Description
If cold-weather comfort food is what you’re after, this vegetarian shepherd’s pie is sure to satisfy. Loaded with vegetables, white beans, and tons of savory flavors, this hearty casserole is topped with a blanket of cheesy mashed potatoes. Naturally gluten free! See recipe Notes for some substitution suggestions.
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup (130g) diced onion
- 1 cup (130g) diced carrots
- 1/2 cup (65g) sliced celery
- 8 ounces (227g) sliced mushrooms
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup (120ml) red wine
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar (or another vinegar you have on hand)
- 3 Tablespoons (50g) tomato paste
- 2 cups (480ml) vegetable broth
- 1 can (15 ounces/425g) white beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 and 1/2 cups (150–250g) frozen mixed vegetables (do not thaw)*
Potatoes
- 2 pounds (907g) russet or gold potatoes, peeled and chopped in 1-inch chunks
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt, whole milk, or heavy cream)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (85g) shredded sharp white cheddar cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the potatoes for the topping: To save time, and ensure that the potatoes are still warm when ready to use, boil the potatoes while you prepare the filling in step 2. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan or stockpot, and add enough water to cover, so that the water line is about an inch above the potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-high and boil until soft, about 10–15 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes. Drain the potatoes and set aside.
- Cook the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the red wine and vinegar to the pan. With a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, stir and scrape up any vegetable bits sticking to the pan. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, broth, beans, herbs, salt, pepper, and bay leaf and let the mixture come to a boil. (You may need to increase the heat to medium-high to help it along.) Once it starts to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and thickened into a sauce, about 20 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat. Remove and discard the bay leaf, and then stir in the frozen vegetables. If your skillet is not oven-safe, transfer the filling to a greased 2.5–3-quart baking dish.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Finish the potato topping: Place the warm potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, sour cream, and salt. With a handheld potato masher or electric mixer, mash or beat until combined and creamy. Fold in the shredded cheese. Spread the mashed potato topping evenly over the filling.
- Bake for 30 minutes; then, keeping the shepherd’s pie in the oven, turn on the broiler setting and broil on high for 1 to 3 minutes, until golden spots appear on the topping.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, if desired, and serve warm.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat as desired. You can also freeze this for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat as desired.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: This dish tastes best baked right after you cook it on the stove. But, if needed, you can make both the mashed potatoes and filling up to 1 day ahead of time. Refrigerate both and assemble and bake the next day. I recommend bringing the mashed potato topping to room temperature and beating in a couple Tablespoons of milk to thin it out before spreading on the cold filling. Increase bake time by a few minutes.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Vegetable Peeler | Oven-Safe Skillet or Braiser Pan like this | Wooden Spoon or Silicone Spatula | Glass Mixing Bowl | Potato Masher or Handheld Mixer | Box Grater | 2.5- or 3-quart Baking Dish
- Pan to Use: For cooking the filling and baking the dish, I recommend a 12-inch oven-safe skillet that’s at least 2 inches deep. If you don’t have one, you can cook the filling in a large pot and transfer it to an oven-safe casserole dish that’s about 2.5–3-quarts in size. You could also use a Dutch oven, which can go from stove to oven.
- Mushrooms: If you wish to skip the mushrooms, use 2 cans of white beans instead of 1.
- Red Wine: You can use any kind of red wine; I always use an inexpensive table wine. If you want to skip the red wine, you can replace with 1/2 cup more vegetable broth and use 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, but expect to lose some flavor.
- Vegetable Add-Ins: Use 1 and 1/2 total cups of mixed vegetable add-ins. I usually use a mix of frozen peas and corn (no need to thaw before using). You can also use fresh chopped vegetables, or canned and drained vegetables.