Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

This is a great recipe to prepare ahead of time and freeze to bake later – and it’s also a perfect meal to share with a new mama! It’s warm, soft, protein-packed, and not heavily seasoned.  This is a vegetarian recipe, but if you prefer a vegan meal you can use vegan BBQ sauce, and almond or soy milk.

Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

Filling Ingredients:

– 1 Tb olive oil – 1 onion, chopped – 2 carrots, peeled & chopped – 16 oz mushrooms, chopped – 4 cloves garlic, minced – 2 tsp. dried thyme leaves – 1.5 cups brown or green lentils (or 38 oz canned lentils) – 3 cups vegetable broth (or 1 bouillon cube) – 1 cup peas (fresh, frozen, or canned) – 2 Tb. soy sauce – 1/4 cup BBQ sauce

Topping ingredients:

– about 8 potatoes, peeled & chopped – 6 cloves garlic, crushed – 1 cup milk (can also use soy/almond milk) – 1 cup (full-fat) canned coconut milk – 2 tsp salt

Filling directions:

Preheat oven to 425F. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or skilled (med-high). Add in the onion, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, and thyme, and sauce for about 6-8 minutes (until softened and bits are browned). Remove from pan and set aside. Return the pan to heat, and add in lentils & vegetable broth. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, until the broth is absorbed and the lentils are tender.

While the lentils cook, prep the mashed potatoes. (Alternative method – substitute canned lentils and 1 bouillon cube, and mix directly into onion/carrot mixture). Add the vegetables back into the pan with the lentils. Add in the peas, BBQ sauce, and soy sauce. Heat through. Scoop the mixture into a casserole dish or large skillet, and then spread the mashed potatoes on top. Bake for 10-15 minutes (until the pie is hot and bubbling around the edges)

Topping directions (mashed potatoes):

Cover the potatoes with water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Boil for about 20 minutes, until they are tender. In a medium saucepan, combine the garlic, milk, and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. When your potatoes are done, drain, and return to the pot. Mash and add about half of the milk mixture to the potatoes. Mix, and then add the remainder of the mixture until you get a consistency that you like. Season with salt.