Mabon is the Pagan term for the celebration of the Autumnal Equinox which occurs between September 21st and 23rd annually. Because Mabon celebrates the first official day of Fall, we feast on all things Fall on this cozy sabbat. Let’s celebrate and feast together with these SIMPLE 10 Mabon foods and recipes your entire family will love!
The Witches’ Thanksgiving Table
Mabon, also called the Witches’ Thanksgiving, is the second harvest sabbat in the Wheel of the Year. It also falls on the Autumn Equinox which means it’s the official start to the Fall season. I like to think of Mabon as the doorway to the Autumn and Winter holidays…and for that reason, it’s one of my favorite sabbats. If you don’t celebrate a traditional American Thanksgiving, you can always celebrate the Witches’ Thanksgiving with a feast for your friends, family, or coven. Or feast unto yourself.
In addition to cooking and preparing a magical menu for Mabon, don’t forget to dress up your table with seasonal decorations. Autumn leaves, garlands, and large candle centerpieces set the tone for your Mabon dinner. I like to focus on Fall colors like dark red, gold, orange, and burnt yellow hues. But without further adieu, here are some of our tastiest Mabon recipes to make your Autumn Equinox an enchanted one:
Traditional Mabon Food and Magical Correspondences
| Beverages | Fruits | Herbs | Veggies | Other |
| Ale | Apple | Cinnamon | Corn | Bread |
| Cider | Grape | Rosemary | Gourds | Cheese |
| Mead | Pumpkin | Thyme | Squash | Meats |
| Wine/Grape Juice | Cranberry | Sage | Potatoes | Honey |
Magical Mabon Recipes: Dinner, Drinks, and More!
1. Mabon Herb Roasted Chicken
And now my mouth is watering. One of my favorite seasonal feasts features an herb roasted chicken. When you stuff a chicken with lemons, fresh herbs from the garden and onion, cake the chicken’s skin in salt and pepper, and baste with butter, you have the recipe for mouth-watering, moist chicken for your Autumn Equinox meal. I’ve been making this Mabon recipe for years and it’s ALWAYS a hit!
Mabon Recipe: Herb Roasted Chicken
Ingredients:
- whole chicken, cleaned and innards removed
- 2 lemons, cut into chunks (unpeeled)
- one onion, cut into chunks
- handful of fresh herbs: rosemary, thyme, and lemon balm are best!
- half stick of salted butter
- generous amount of salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Clean the chicken: remove the innards and wash the outside. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Squeeze a lemon chunk into the chicken’s cavern and then stuff the lemon chunks, onion pieces, and fresh herbs into the chicken. Tie the legs closed.
- Rub salt and pepper all over the chicken’s skin.
- Set on pan and bake at 350 degrees. 20 minutes per pound.
- When there’s 40 minutes left on the chicken (or before the chicken skin gets too crispy/burns), melt your butter and pour over the chicken. Return to the oven.
- Every 10-15 minutes following, baste the chicken with the juices in the pan.
- Remove from oven and let cool. Cut and serve.
2. Mabon Food: Lemon Thyme Green Beans
A delicious Mabon food addition to the herb roasted chicken above is lemon thyme green beans. If you can get your green beans fresh, even better! Steam or roast your green beans, then add fresh lemon juice and fresh thyme over top. Simple and delicious Mabon food that’s also healthy.
3. Traditional Mabon Apple Pie
There’s no fruit that reminds me more of the Fall than the apple. And if you’re an American, you’ll agree that apple pie is a traditional American dessert…so how perfect is the apple pie as a traditional American Mabon dessert? The following Mabon recipe is for apple pie, my great grandmother’s way.
Mabon Apple Pie Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 6 medium apples (kind is your choice)
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 lemon, juice and rind
- heavy cream 1 cup
- 1/2 Plain Pastry
- meringue
Instructions:
- Prepare a sauce of apples. When tender, rub through sieve and add butter.
- Cool, add beaten eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and rind.
- Stir in cream. Line piepan with pastry and pour in filling.
