Hearty Vegetable Shepherd's Pie

One thing we have always struggled with is finding the perfect replacement for the ham or turkey centerpiece of the holiday meal. However, after a few meatless holidays, we finally came up with a solution.

This Shepherd's pie is so hearty and satisfying, you won't even miss that ham or turkey! It is filled with many different vegetables and lentils, and it is something that even our non-plant based relatives look forward to as well!

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Ingredients

• 2 Carrots, chopped into ¼ inch pieces

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 small bell pepper, chopped

• 6-7 small portobello mushrooms, chopped into ¼ inch pieces

• 1/2 cup lentils cooked

• 1/3 cup veggie stalk

• 1/4 cup tomato paste

• 2 cloves garlic minced

• 1/2 cup red wine

• 1 Tbsp vegan worcestershire

• 2 Tbsp Ketchup

• 2 Tbsp liquid aminos

• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 1/2 Tsp onion powder

• 1/2 Tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 Tsp thyme

• 1/2 Tsp oregano

• 1/2 Tsp parsley

• 1/4 Tsp smoked paprika

• 1 Tsp paprika

• 1 bay leaf

• Pinch of salt

• Generous grind of fresh ground pepper

Mashed Potato Topping

• 3 Large white potatoes

• 2 to 3 Tbsp vegan butter

• ⅔ cup unsweetened almond milk

Instructions

1. In a large pot, over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp of olive oil and the carrots, onions and celery.

2. Stir occasionally for 10 minutes.

3. Next add the bell pepper and minced garlic and let simmer for another 5 minutes.

4. Add the tomato paste, vegetable stock, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, parsley, smoked paprika, and paprika, and mix until the tomato paste is evenly incorporated.

5. Let simmer for 5 minutes over low to medium heat.

6. Add in the mushrooms, red wine, worcestershire, ketchup, liquid aminos, and balsamic vinegar.

7. Mix to combine.

8. Add in the salt and pepper, and a bay leaf.

9. Put a lid on the pot, and allow to simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

10. Remove from heat, add lentils, and let sit for 10 minutes.

11. Add the filling to a 9 by 13 baking dish.

12. Cook the potatoes until they are soft, I usually use a pressure cooker and set it to the vegetable steam setting, but you can also boil them on the stove top and test them with a fork for softness.

13. Add the cooked potatoes to a large bowl along with the vegan butter and the almond milk.

14. With a hand mixer on medium speed, mix the ingredients and mash the potatoes.

15. It may seem too liquidy at first, but you want the mixture to be smooth in order to spread it easily on top of the pie.

16. Once all of the ingredients are combined, drop dollops of the mashed potatoes on top of the vegetable layer, and use a spatula to spread the layer evenly on the top.

17. Broil on high for 5 to 10 minutes until the mashed potato layer gets slightly browned.

18. Remove from the oven and serve warm.