If cold-weather consolation meals is what you’re after, this vegetarian shepherd’s pie is bound to fulfill. Loaded with greens, white beans, and tons of savory flavors, this hearty casserole is topped with a blanket of tacky mashed potatoes. And it simply occurs to be naturally gluten free, as effectively.
Have you ever ever had shepherd’s pie? Should you’re unfamiliar with this conventional English dish, it’s a casserole that usually contains floor lamb and greens, which is topped with mashed potatoes and baked.
The model I’m sharing at the moment is a vegetarian tackle the comforting traditional. Right here, we’ve leveled up the topping by together with white cheddar cheese within the creamy mashed potato, which then will get good and crispy on high below the broiler. Beneath is a well-seasoned stew-like filling of mushrooms, white beans, and greens. Hearty but wholesome, and so deliciously warming on a chilly day.
In the present day’s recipe joins my checklist of 30+ scrumptious fall dinner recipes—and for good purpose! Between testing, photographing, and filming a video reel for this dish, we most likely made it about 12x. My total group and I liked this. The flavour is downright INCREDIBLE.
Why You’ll Love This Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie, Too:
- Traditional consolation meals, like a stew, casserole, or pot pie
- Hearty but healthful and wholesome filling
- Effectively-seasoned with garlic and herbs
- Customizable based mostly on the greens you like
- Topped with creamy, tacky mashed potatoes
- A wonderful approach to make use of up leftover mashed potatoes!
- Satisfying all-in-one meal
- Vegetarian and naturally gluten free
- Good as a hearty vegetarian possibility for a vacation meal
Pot pie is normally ready with pie crust or puff pastry and baked in a pie dish. It’s so satisfyingly scrumptious and my double-crust hen pot pie is my go-to after I crave the common model. I even have a biscuit-topped vegetable pot pie, which is extra like a casserole and extra much like this vegetarian shepherd’s pie. The 2 variations with this recipe is that (1) we’re topping it with mashed potatoes as an alternative of pie crust, puff pastry, or biscuits and (2) the filling isn’t creamy/dairy-based.
Components in Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie Filling (& Substitutions)
- Olive Oil: Warmth some olive oil within the skillet earlier than you start sautéing.
- Vegetable Base: Chopped onion, carrots, and celery (aka mirepoix) make a flavorful and fragrant base to many soups, sauces, and stews. We’re including some additional carrots, too.
- Garlic: I normally use 3 cloves of garlic, however you might enhance it to 4 for additional taste.
- Mushrooms: Mushrooms lend their meaty weight to this vegetarian filling, however if you happen to don’t look after them, you’ll be able to double the beans as an alternative.
- Purple Wine + Purple Wine Vinegar: We examined this shepherd’s pie with out the wine, and located the flavour missing. Select a reasonable desk wine—you don’t want a lot, and the alcohol cooks off; that stated, if you happen to’d reasonably not use it, you’ll be able to double the crimson wine vinegar and add somewhat extra broth.
- Tomato Paste: This helps the filling to thicken because it cooks. It serves the identical objective on this candy potato chili, too.
- White Beans: I take advantage of 1 can of nice northern beans right here, however be happy to make use of cannellini or navy beans as an alternative.
- Vegetable Broth: Vegetable broth is the principle liquid within the filling, which helps all the things prepare dinner down collectively right into a stew-like consistency.
- Herbs & Seasonings: Thyme, rosemary, parsley, salt, pepper, and a bay leaf taste this filling. Should you don’t have recent herbs, you’ll be able to substitute dried as listed within the printable recipe under.
- Vegetable Add-Ins: Right here’s the place you’ll be able to mess around with the recipe by including within the greens you like most or have readily available. I normally use a mixture of frozen peas and corn. A bag of frozen blended greens is tremendous handy, however you need to use recent or canned and drained greens as an alternative of frozen, if you want.
What’s the Greatest Pan to Use for Shepherd’s Pie?
Be at liberty to prepare dinner and bake this shepherd’s pie multi function pan utilizing an oven-safe skillet, like we do with this simple skillet pot pie recipe. I like to recommend a 12-inch cast-iron skillet that’s at the least 2 inches deep. Should you don’t have one, you’ll be able to switch the cooked filling from the stovetop to any oven-safe casserole dish that’s about 2.5–3-quarts in dimension. You may additionally use a Dutch oven, which might go from range to oven.
I used a Le Creuset braiser pan within the shade Sea Salt, which is unquestionably somewhat expensive, however such glorious high quality. Makes a stunning present to any prepare dinner or baker. (I’m not working with this model, only a massive fan!)
Cook dinner the filling substances on the range per the recipe under. Earlier than it thickens, it appears to be like like this:
Tacky Mashed Potato Topping
For this, you want 2 kilos of potatoes. I usually use Yukon Gold, however russet potatoes are good too. You additionally want butter for taste, bitter cream to offer a creamy texture, salt, plus some white cheddar cheese. As an alternative of bitter cream, you need to use plain yogurt, milk, or heavy cream.
The cheese is non-obligatory, however style testers and I liked the flavour sharp white cheddar offers right here.
Sure. Should you occur to have leftover mashed potatoes from a giant vacation meal, save your self a while and use these to high the pie as an alternative! Don’t fear about measuring how a lot; simply add a pleasant layer on high of the stew-like combination.
