Mabon Recipes from Our Community: A Shared Harvest Table

Mabon is a time to recognize the autumn equinox and celebrate balance, gratitude, and the abundance of the harvest. For many Pagans, that celebration naturally includes gathering around a table and sharing food with the people who make life richer.

This year, members of the Pagan Community Retreat committee shared some of the dishes they enjoy during the season. These Mabon recipes are warm, comforting, a little indulgent, and wonderfully personal. Together, they create the sort of harvest meal we love most: one made by many hands and shared in community.

Ocean’s Golden Potato Soup

Rich, creamy, and unapologetically comforting, Ocean’s potato soup is an easy addition to a cool-weather gathering. Leave out the ham for a vegetarian version.

Ingredients

• 1 bag golden potatoes, cubed
• ½ loaf Velveeta, cubed
• 12 ounces sour cream
• 1 block cream cheese, cubed
• 2 large onions, chopped
• Ham, cut into small cubes, to taste
• 1 packet ranch seasoning

Directions

1. Place the cubed potatoes in a large pot, cover them with water, and boil until tender. Do not drain the potatoes.
2. Reduce the heat. Add the Velveeta, sour cream, and cream cheese.
3. In a separate pan, sauté the onions and cubed ham until the onions are soft and the ham is lightly browned.
4. Add the onion and ham mixture to the pot.
5. Stir in the ranch seasoning and continue stirring gently until the cheeses have melted and the soup is creamy.
6. Serve warm and enjoy.

Vegetarian option: Leave out the ham and sauté the onions on their own.

Clover’s Sweet and Spicy Corn and Sausage Chowder

Clover’s second contribution combines corn, golden potatoes, kielbasa, and peppers in a creamy chowder with an adjustable jalapeño kick.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons margarine or butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 bell peppers, diced
• Pickled jalapeños:
  • 0 tablespoons for no spice
  • 1 tablespoon for mildly spicy
  • 2 tablespoons for “really spicy for white people”
  • 3 tablespoons or more for really spicy
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 package kielbasa or another nice sausage
• 1 pound small yellow potatoes, chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 can evaporated skim milk
• 1 can corn niblets, drained
• 1 can creamed corn
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Dice the bell peppers, onion, garlic, and jalapeños, if using.
2. Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the diced vegetables and cook until tender and translucent, approximately 15 minutes.
3. While the vegetables cook, chop the potatoes.
4. Add the chicken broth, potatoes, cumin, and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
5. Peel and chop the sausage. Add it to the pot along with the evaporated milk, corn niblets, and creamed corn.
6. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for another 20 minutes.
7. Ladle into bowls and serve warm.

Jennifer’s Granny’s Creamed-Corn Cornbread

Jennifer shared this family recipe for tender, buttery cornbread made with creamed corn. Serve it warm with butter alongside soup, roasted vegetables, or your favorite harvest meal.

Serves: 8–10

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups plain cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1–3 tablespoons sugar, depending on your preferred sweetness
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 can (14.75 ounces) creamed corn

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or medium baking dish.
3. In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, melted butter, and creamed corn.
5. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients just until combined. Do not overmix.
6. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
7. Bake for 17–21 minutes, until golden and set in the center.
8. Let the cornbread rest briefly before slicing. Serve warm with butter.

For a more old-fashioned, savory cornbread, use only 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Gluten-Free Version

Replace the all-purpose flour with an equal amount of a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend. Use certified gluten-free cornmeal and baking powder, and check the creamed-corn label for gluten-containing additives or cross-contact.

Kandy loves this Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin

This colorful Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin from Spoon Fork Bacon layers sweet potatoes, parsnips, and beets with cream, Parmesan, Gruyère, garlic, and thyme.

Root vegetables and earthy herbs make it a natural choice among our favorite Mabon recipes, while the rows of autumn color make it especially beautiful on a shared harvest table. Visit Spoon Fork Bacon for the complete recipe and instructions.

Clover’s Harvest Honey Cakes

Warm spices and honey give Clover’s Harvest Honey Cakes all the sweetness and abundance of the season. Bake the batter as individual cakes for sharing or as one larger cake for the center of the table.

Ingredients

• 3½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup butter
• 4 tablespoons honey
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Icing

• Icing sugar
• Water
• Cinnamon
• Honey

Directions

1. Arrange cake cases or grease a cake pan, depending on whether you are making individual cakes or one large cake.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt.
4. Add the eggs, honey, butter, milk, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
5. Divide the batter among the cake cases or pour it into the prepared cake pan.
6. Bake individual cakes for approximately 20 minutes or one large cake for approximately 40 minutes.
7. While the cakes bake, mix icing sugar, water, cinnamon, and honey until smooth. Add more water as needed to reach a drizzling consistency.
8. Allow the cakes to cool, then drizzle the icing over the top.

Optional: If using cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks instead of ground spices, steep them in the milk before adding the wet ingredients.

Why Clover Chose This Recipe

I love this for Mabon because it feels warm and abundant. Baking it in smaller cakes reminds me of the Pentacles suit of the tarot, so I make this when I want to invite the prosperity of a good harvest in.

Ocean’s Easy-Peazy Cheesecake Pie

Ocean’s second contribution is a cool, creamy dessert that comes together with just five ingredients. It is ideal when you want something festive without spending the entire celebration in the kitchen.

Ingredients

• 1 block cream cheese, softened
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 1 prepared graham cracker crust
• 1 can cherry pie filling

Directions

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and lemon juice until smooth.
2. Spoon the mixture into the graham cracker crust and spread it evenly.
3. Top with the cherry pie filling.
4. Refrigerate until chilled and set.
5. Slice, serve, and enjoy.

Celebrating the Harvest Together

There is no single correct menu for observing the season. The most meaningful Mabon recipes may be old family favorites, dishes made from seasonal ingredients, foods rich with personal symbolism, or simply something delicious offered with love.

We hope these recipes bring warmth and abundance to your table. However you observe the autumn equinox, may your harvest be plentiful, your table welcoming, and your season shared with good people.