Cybil Shepherd, Dax Shepard, Shepard Smith from Fox News, and Abraham (that one famous shepherd in the Bible) wouldn’t agree on most things. I’m guessing here; I don’t know any of them personally. But I’m confident that my Vegan Shepherd’s Pie is better than any meat-and-cheese version they’ve ever had.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
1 bunch celery hearts, chopped
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
One 12-ounce package veggie ground beef substitute (Morningstar Farms Grillers Crumbles is my favorite.)
2 cups peas
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons vegan gravy mix (I like Bistro or Gravy Master.)
10 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¾ cup water
4 potatoes (I like Yukon Gold with the skins on for this.)
½ bulb roasted garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
3 slices Daiya nondairy cheese, roughly torn
1. Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add the carrots and celery with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes more.
3. Add the crumble, peas, paprika, gravy, mushrooms, tomato paste, and water, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Cover the pot and simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
5. In a medium pot, cover the potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes for 25 minutes while the stew cooks.
6. Drain and mash the potatoes. Add the softened garlic, olive oil, almond milk, Daiya, and lots of salt and pepper and stir them into the mash.
7. Spoon the stew mixture into a baking dish. Cover with a layer of the mashed potatoes. Use a fork to smooth out the potatoes.
8. Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes, then slice and serve.