- Bake in hot oven (425 degrees F) for 10 minutes; reduce temp. to moderate (350 degrees F) and bake 30 minutes longer.
- Top with meringue when cold and proceed as directed.
Makes 1 9″ pie.
4. Mabon Mulled Cider
Apples are popular in the fall and rightfully so. They represent the goddess and the otherworld. What better way to celebrate Mabon than by crafting a delicious mulled cider for family and friends (adult friends, as it is alcoholic). Here’s a delicious mulled cider Mabon recipe.
5. Mabon Foods: Fall Charcuterie Board
Any time we have family or friends over during the holidays, we love preparing a charcuterie board for appetizers. Here are a few items you can put on your palate-perfect Mabon Charcuterie board:
- fruit: apple slices, dried apricots, dried cranberries, pear slices
- nuts: salted cashews, almonds, spicy pecans, cinnamon-sugar walnuts
- cheeses: swiss, brie, manchego, harvarti, gouda, sharp cheddar, stilton, etc.
- meats: salami, smoked sausage, prosciutto, and cured meats of all kinds
- crackers
- local honey and jam or preserves
Don’t forget to offer a lovely red or white wine to go with your Mabon foods like a charcuterie board.
6. Rosemary Garlic Potatoes: Perfect as a Mabon Side Dish
You’re going to love me even more when you read this scrumptious Mabon recipe comes from the Unofficial Harry Potter cookbook! Roasted red potatoes with rosemary and garlic = little morsels of the Otherworld in your mouth. Here’s the cookbook:
7. Fall Popcorn Trail Mix
Now this a fun one to make with the kids. Try a Fall Popcorn Trail mix as an after-dinner snack. It takes simple ingredients and brings the excitement of Halloween a bit earlier – on Mabon! There are so many autumn ingredients to add to your Mabon popcorn mix including: caramel, candy corn, apple chunks, m & m’s, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and more! Try this Harvest Caramel Corn (one of our favorite Mabon recipes) by Two Sisters Crafting.
8. Acorn Squash Soup for Mabon
What plant screams Fall more than squash? What’s the perfect Mabon food? Time to bust out the slow cooker and make some hearty squash soup for the family. Easy and delicious! Try Betty Crocker’s acorn squash and apple soup recipe here.
9. Pumpkin Spice Coffee
If you’re a basic witch like me, you might be a pumpkin spice lover…own that sh*t! The spices in pumpkin spice bring prosperity and protective vibes. Just by adding a little pumpkin spice to your coffee in the morning is enough to bring success throughout the day! Here’s more on that.
10. Spicy Whole Roasted Cauliflower
If you’re a roasted vegetables type of person, try making spicy roasted cauliflower to go with your Mabon feast. Slather your cleaned head of cauliflower in olive oil, making sure to drip the oil down inside the entire head. Then smother it in your favorite spices – I like pepper, salt, and chili powder. Put it on a baking sheet and pop it in the oven. Let it cook at 400 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes. The perfect, spicy Mabon recipe!
11. Instant Pot Meals for Mabon
Sometimes Mabon (and other sabbats) fall on a week day, and the gods know most of us are busy AF at that time. That’s why the gods invented the Instant Pot. Okay, maybe they didn’t but I believe that magical contraption was divinely inspired! A few Instant Pot meals that are kid friendly AND appropriate for Mabon include:
- Chicken Noodle Soup (add fresh Mabon herbs like rosemary and thyme!)
- Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo (yes, Alfredo works well as it’s loaded with garlic, a warding ingredient for Mabon, and is creamy and delicious!)
- Instant Pot Apple Cake (YUMMY and with apples, a Mabon food staple)
- Or try making bread in your Instant Pot!
- Find all of these recipes here.
Here’s More to Help You Prepare for Mabon:
- Mabon Blessings, Spells and Powerful Forms of Divination
- What is Mabon? It’s History, Lore and How to Celebrate
- PUMPKIN Magic: A Dozen Ways to Use Pumpkin in Your Craft
