfast! It’s like a loaded individual frittata =)
Carolyn
Okay, this is a keeper of a recipe. I am definitely making this, perfect for a diabetic’s breakfast!
[email protected] kitcheninspirations.wordpress.com
I love the sound of this recipe! Served as breakfast or brunch would be delicous! And there is no flour, makes it perfect for my gluten intolerant friend!
Jen
It’s great that they can be frozen – it’s always nice to have a few items you can toss in the freezer to unthaw when you’re in a pinch for time or just don’t feel good.
mjskit
These look absolutely wonderful! How ingenious! Great guest post and – BTW – I DO remember the hippie era of 40 years ago. Fun times! 🙂
Suzi
Oh MJ, I am so happy to hear you say that. Thanks!!
Margaret Murphy Tripp
Those muffins look insanely good! My teenage daughter just decided to become vegetarian, so these are perfect!
Suzi
Thanks Margaret, I was a teenager also when I became a vegetarian. There really are a lot of good things to eat in the veggie world.
Liz
What a delicious guest post!!! This is the way I want to eat my veggies! Off to visit Suzi’s blog to say hello~
Lorraine
Hi Dennis! What a wonderful guest post…thank you Suzi, for sharing these incredible savory muffins!
Cucina49
OK, now I’m hungry–these would make a great portable lunch!
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love.
Welcome, Suzi!! This is so awesome!! I’ve never seen a muffin like this!!! I want to bite into one right now!!!
[email protected]
What a neat way to eat your veggies! I could probably even get my kids to eat these and that’s saying something. Thanks for sharing another awesome blogger with us, Dennis!
Katie @ BloomEveryday
Love this! I am a vegetarian and this is a dream come true for me! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Jessica | Oh Cake
I love that this is a riff on quiche. I could happily serve this at a dinner party with a salad and/or a winter soup. The fact that they freeze and are portable is a huge bonus. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Dionne Baldwin
Wow, these veggie muffins look incredible (I love the contrasting layers!) and they also sound delicious! I don’t know if I will opt for the hand chopping. Maybe it’s my experiences cooking in restaurant atmosphere or maybe it’s my impatience but I probably will opt for the food processor. 🙂
I’m so glad I “met” you Suzi! The men in my house revolt at anything without meat, but it’s psychological. I’ll use my Taylor-made-it tactic and the might just not even notice that there isn’t any meat! I’m going to go check out your blog for more recipes!
Dennis and Suzi I hope you both have an awesome Friday and an incredible weekend!
The Elegant Eggplant
Great job Suzi!!! These look amazing.
Jill @ MadAboutMacarons
Suzi – well done on such a lovely guest post: wonderful, colourful layers. It’s funny, I used to be vegetarian, then started eating meat again in France but now after seeing all those wonderful veggie meals, as you say Dennis, I’m thinking of returning to the veggie camp! Bon weekend xo
Joy
That looks great!
Kimberly @ Badger Girl Learns to Cook
Wow! These look so good. I am loving the savory muffin trend. I am really excited about trying these. And thanks for sharing your story. Isn’t it amazing what some encouragement can do? 🙂
Suzi
Thanks and you are absolutely right about encouragement. Yes!
Kelly
What a brilliant idea!! I love these healthy yet savory little muffins!! 🙂
Alyssa
These look very tasty! I love that you can make them and freeze them for a quick breakfast or lunch. Another great guest post!
RavieNomNoms
Hi Suzi! Your muffins look to die for! I love vegetables. I can never get enough of them. I can see myself eating these for a meal hehe.
Hi Chef! Hope your week isn’t as busy this next week. Take it east this weekend!
Curt
What a great ingredients list. This is not the everyday muffin. This is a very healthy muffin!
Sandra
This rocks!
Suzi
Yeah, Thanks!
The Mom Chef ~ Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time
Wow, those look delicious. I love the fact that they’re done in muffin tins as well. Suzi, thank you so much for sharing this with us. And, just so you know, yes, I do remember the hippy era…barely. I loved the addition of dill in the carrots and am with you; standing at the counter and match sticking carrots (or any vegetable) is very therapeutic. I’ll take that over the mechanized way every time.
Chef, as usual, thank you for another fantastic guest post. I’m going to go check out Suzi’s site now.
Manu
These look so beautiful! With all those colourful layers of yummy veggies! Really pretty! I am sure they taste great too! Awesome guest post Suzi and Chef Dennis! Thanks 🙂
Suzi
Thanks you Manu.
The Kitchen Noob
I like the portability of this muffin. It looks very filling and satisfying, and healthy too!
Ann
Okay – I’ve got to wait til he puts it on FoodBuzz first…..I got this thru email – but it’s gonna get buzzed….thanks for such a GREAT guest post!
Suzi
Ann, you are fabulous. Thank you!!
Ann
This is absolutely incredible! What a terrific recipe! I’ve buzzed this one….and I’m hitting the stumble button! I love it!
Boulder Locavore
Several thoughts. First Suzi, I promise this is not a gratuitous blog comment; I AM going to make this at the first chance I get. I love this entire concept and they look great. I feel you are channeling Jessica Seinfeld’s ‘get vegetables into your kids’ with this, and through delicious means! What a completely clever idea! I absolutely love it. What a pleasure to ‘meet you’ here.
Chef Dennis, I’m am never surprised but always nodding my head in agreement (and with some sentimentality) reading the intro your guest bloggers start off with. Always the same; how you have helped and encouraged them. For all of us, it is the same. We feel so indebted to you and you do not expect anything from us other than to pass it along. You are the architect of community, my friend.
I Stumbled this too……I think……not so nimble on that quite yet!
Suzi
Thank you so much for your kind words. I do hope that you make the muffins and enjoy them. Let me know.
Yudith @ Blissfully Delicious
Interesting recipe, it is similar to the individual quiches that I love to make, but minus the crust–and I love the use of cream cheese as well to add texture. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I’d have to try this sometimes