Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

St. Patrick has become a fun food holiday in our home. While we usually put together a traditional corned beef and cabbage, this year we decided to try a vegetarian recipe with the same distinctive flavors. The old Shepherd’s pie gave us just the flexibility we needed to accomplish our goal.

Lentil Shepherd’s Pie - Ingredients

For lentil filling:

• 4 cups of cooked lentils
• 1 cup of carrots, diced
• 1 ½ cups of onions
• 4 Garlic cloves, mashed
• 1 Cup of diced, cooked potatoes
• 1 Tablespoon of flour
• 1 Teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Cup of frozen peas and corn
• ½ Cup of tomato sauce
• ½ Teaspoon of dried thyme
• ½ Teaspoon of dried rosemary 
• ½ Teaspoon of salt
• ½ Teaspoon of white pepper
• Olive oil

For mashed potato top:

• 1 ½ Cooked Russet potatoes
• 1 ½ Teaspoons of Irish butter
• A pinch of salt and pepper
• A drizzle of cream
• 1 Egg
• 1 Cup of shredded cheese

1. Sauté the onions and garlic with a drizzle of olive oil until golden. 
2. Add the lentils, veggies, flour, tomato sauce, spices and Worcestershire. Mix well and cook for about 10 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile, mash the potatoes and mix with the egg, cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Set it aside.
4. Preheat your oven at 350 degrees. Place filling at the bottom of a baking dish. Then cover it with a layer of mashed potatoes and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes and serve when it cools.