Shepherd's Pie (With Plant-Based Beef)

Piece of plant-based Shepherds pie on plate.

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4.92 from 25 votes

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Prep Time15

Cook Time35

rest time10

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings (change as needed):

Author: Cheryl Avrich

US Measures - Metric

Ingredients

Root Vegetable/Potato Mash Topping

2 pounds root vegetables, cut into 1 inch/2.5cm cubes, Note 1
2 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
2 tablespoon butter (regular or vegan)
4 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, divided (optional), Note 7
1 tablespoon -2 light cream or milk, optional
1/4 cup chopped green onions (optional) (about 3 small)

Filling Layer (in order of use)

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onions (~ 1/2 a medium onion)
1 cup small diced carrots (or half carrots, half other veggie like peppers, celeriac, parsnip, etc)
3/4 pound plant based beef (best brands: Impossible Beef and Beyond Burger)
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (about 2 cloves)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce, Note 2
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, Note 2
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, Note 2
1/2 teaspoon each, salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup vegetable stock or broth (I use 3/4 cup broth, 1/4 cup red wine), Note 3
1/2 cup frozen corn niblets
2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped

US Measures - Metric

Instructions

HEAT OVEN to 400F/204C and place rack in top 1/3 of oven. Spray a 7-8 inch (18-20cm) square pan with oil.
MAKE POTATO/ROOT VEGETABLE TOPPING: °Boil: Place potatoes and other root vegetables in a medium pot. Add enough cold water to cover veggies by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Add 2-3 tsp salt. Bring to boil. Lower heat to medium and gently boil for about 15 minutes or until soft and fork tender. °Drain: Drain vegetables in a colander and return to the pot. On medium heat, shake cooked vegetables to evaporate water for 1 minute. °Mash: Add butter, green onions and 3 tablespoon Parmesan (if using) and 1-2 tablespoons milk/cream if you like (not too much milk - you don't want the potatoes soupy). Mash with a fork or potato masher. Do not use a food processor or immersion blender. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Set aside.
MAKE FILLING LAYER: ° Sauté veggies: Heat oil in large skillet to medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. ° Sauté 'beef': Add plant based beef and chop it up into small pieces with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Stir in garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes, until 'beef' is brown. ° Make gravy: Stir in flour for 2 minutes. Add broth/wine, frozen corn and spinach. Stir to combine well. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes to let the mixture thicken for a rich gravy. Taste and adjust seasonings.
ASSEMBLE AND BAKE/BROIL: Spoon 'beef' filling layer into casserole dish. Top with a thick layer of ~3 cups/630 grams root vegetable mash (you may not need all the mash you made). Fluff topping with fork. Sprinkle on 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan if desired. °Bake for 15 minutes. Note 4. Turn oven to Broil. °Broil for 2-3 minutes until topping is golden brown. Top with extra green onions if you like. °Rest on counter for 10 minutes. Serve.

Notes

Root Vegetables - Use two or more of: white potatoes (Yukon/yellow are best), sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, rutabaga (swede), celery root (celeriac). For this recipe, I use 1 sweet potato, 1 yellow potato, 1 parsnip and 1 carrot for a total of about 2 lbs (a bit more or less won't matter). Or see Note 5 on shortcuts.
Seasoning substitutions:
- Instead of thyme and rosemary, use a total of 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning.
- Instead of vegan Worcestershire sauce, use a combination of soy sauce and balsamic vinegar, or plain soy sauce.
Best broth: Good brands for vegetable broth, based on taste tests, are Brodo, Zoup, Swanson’s Organic Vegetable Broth and Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base (mixed with water). If you are not a vegetarian, use beef broth (my favorite is Campbell's Beef Broth 30% less sodium in a can).
Baking note: If you made the filling earlier and it is now cooled, add about 10-15 minutes extra time to the baking.
Shortcuts:
- Replace root vegetable mash with 3 cups/630 grams store-bought real mashed potatoes.
- Instead of veggies, corn and spinach in the recipe, use 2 cups/280 grams frozen mixed veggies (in addition to the onions)
Variations and Substitutes:
- Topping: Use plain mashed potatoes, sprinkled with [vegan] Parmesan cheese.
- Beef: Non-vegetarians can use regular ground beef and beef broth for the gravy.
- Vegetable options: Instead of spinach, try adding 1/2 cup/80 grams frozen peas or 1/2 cup/38 grams cooked lentils. You can also substitute the veggies in the recipe with chopped mushrooms, red peppers or whatever else you have around.
- Substitute vegan Worcestershire with soy sauce or a combination of soy sauce and balsamic vinegar.
- For a vegan version: Use vegan Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast, use vegan butter or oil, and substitute the milk with almond milk or equivalent.
Make Ahead/Freeze:
- To make up to 2 days ahead
  - Prepare the shepherd's pie recipe and refrigerate it. When ready to use, bake for 30 minutes, then broil for 2-3 minutes.
- To freeze before baking
  - Prepare the full recipe without baking. Freeze, well wrapped in casserole dish, for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen for about an hour at 350F/176C, then broil for a few minutes.
- To freeze after baking
  - Freeze the fully baked shepherds pie for up to 2 months, well wrapped. Bake from frozen at 350F/176C for about an hour or until heated through, covered with foil.
- Store leftovers
  - In an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days

Nutrition values are loose estimates as they depend on the type of root vegetables used and include all the root veg mash (you will likely not need it all). Wine is also not included.