Shepherd's Pie with Lentils

This pie will fill your house with amazing aromas of thyme, baked potatoes, and sauteed onions. Delicious! Traditionally, the Shepherd's pie is made with lamb in Britain or beef in America. I made a vegan version of the pie with lentils.

• 4 large potatoes
• 1/2 stick vegan butter, melted (or normal butter if you use dairy products) 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk (or normal milk) 
• 4 green onions, chopped
• olive oil for sauteing
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1 cup cooked lentils (a little more than1/2 cup of dry lentils will yield1 cup cooked ones. Make sure they are slightly undercooked)
• cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Step 1: Prepare Mashed Potatoes

I usually chop my vegetables while the potatoes are boiling. Boil the potatoes. Mash them with a potato masher. Add vegan butter, soy milk, and green onions. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything well. Keep warm.

Step 2: Saute Vegetables

Heat about 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large saute pan. Saute onions and garlic for 2 minutes. Add carrots, celery, thyme, and vegetable broth. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add frozen corn and peas. Saute for 2 more minutes. Add cooked lentils. Mix everything well. Season to taste. Make sure you don't overcook the vegetables. They will be baked in the oven, so they will become even softer.

Step 3: Make the Pie

Grease a casserole dish with cooking spray. Transfer the vegetable mixture, including the broth, into the greased dish. Top with the mashed potatoes. You can rough up the potatoes to create an uneven top that will brown nicely. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes or until the top is browned and a bit bubbling.

Enjoy!