Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
There is nothing more comforting than shepherd’s pie during the winter months. I often serve this as a main entrée for Thanksgiving or Christmas and is a favorite at my house!! Everyone loves it and what’s not to love?? Vegetables and “meat” in a gravy sauce, topped with “cheezy” mashed potatoes and baked to perfection. Sounds pretty good, right? This recipe is super easy to make, and you can prepare it ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for a few days.
While I try to limit the use of meat substitutes, I have found a clean plant-based ground-beef that I use in this recipe from Abbot’s Butcher. It has simple, real ingredients, which is why I feel comfortable using it in my recipes. It’s made from pea protein, tomato paste, EVOO, porcini mushroom, sea salt, onion powder, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, pepper, mustard seed, ginger root, coriander, and thyme. Pretty simple and nothing scary there. If you don’t want to use a meat substitute, this shepherd’s pie tastes just as good without it; it is just not as hearty without the “ground meat”.
This recipe makes one pie. Depending on what else you are serving, it’s enough for 4 or 5 people. My kids are big eaters and I typically double this recipe to make 2 for my family. This entrée also refrigerates and reheats well, so it is nice having some leftovers for a few days.
Ingredients
Filling:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Cup chopped onions
- 1 container of Abbot’s Butcher Plant Based Ground “Beef”
- ¼ Cup chopped fresh Italian Parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
- 2 Tablespoons fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Ground pepper to taste
- 1 Tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tablespoons flour (I use almond flour, but any flour will do)
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup vegetable broth (favorite brand is the “No Chicken” broth from Imagine)
- 1 cup frozen mixed peas & carrots
- ½ cup frozen corn
Mashed Potato Topping
- 3 Large russet potatoes
- 8 Tablespoons vegan butter (favorite brand is Miyoko’s)
- 1/3 cup plant-based milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ vegan parmesan
- 1/3 cup vegan sour cream
Optional: 1 carton of vegetable broth to cook the potatoes in for added flavor
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Peel the potatoes and cut into 2-inch cubes. Cook the potatoes in 1 carton of vegetable stock until soft. If you don’t want to cook the potatoes in vegetable stock, you can use water. However, if you choose the stock option, your potatoes will have a lot more flavor and you can use a little of the broth to mix into the mashed potatoes for a creamier consistency without extra butter or fat.
- While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filing.
- Add the oil to a large skillet and cook the onions for about 5 minutes, or until soft.
- Add the plant-based ground beef, parsley, rosemary, sage, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce and minced garlic and cook for another minute or two.
- Add the flour and tomato paste and stir until well mixed, making sure there are no clumps of flour or paste.
- Add the vegetable broth, peas, carrots, and corn. Simmer on low for 6 to 8 minutes. Set filling aside while you prepare the mashed potatoes.
- Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and place into a large mixing bowl. If you used vegetable broth to cook the potatoes, ladle some of the broth into the mixing bowl.
- Add the vegan butter, plant-based milk, salt, vegan parmesan, and vegan sour cream to the potatoes and using a hand mixer, beat until smooth and creamy. Add more broth to the potatoes if needed to make smooth and creamy.
- Lightly oil a glass pie plate. Fill the pie plate with the filling and give it a firm press with the back of wooden spoon.
- Add the mashed potatoes to the top of the filling.
- Bake the pie for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
