Meatless Lentil Shepherd's Pie

A balanced meal doesn’t have to mean a main course and two sides; instead, try this Meatless Lentil Shepherd’s Pie which combines food groups and is a one-dish wonder! This warm and hearty meal is loaded with zinc, fiber, folate, magnesium, protein, and vitamin A and is a great recipe to try if you’ve got leftover mashed potatoes or veggies to use up!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1⁄2 cup celery (chopped)

1⁄2 cup onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

2 cups lentils (cooked)

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1⁄2 cup vegetable broth

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups mashed potatoes

Yield amount

6 Servings

Preparation time

15 minutes

Cooking time

20 minutes

Total time

35 minutes

Instructions

Wash hands and then rinse celery before getting started.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the celery, onion, and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until softened.
Next, add the lentils, flour, and tomato paste. Cook for 3-4 minutes, continuously stirring until the flour begins to brown.
Add the broth and stir. The mixture will begin to thicken. Add the mixed vegetables and simmer for 2-3 minutes until heated through. Season with salt and pepper and transfer into a baking dish.
Top the lentil mixture with mashed potatoes and put in the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes, or until mashed potato topping is golden brown.

Notes

Experiment with different vegetables such as peas, corn, green beans, or broccoli.
If using leftover mashed potatoes, you can warm them first, so they’re easier to spread on top.
To keep this dish vegetarian, use vegetable broth, but you can easily substitute chicken broth if that’s what you have on hand.

Equipment you’ll need:

Knife
Cutting board
Measuring cups and spoons
Medium pot
Spoon
Baking dish