Shepherd’s Pie with Simple Side Salad
POTATOES, How Do I Love Thee
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth of every bite
My soul can reach, for what to eat tonight
For ends of being an ideal dinner ….
We grew potatoes! Thank goodness there are so many ways to eat them. I really could eat potatoes for breakfast, lunch and supper. Shepherd’s Pie plus a side salad, for some ‘green’, provides a quick, nutritious, balanced dinner, and is a great way to eat a few of our freshly harvested potatoes.
Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
Shepherds Pie Mix
- 2 19 oz cans lentils well rinsed and drained. If using dried lentils, prepare according to package directions
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion finely diced
- 227 g cremini mushrooms finely diced
- 1/2 cup walnuts finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- fresh ground pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 tsp hot sauce we use Frank's Red Hot, adjust to taste
- liquid smoke 2-3 tiny drops, carefully adjust to taste
Mashed Potatoes
- 6 potatoes washed, peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp plant-based butter Earth Balance or Becel Vegan
- sea salt
Instructions
Shepherds Pie Mix
- Preheat oven at 425°Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onions and salt and cook for a few minutes. Add the mushrooms, pepper, chilli powder and paprika. Stir occasionally until mushrooms soften. Add walnuts and cook for a few minutes. Stir in lentils, ketchup, tomato paste, hot sauce and liquid smoke until lentils are heated through, about 5 minutes.
Mashed Potatoes
- Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, add salt and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain them well. Mash with potato masher or fork and add oil, butter and adjust salt to taste.
Add shepherds pie mixture to a casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes and bake for 25 minutes or until the potatoes begin to brown.
Shepherd’s Pie Notes & Tips
Five ingredients a few pantry staples and voila! A warm, hearty, really easy to make dinner.
- Onions, Mushrooms & Walnuts: Chop these items finely. The lentils, mushrooms and walnuts are intended to be a ground-round, plant-based like texture. Don’t worry if you, or your family are suspicious of mushrooms! When it’s all cooked up, the mushrooms simply add a bit of umani depth of flavour to the pie. Trust me on this! A huge slice of mushroom in a veggie pot pie? Disgusting fungus. Finely chopped in a Sloppy Joe or Shepherds Pie? Perfect texture and flavour.
- Spices, Condiments & Pantry: ‘Eyeballers’ unite! No need to be too precise with measurements on this one; the measuring spoons can take the night off. Layer your flavours, start with a little and adjust to taste. Too much liquid smoke will ruin the meal. Start with a few sparse drops (thankfully, liquid smoke usually comes in a dropper type container). Need the meal to be kid friendly? Skip the hot sauce and add a bit more ketchup! Out of paprika? Don’t worry about it!
- Potatoes: Wash well, and skip peeling them if you’d prefer. The mashed potatoes topping will be a bit more ‘rustic’ but will retain more fibre. Adjust the plant-based butter and olive oil as you mash. Some varieties of potatoes are creamier than other. The idea is to yield a creamier consistency.
LOVE POTATOES AS MUCH AS WE DO? PERUSE THESE RECIPES:
“I AM JUST SO GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE WAYS I CAN EAT POTATOES” – ME (T-SHIRTS COMING SOON!)
More potato recipes to try:
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