Arts & Culture

Shepherd’s Pie

Cooked with vegetables, lentils, tasty spices, and everyone’s favorite- mashed potatoes, Shepherd’s Pie is a perfect recipe for any dinner. Although this appetizing pie is commonly made with meat, this recipe is vegetarian but still scrumptious and nutritious. The recipe might look a little intimidating at first, but just take it one step at a time and you’ll have a delicious meal in less than an hour.

 

Ingredients – 

Potato topping: 

  • 3 pound of potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons butter 
  • ¾ cup of milk
  • ¾ teaspoon salt 
  • Few shakes of black pepper
  • 1 ½ cups of cheese shreds

Lentil filling:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves (about 1 tablespoon) garlic, minced 
  • 3 cups cooked lentils, drained and rinsed (see notes at the end for how to cook lentils)
  • 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
  • 2 tablespoons dried thyme
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • A few shakes black pepper 
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (you can also use soy sauce)
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups frozen pea and carrot mix 
  • 1 cup frozen corn

Instructions – 

For the potato topping:

  • Chop your potatoes into large chunks. You can peel them or leave them as they are (I’ve tried both and they both taste great!). Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook them uncovered for about 15 minutes.
  • Drain the potatoes, then return to the pot. Add the butter, milk, salt and pepper to taste and mash (I recommend using an electric mixer but you can also hand mix it) until smooth and creamy. Stir in ¾ cup of cheese. The rest will be for sprinkling on the top. 
  • Cover and set aside while you make the lentil filling. 

For the lentil filling: 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  • In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat, then add the onion and sauté (fry quickly and mix well) for 3-4 minutes, until translucent. Make sure to keep stirring so nothing burns. 
  • To the skillet, add the lentils, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, Worcestershire or soy sauce, and tomato paste. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute. 
  • Now add the flour and stir well until incorporated and there are no clumps remaining. 
  • Stir in the broth, peas and carrot mix, and corn. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, making sure to stir occasionally. 
  • Pour the lentil mixture in a 9×13 baking dish (you can also use a pie pan). Spread it out in the pan, then spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the lentils. Spread evenly. 
  • Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top if desired, then bake for 25-30 minutes until hot. If you bake in a glass pie pan, I recommend placing the pie pan on top of a baking sheet in case anything spills over. Once it is done cooking and the top is a little brown and the cheese is melted, serve immediately and enjoy!
  • For leftovers, make sure to cover the pie and store in the refrigerator. Leftovers are usually good for a week or so!

Notes –

  • To cook the 3 cups of lentils, combine 1 ½ cups dry lentils and 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain the excess water. 

 

Sources

Taylor, Author: Nora, et al. “Lentil Shepherd’s Pie.” Nora Cooks, 3 Aug. 2021, www.noracooks.com/lentil-shepherds-pie/. 

Photo credit: Author

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