Bottom-Friendly Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Bottom-Friendly Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Active time

30 min

Total time

1 hr 15 min

Servings

4

💡 In this recipe, we use a plant-based "beef" product, but you can use ground chicken or turkey as well. Cook the meat with a little beef stock/bouillon, and you'll be good to go. 

Vegan Shepherd's Pie Ingredients

For the Mashed Potatoes:

  • 1 1/2 pounds potatoes (I used white sweet potatoes), peeled and diced
  • 1/4 C non-dairy milk, unflavored
  • 3-4 tbsp vegan butter
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

For the Filling:

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 shallots, peeled
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 1/2 lb plant-based ground meat alternative (I used Beyond brand)
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp dry white wine
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (if you're a flexible vegan, use regular. If you're a die-hard vegan, make sure to use a vegan Worcestershire)
  • 1 C vegan chicken broth
  • 2 tsp rosemary leaves, chopped
  • 1 tsp thyme leaves, chopped
  • 1/2 C corn kernels
  • 1 C fresh English Peas

Vegan Shepherd's Pie Directions

For the mashed potatoes

  1. Place potatoes in a stockpot and cover with cold water. Place over high heat and once the water begins to boil, season with about 2 tbsp of salt. Boil the potatoes until soft, about 20 minutes
  2. Drain the potatoes and add them back to the pot. Add the non-dairy milk, vegan butter, salt, pepper, and mash to combine. Set aside.

For the filling

  1. To a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add the oil. Once hot, add shallots and garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring continuously. Once the shallots and garlic are browned, remove them from the oil. You now know how to make infused oil without all the gas and bloating shallots and garlic tend to bring.
  2. To the infused oil add the carrots and cook until slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
  3. Raise the heat to medium-high heat and add the plant-based ground meat. Cook for another five minutes while breaking down the meat alternative. Add salt, pepper, herbs, Worcestershire sauce, and cook until fragrant, about 2 more minutes.
  4. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute to ensure the flour taste is cooked off. Add the dry white wine and cook down for another 2 minutes. Lastly, add the chicken stock and begin to scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Continue to stir the filling mixture for about 5 minutes or until it has noticeably thickened. Cut the heat and set it aside.

Assembly

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Add the filling to an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish and spread it out evenly. Top with mashed potatoes and spread it out evenly, making sure to "seal" the edges as best as possible with the mashed potatoes. NOTE: If you do not have an 11x7 baking dish and use a smaller dish, leave at least an inch of space at the top of the pan so nothing boils out in the oven.
  3. Bake for 25 minutes or until the potatoes begin to brown. For additional browning, you can also place the dish under the broiler for about 5 more minutes.
  4. Remove the dish from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Serve hot. Bottoms up!