I’ve made this veggie-packed, completely delicious meal multiple times and each time, fall a little bit more in love with it. It’s hearty, comforting and genuinely easy to make. The base is a saucy mixture of peas, carrots and sautéed mushrooms and then you top it off with a layer of mashed potato that has juuust a bit of cream cheese in it to make it tangy and extra special. I hope you love this meal as much as I do!

While a Shepherd’s Pie is traditionally made with ground lamb (over the centuries the pie crust itself was replaced with potato, but the ‘pie’ was retained in the name), I’m all for veggie-fying it just because this version tastes soooo good! I’d bookmarked this Pinch of Yum recipe eons ago and when I finally got down to making it, I realised I didn’t have the fresh herbs, broth or red wine on hand. So I modified it to add more flavour with dried seasonings, just used water to make the sauce because the tomato paste adds heft and I promise the sauce doesn’t taste diluted or blah. I also prefer to sauté mushrooms separately before adding them to a dish, so I did that here too. With the onions and carrots, I browned them a little in the skillet before adding the peas and other good stuff. I find a little browning just makes everything taste better! And finally, while I loved the idea of a slightly tangy layer of mashed potato, I didn’t have thick yoghurt but did have cream cheese and it absolutely did the trick.

I’ve made a half batch of the original recipe which fits in an 8-inch skillet and makes two very generous servings or four smaller ones. The mashed potato definitely makes this a pretty filling meal! But the veggies balance things out, and the tomato paste in the sauce is very little, but takes it from a ‘meh’ to ‘omg’ base effortlessly.

Once you’ve made the veggie base and spread your potato layer over it, the whole thing is baked together until bubbling and irresistible but take a few extra minutes to broil the top just for those extra crispy potato bits around the edges and the golden-brown French fry-ish hue on top. That might be my favourite part!

Veggie Shepherd's Pie

A saucy base of peas, carrots and sautéed mushrooms topped with a layer of cream cheese mashed potato!

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 1 15

Makes: 2 large servings

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Ingredients

2 large potatoes (400-500 gms)
1 tbsp butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup cream cheese (55 gms), at room temperature
3 tbsp olive oil
200 gms button mushroom, sliced
1 medium onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup peas (if frozen, soak in hot water for 20 mins)
1 small dried bay leaf
1 tsp mixed herb seasoning (more as needed)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup water (250 ml)
Salt and pepper, as needed

Instructions

Cook the potatoes (unpeeled) until tender enough that they can easily be pierced with a fork all the way through, but are not mushy. I pressure cooked them for two whistles, but you can cook them in an instant pot or any other preferred way.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle but still warm, peel them and mash them in a bowl. Add the butter and cream cheese along with salt and pepper. Mix well to combine, taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.
To make the veggie base, first cook the mushrooms. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a pan on medium heat. Then add the sliced mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the moisture evaporates. Spread the mushrooms out and then let them cook mostly undisturbed until they're golden around the edges, flipping over each slice as needed. Set aside in a small bowl.
Now, in an oven-safe cast iron skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil on low. Add the minced onion and garlic and saute until lightly browned (see photos below). (If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, use the same pan as you did for the mushrooms upto step 7 and then transfer it to a baking dish before topping with the mashed potato).
Next, add the carrots with a pinch of salt, stir them up with the onions and garlic and let them cook until about halfway done and slightly caramelised for more flavour. Stir in the peas along with the bay leaf and herb seasoning. Loosely cover the skillet and cook till the carrots and peas are tender but not mushy, 3 to 5 minutes.
Now stir in the tomato paste, followed by the flour. Slowly add the water, stirring as you go so that no lumps form. A sauce will start to form almost immediately and it will thicken as it cooks (you can add a bit more water if needed, I found 1 cup was enough). Add a sprinkling of salt and pepper and simmer for a minute or two. Taste and adjust as needed.
Finally, stir in the cooked mushrooms and then spread the mashed potatoes all over this veggie layer. You can also use your hands to even out the potato layer if that's easier. Brush the top with the remaining olive oil.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the potato layer is lightly browned. Then switch to the broil setting at 150 C for 5 to 10 minutes until golden-brown and irresistibly crispy around the edges, moving the pan closer to the broiler if you like.
Let the Shepherd's Pie cool for about 10 minutes, then serve and dig in! I store leftovers in an airtight tin in the fridge for 2 to 3 days and reheat in the microwave as needed. Happy cooking!