Meatless Meal Ideas for Lent

One of many recipes to serve during Lent - Giada's Pasta with Carrots & Peas is easy and tasty!

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Meatless Meal Ideas and Recipes for Lent

With Mardi Gras over, the last of the indulgences have passed, and we move into Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten season, which continues on for 40 days. I can only speak to the Catholic faith, but we observe Lent by fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday - though it is not a literal fast.  One full meal is permitted (or two smaller meals that are less than equal to a "full" meal) but that meal must be meat free - though seafood, eggs and dairy are permitted. The remainder of Lent, we abstain from meat on Fridays, so while regular meals may be consumed, they must each be meatless meals, again allowing seafood, eggs and dairy.

Giada's Pasta with Carrots & Peas, the dish you see pictured above, is a great choice for an Ash Wednesday dinner, or for any meatless meal during the period of Lent.  It comes together quickly and is very tasty! Another main dish pasta to consider might be this Angel Hair Pasta with Crab and of course, there's always Everyday Macaroni and Cheese.

Here are a few links for some other choices you might want to consider, many require just a simple elimination of the protein and/or bacon often used in The South to season dishes.  Click the links or photos to view the recipes.

1.  Of course salads are always an option, but a main dish salad like this Shrimp and Crab Mixed Garden Salad, a Panzanella Salad, this Roasted Veggie Spinach Salad, Shrimp Remoulade, and even my mother in law's Shrimp and Salad would also be great meal choices. You'll have to eliminate the warm bacon dressing on the spinach salad of course, but a good Homemade Italian Dressing or even a simple vinegar and oil dressing would work just fine. Fresh Corn Salad and even good Old Fashioned 7 Layer Salad would also be wonderful, just eliminate the bacon garnish.

2. Deviled eggs are always a good choice, as are many basic egg salads, including Tuna Egg Salad and Shrimp Egg Salad, which can be served as a sandwich, stuffed into a whole tomato, or over a bed of lettuce. This Roasted Red Pepper Pimento Cheese would be great!

3.  Make any number of meatless bean dishes like Red Beans and Rice, or Cajun White Beans, or Mixed Bean Soup, by simply cooking these with extra vegetables, water or vegetable stock, and eliminating the meats. Serve over rice.

4.  There's many potato salads to choose from, and pasta salads too, like this Shrimp and Macaroni Salad or this Tri-Color Rotini Italian Pasta Salad - just be sure to eliminate any bacon or other meats included sometimes. Sweet potatoes can be used in a number of ways too!

5.  Eggs in Purgatory (sub in canola oil for the bacon) or Shrimp and Grits served over Garlic Cheese Grits are a nice choice too.

6.  Breakfast for dinner can be a cheese, vegetable, or Seafood Crab and Shrimp Omelet, Creamy Scrambled Eggs with Garden Fresh Herbs, French Toast, French Toast Casserole, Birds in a Nest, or Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes.

7.  Make a rice main dish dinner using this recipe for Spicy Rice and Corn Casserole, Southern Red Rice with Shrimp, or a Vegetarian Fried Rice or make a Veggie Stir Fry by using extra vegetables and eliminating the protein.

8.  Make a vegetarian Vegetable Soup using this recipe and eliminating the beef, beef base & beef broth. Replace that with canned tomatoes, V-8, tomato juice and/or vegetable broth. Southern Succotash is a good main dish veggie meal, simply leave out the meat.

9.  Seafood is plentiful and abundant here along the coast, so it is not considered to be an indulgence and you will find simple fried catfish, shrimp and oysters are common during Lent. Other seafood choices might include Coconut Shrimp, Spicy Orange Garlic Shrimp, Baked Salmon, Crab Stuffed Shrimp, Eggplant Josephine with Crab, Crabmeat Au Gratin, Seafood & Eggplant Casserole (eliminate the bacon), Courtbouillon. Any number of seafood gumbo dishes can be included by simply eliminating the meats typically included.

10.   Try a vegetable centered casserole, like this Petit Pois Peas and Pimento Casserole, Squash Casserole, Squash Dressing (substitute cream of mushroom), Cajun Cabbage au Gratin, or Layered Squash and Tomato Casserole (omit the bacon of course), Spinach Madeline, Broccoli and Cheese Casserole, Hashbrown Casserole, or Velveeta Truck Stop Potatoes. I can easily make a meal from a pot of old fashioned smothered and stewed down potatoes!

11.  Another great idea and one that I adore, is to make up mixture of fresh or frozen veggies (sweet peppers, onion, cabbage, broccoli, green beans, whatever you like) to stir fry, add a sauce & season (I like red curry & McCormick's sesame ginger blend) and stuff into pita pockets. This is one of my favorite meatless meals. You can find my homemade stir fry sauce here.

12. Make a Mozzarella sandwich on a toasted French roll. Spoon pesto on the bottom of the roll, top with slices of fresh Mozzarella and a layer of sun dried tomatoes. Top with torn basil.

As always, some of our Facebook readers also added in some fine suggestions too! Check 'em out y'all:

☞  Courtney shared that she had made a batch of eggrolls with just broccoli slaw, shredded carrot, mushroom and onions. Add a little stir fry sauce while cooking the mixture and then bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Her 7-year old son said they were better than pizza! She served them with brown rice and steamed sugar snap peas and said they were excellent and very filling - you could even eat the mixture served over the rice.

☞  Claire makes a dish using eggplant as the noodle in a lasagna, a red tomato gravy and using vegetables in the layers - squash, zucchini, carrots, & mushrooms. She mixes in some spinach in with the ricotta cheese for the cheese layer. You can also add shrimp or crawfish if you like.

☞  Mary likes to have pasta with olive oil, garlic, blanched broccoli, crushed chilies & fresh parmesan cheese.

☞  Kristell fries a cabbage along with 6 onions, 6 tomatoes, 2 green peppers, 9 chillies and 8 grated carrots with 9 teaspoons of curry powder and serves this over rice.

☞  Carol makes portabello mushrooms stuffed with a ricotta cheese mixture and baked in a marinara sauce, and a chili using vegetarian meatless crumbles as well. (I like the Morning Star brand of Grillers Meal Starters Crumbles. Actually pulled those off on The Cajun - don't judge!)

☞  Sara suggested a spinach & artichoke pizza would be good with salad as a non meat meal. Just combine 1 cup of spinach (thawed and drained) with a can of (drained & chopped) artichokes, 1 cup of alfredo sauce and 1 clove of garlic minced, spread on dough sprinkle with mozzarella or italian blend cheese and bake according to dough or crust directions. You could aslo roast some veggies like zucchini, eggplant, peppers, onion and tomatoes toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper bake at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until tender, and then mix with pasta like penne and fresh herbs, parmesean, and olive oil or just use pesto.

☞  Other suggestions included breakfast for dinner, meatless spaghetti, cheese or other meatless pizzas, cheese enchiladas, cheese baked spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese and tomato soup. Some also suggested red beans and rice (minus any bacon or meat of course), egg omelets, pasta shells stuffed with a cheese mixture, pasta mixed with vegetables and potato stuffed perogies, garden salads, tuna salad, shrimp and egg Salads. Veggie burgers, any number of cooked fresh vegetables like corn, turnip or collard greens, fresh tomatoes, baked sweet potatoes, creamed or mashed potatoes can make a meal, and a basic homemade potato soup is a another great choice. Fish tacos are an easy favorite. Even simple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches can make a meal.

I hope that you found some good ideas for Lent friendly meals here! Please share your own ideas in the comments below if you like.

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Posted by Mary on March 9, 2011

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