Epic Lentil & Mushroom Shepherd's Pie with "Everything Bagel" Mashed Potato Topping

I teamed up with Fresh Start Fauxmage to bring you this Shepherd's Pie recipe, and I'm pumped to share it with y'all.  Every now and again I make something and I'm just like....DAMN this is good. This Shepherd's Pie falls into that category. I developed this recipe to utilize their popular "Everything Bagel" Fauxmage. It's what flavours the mashed potato topping, and let me tell you.... it's SO good. Creamy cheesy mashed potatoes and a rich, flavourful lentil & mushroom base. I think it's the best Shepherd's pie I've ever had to be honest. I really wanted to develop the rich flavour you'd find in a meat version of Shepherd's Pie and I do think I achieved my goal with this recipe. I did that by trying to build complexity. You might look at the ingredients and think does a tsp of soy sauce really need to be added? It would still be good I'm sure but I have always found layering different flavours makes a difference...so that's how I cook. This recipe calls for red wine, a bit of soy sauce, maple, smoked paprika, fresh rosemary and a splash of good quality balsamic vinegar. (A better quality balsamic will have more sweetness, lower quality ones tend to be more acidic) Anyway, onto the recipe...if you make it, I hope you love it as much as I do. 

💜🌱

Trisha

Lentil Mushroom Mixture

Ingredients

• veg oil for sautéing
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, small dice
• 1 stalk of celery, small dice
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
• 2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water
• 1 tbsp vegan butter
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup dried green lentils
• ½ cup frozen green peas
• splash of good balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 4 cups veg stock
• S&P

Method

1.  In a cast iron pan, heat a bit of veg oil. When pan is hot add mushrooms. Cook until golden   brown. Set aside.
2.  In a large pan, sauté onion, carrot & celery in veg oil until softened. Add garlic and cook 3   more minutes. Season with S & P
3. Add tomato paste & smoked paprika. Cook while stirring for 1 minute.
4. Add red wine and browned mushrooms. Let it cook down a bit.
5. Now add dried lentils, rosemary, veg stock and season with more S & P
6. Add maple syrup, balsamic vinegar & soy sauce.
7. Simmer until lentils are cooked. (lentils should be soft but still have some texture)
8. Add vegan butter & frozen peas.
9. Now mix cornstarch & water mixture (slurry) and add to lentil mixture. Simmer while stirring for a few minutes until thickened.
10. Taste and adjust seasoning.
11. Cool completely

Everything Bagel Mashed Potato Topping

Ingredients

• 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 container Fauxmage Everything Bagel cheese
• 2 tbsp vegan butter
• ½ cup oat milk, heated
• S&P

 Method

1. Add potatoes to a pot and cover with cold water. Season with a few good pinches of salt.
2. Boil potatoes until softened.
3. Drain well then add to a bowl along with Fauxmage, vegan butter & oat milk. Mash together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cool completely

Assembly & Baking

1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. Spoon lentil & mushroom mixture into an 8x8 square (or equivalent) ceramic baking dish.
3. Top with even layer of mashed potato mixture. (don’t try to smooth it down, leave rough/rustic bits so the potatoes can more easily brown.
4. Dot the top with a bit of extra vegan butter.
5. Bake on a sheet pan for 25-30 minutes.
6. Broil at the end to brown the topping a bit.
7. Let cool slightly, garnish with freshly chopped parsley if desired, then serve.