Delicious mushroom and chestnut stuffed carrots (tree logs) wrapped in shredded phyllo pastry. A unique vegetarian main, perfect for a vegetarian Thanksgiving or Christmas dish or special occasion recipe! Vegetarian (easily veganised), grain-free, paleo, healthy & delicious fun baked carrots recipe!
If you’re in the mood for a really unique vegan main then these mushroom and chestnut stuffed and baked carrots – or as I like to call them, tree logs – could be right up your alley! These carrot tree logs are not only grain-free, paleo and healthy – they are also Vegetarian but super easily Veganised (simply use Vegan butter). Plus, they’d be a brilliant vegetarian roast dinner recipe, an excellent addition to a vegetarian thanksgiving spread or even vegetarian Christmas recipe.
Stuffed carrots aren’t a completely new concept, in fact they are a dish that is a lot more common in middle eastern cuisine and , with my Lebanese background, I’m no stranger to these delicious stuffed vegetables. I’ve tried to add my own twist to this classic here though.
I like to think of these as a fun take on a spring roll or healthy mushroom wellington too. I mean the elements are there: Pastry and a delicious mushroom filling. You can even serve these along with a delicious gravy or creamy sauce for even more of a mushroom wellington vibe.
These stuffed carrots also work well as a vegetarian appetizer or side dish, served alongside a larger meal. Serve these ‘tree logs’ up in a large dish in the centre of the table on top of some edible ‘soil’ and they’re sure to be a conversation starter too.Â
Side note – Add some edible ‘googly eyes’ to these stuffed carrots and you’ve easily got yourself a healthy and fun Halloween recipe too – zombie carrots!
How to make these stuffed Carrots
In terms of special equipment, there is only one tool you’ll need for these delicious mushroom & chestnut stuffed carrots. That is a vegetable corer.Â
Note* I also used a pastry bag with a piping nozzle to help stuff the carrots. However, you could also use a ziplock bag and snip the corner off. It may just be a bit more fiddly.
The actual method to making these stuffed carrots is super simple though so let’s get straight into it.Â
The main first step for this recipe is obviously carrot selection. I tend to buy them loose in the shop so that I can hand-select the best ones that are large enough and even in shape and size. The main thing you need to watch out for is that they are thick enough to be cored and stuffed- So basically, no baby carrots unfortunately.Â
To begin the stuffed carrots recipe, wash the carrots and cut off the tops and bottoms of each carrot (peeled carrots aren’t necessary) and then use the corer to core the carrots.Â
Next you need to parr-boil them. Simply boil the carrots for 5 minutes in a pot on med-high heat.Â
Meanwhile, as the carrots are boiling, you can chop the onion, mushrooms and chestnuts. I used a knife to chop the onion and then blitzed the mushrooms and chestnuts separately in my hand-held blender/food processor.Â
After the 5 minutes, turn off the heat for the carrots and leave them in the pot for a further five minutes. The point here is to cook the carrots without making them too soft or too hard.
The exact times this can take will vary depending on the size of your carrots but I’ve found the above method has worked well for me every time.Â
Next, fry the onion with half the butter over medium heat until they are lightly browned then add the mushrooms, garlic flakes, salt & pepper and cook for a few more minutes until the mushrooms are cooked through.
Add the rest of the butter and the chestnuts for a few more minutes. You should end up with a thick-ish paste.Â
Now, the fun part
It’s time to stuff the carrots; I used a piping bag and nozzle but a nozzle isn’t necessarily needed, it may just be slightly more fiddly without.Â
Wrap the carrots in a layer of shredded phyllo dough (a single layer should be enough, just make sure it’s completely covered) and brush lightly with some olive oil.Â
Place the carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and grill on high heat, turning the carrots every two minutes. Cook until all of the sides are uniformly cooked, browned and crispy.Â
These oven roasted carrots ‘tree logs’ are now ready to be eaten.Â
Other Recipes you may like
If you like these stuffed carrot ‘tree logs’, then you might like some of these other unique carrot recipes. For example, this carrot soup ‘pond’ or this carrot leaf pesto. Alternatively, for another fun woodland theme recipe, you might like these autumn leaves crackers.Â
If you give this stuffed carrots recipe a go, then let me know your thoughts. I also love to see your recreations so feel free to tag me @AlphaFoodie.Â
Stuffed Carrots
Ingredients
- 5 carrots uniform
- 9 ounces chestnuts pre-cooked
- 7 ounces mushrooms
- 1 onion
- 4 ounces butter
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic flakes
- Shredded phyllo dough
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for brushing
Instructions
- The main first step for this recipe is obviously carrot selection. I tend to buy them loose in the shop so that I can hand-select the best ones that are large enough and even in shape and size. The main thing you need to watch out for is that they are thick enough to be cored and stuffed - so basically, no baby carrots unfortunately.Â
- To begin the recipe, wash the carrots and cut off the tops and bottoms of each carrot (peeled carrots aren't necessary) and then use the corer to core the carrots.Â
- Next, you need to parr-boil them. Simply boil the carrots for 5 minutes in a pot on med-high heat.Â
- Meanwhile, as the carrots are boiling, you can chop the onion, mushrooms and chestnuts. I used a knife to chop the onion and then blitzed the mushrooms and chestnuts separately in my hand-held blender/food processor.Â
- After the 5 minutes, turn off the heat for the carrots and leave them in the pot for a further five minutes. The point here is to cook the carrots without making them too soft or too hard.**
- Next, fry the onion with half the butter over medium heat until they are lightly browned then add the mushrooms, garlic flakes, salt & pepper and cook for a few more minutes until the mushrooms are cooked through.
- Add the rest of the butter and the chestnuts for a few more minutes. You should end up with a thick-ish paste.Â
- Now, the fun part - it's time to stuff the carrots. I used a piping bag and nozzle but a nozzle isn't necessarily needed, it may just be slightly more fiddly without.Â
- Wrap the carrots in a layer of shredded phyllo dough (a single layer should be enough, just make sure it's completely covered) and brush lightly with some olive oil.Â
- Place the carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and grill on high heat, turning the carrots every two minutes. Cook until all of the sides are uniformly cooked, browned and crispy.Â
Debbie H
We aren’t big on chestnuts. What would you suggest as an alternative?
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Debbie,
I haven’t tried it yet, but you could use some jackfruit seeds or tiger nuts (which are actually not nuts but tubers) instead of the chestnuts. Alternatively, you could use some more mushrooms and add a bit of hazelnut or pecans. I hope this helps.