You need to use a potato masher when you’ve got one, or a handheld mixer (what I take advantage of), or perhaps a pastry cutter.
Unfold the mashed potato topping over the thickened and heat filling (pictured under), after which bake:
End by broiling for a pair minutes, to crisp up the highest of the mashed potatoes.
Heat from the oven, this vegetarian shepherd’s pie is an entire meal in a single. I normally serve it with a easy inexperienced salad on the aspect. Between the creamy mashed potatoes, the vegetable filling, and well-seasoned taste, this humble-looking dish ALWAYS delightfully impresses.
Extra Savory Dinner Pies
This recipe is a part of Sally’s Pie Week, an annual custom the place I share a handful of recent recipes that match into the pie/crisp/tart class. Be part of the neighborhood under!
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
Prep Time: quarter-hour
Cook dinner Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Whole Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Yield: serves 8
Class: Dinner
Technique: Cooking
Delicacies: English
Description
If cold-weather consolation meals is what you’re after, this vegetarian shepherd’s pie is bound to fulfill. Loaded with greens, white beans, and tons of savory flavors, this hearty casserole is topped with a blanket of tacky mashed potatoes. Naturally gluten free! See recipe Notes for some substitution strategies.
Directions
- Cook dinner the potatoes for the topping: To avoid wasting time, and be certain that the potatoes are nonetheless heat when prepared to make use of, boil the potatoes when you put together the filling in step 2. Place the potatoes in a big saucepan or stockpot, and add sufficient water to cowl, in order that the water line is about an inch above the potatoes. Deliver to a boil over excessive warmth, then scale back warmth to medium-high and boil till comfortable, about 10–quarter-hour, relying on the dimensions of your potatoes. Drain the potatoes and put aside.
- Cook dinner the filling: Warmth the olive oil in a massive skillet over medium warmth. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms and prepare dinner, stirring sometimes, till the greens start to melt, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and prepare dinner, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the crimson wine and vinegar to the pan. With a silicone spatula or picket spoon, stir and scrape up any vegetable bits sticking to the pan. Cook dinner till a lot of the liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, broth, beans, herbs, salt, pepper, and bay leaf and let the combination come to a boil. (You could want to extend the warmth to medium-high to assist it alongside.) As soon as it begins to bubble, scale back the warmth to medium-low and simmer, stirring sometimes, till the liquid has decreased and thickened right into a sauce, about 20 minutes. Take away the skillet from warmth. Take away and discard the bay leaf, after which stir within the frozen greens. In case your skillet just isn’t oven-safe, switch the filling to a greased 2.5–3-quart baking dish.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- End the potato topping: Place the nice and cozy potatoes in a big mixing bowl. Add the butter, bitter cream, and salt. With a handheld potato masher or electrical mixer, mash or beat till mixed and creamy. Fold within the shredded cheese. Unfold the mashed potato topping evenly over the filling.
- Bake for half-hour; then, preserving the shepherd’s pie within the oven, activate the broiler setting and broil on excessive for 1 to three minutes, till golden spots seem on the topping.
- Take away from the oven and permit to chill for five minutes earlier than serving. Sprinkle with recent parsley, if desired, and serve heat.
- Leftovers preserve effectively within the fridge in an hermetic container for as much as 5 days. Reheat as desired. You can even freeze this for as much as 3 months. Thaw within the fridge and reheat as desired.
Notes
- Make Forward Directions: This dish tastes finest baked proper after you prepare dinner it on the range. However, if wanted, you can also make each the mashed potatoes and filling as much as 1 day forward of time. Refrigerate each and assemble and bake the following day. I like to recommend bringing the mashed potato topping to room temperature and beating in a pair Tablespoons of milk to skinny it out earlier than spreading on the chilly filling. Improve bake time by a couple of minutes.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Vegetable Peeler | Oven-Secure Skillet or Braiser Pan like this | Wood Spoon or Silicone Spatula | Glass Mixing Bowl | Potato Masher or Handheld Mixer | Field Grater | 2.5- or 3-quart Baking Dish
- Pan To Use: For cooking the filling and baking the dish, I like to recommend a 12-inch cast-iron skillet that’s at the least 2 inches deep. Should you don’t have one, you’ll be able to prepare dinner the filling in a big pot and switch it to an oven-safe casserole dish that’s about 2.5–3-quarts in dimension. You may additionally use a Dutch oven, which might go from range to oven.
- Mushrooms: Should you want to skip the mushrooms, use 2 cans of white beans as an alternative of 1.
- Purple Wine: You need to use any sort of crimson wine; I all the time use a reasonable desk wine. If you wish to skip the crimson wine, you’ll be able to change with 1/2 cup extra vegetable broth and use 2 teaspoons crimson wine vinegar, however count on to lose some taste.
- Vegetable Add-Ins: Use 1 and 1/2 whole cups of blended vegetable add-ins. I normally use a mixture of frozen inexperienced beans, peas, and corn (no have to thaw earlier than utilizing). You can even use recent chopped greens, or canned and drained greens.
Vitamin
- Serving Dimension: 1 serving
- Energy: 321
- Sugar: 6.1 g
- Sodium: 578 mg
- Fats: 14.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 36.3 g
- Protein: 10.6 g
- Ldl cholesterol: 24.9 mg