Shepherd’s Pie

Modified from here, there are great instructions and pics on this linked page-

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie with Gravy

Ingredients:

Mashed Potatoes

  • 3 lb. potatoes peeled and chopped
  • 2 tbsp Earth Balance, or equivalent
  • 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Vegetable Filling:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced very fine
  • 4 medium carrots, peeled & small dice
  • 1/4 cup corn kernels (frozen or canned)
  • 1/4 cup peas (frozen or canned)
  • 4 celery stalks, small dice
  • 1 cup, full sodium vegetable broth (or more as needed)
  • 1/4 cup red wine (or more broth)
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2-3/4 tsp kosher salt, to taste + black pepper
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • Vegan meat crumbles (optional)

Mashed Potatoes.  Boil chunks of potato in large pot for 30 minutes or until tender.  Drain off water.  Add Earth Balance and milk and garlic powder.  Mash.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside covered.

Vegetable filling.  In large pot (not a pan)… heat up olive oil.  Start with onions for 5 minutes until translucent.  Add in garlic.  Stir.  Add in carrots and celery.  Cook over med heat for 10 minutes until carrots start to soften.  Add in peas and corn.  Do not let mixture dry out.  You may need to add more olive oil.  Cook over medium heat another 15 minutes.

In a bowl, add broth and wine (wine is optional).  Stir in flour and using a fork or whisk remove any lumps.  It helps to stir in flour just a small bit at a time.  Mixture should be creamy.  Add thyme and Italian seasoning.

Add broth mixture to vegetables and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.  If mixture starts to dry out, add in more broth or water.  At the end of the simmer, vegetables should be in a sauce that is pretty thick, but not dry.   Add salt and pepper to taste.

If using frozen vegan meat crumbles, heat up in small pan with a bit of olive oil.

In a serving dish approx 9×13 , line bottom of dish with meat crumbles.  Carefully ladle the vegetable mix over the meat crumbles to provide an even layer.  Then add the mashed potatoes over the vegetable layer.  It helps if the potatoes are not too firm (mix in more non-dairy milk if the potatoes are too set).

Sprinkle the top of the potatoes with paprika and ground pepper. Bake in oven at 425 for 30-35 minutes until top is golden brown.  Let sit for 10 minutes after baking.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley or green onions (or both) and serve with mushroom gravy.