Shepherd’s Pie (vegan)

Over the years I’ve tried various recipes for Shepherd’s Pie, some better than others but none good enough to hang on to the recipe. This weekend I tried yet another recipe, tweaking it slightly for ease and taste. Admittedly, this involves more work than a lot of the recipes I make, so it’s probably not a weeknight meal. Yet it is so warm and hearty that it will go in the regular rotation for cold evenings when I have a little more time. Enjoy!

MASHED POTATOES
3 pounds yukon gold potatoes, cubed
3+ Tbsp vegan butter
Plant milk or veg broth (quantity up to you – see instructions)
Salt & pepper

FILLING
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c mushrooms, sliced (I used Baby Bellas)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
Salt & pepper (start with a pinch)
1 1/2 c uncooked brown or green lentils, well rinsed
4 c vegetable stock
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried no-salt herb mix
1 10-ounce bag frozen mixed veggies: peas, carrots, green beans, and corn

Cube potatoes, place in a large pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil on high heat, then generously salt, cover, and reduce heat slightly to cook for 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

While potatoes cook, preheat oven to 425 degrees F, & lightly grease a 2-quart (9×13) baking dish.

Once cooked, drain the potatoes & add back to the pot to evaporate any remaining water. Turn off heat. Use a masher to start breaking down the potatoes, & add vegan butter & plant milk/veg broth to mash until smooth; again, I recommend starting with a little & adding more until you reach your desired fluffy mashed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil about 3 minutes, then add mushrooms. Cook until onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes in total.

Add tomato paste, lentils, stock, thyme, herbs & a pinch of salt and pepper; stir to combine well. Bring to a low boil, then cover & reduce heat to simmer. Check the cook time on your package of lentils; mine cooked in 15-20 minutes.

In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the frozen veggies (note: yes, you could chop fresh carrots & green beans & use frozen corn/peas, but in this case, it’s so much easier to use a bag of frozen veg.) Once the lentils are tender, remove the lid and simmer uncovered to reduce the liquid.

Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Transfer veg mixture to your prepared baking dish and carefully top with mashed potatoes. Smooth down with a spoon or fork.

Place on a baking sheet to catch overflow – don’t skip this step, as veg will boil over & make a mess! Bake for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned on top. You could also put the dish under the broiler for a few minutes.

Let cool briefly before serving.

Note: The lentils will continue absorbing broth as your leftovers sit. When reheating individual servings, add additional veg broth 1 Tbsp at a time as desired. For my leftover lunch, I used 4-5 Tbsp of broth.