Cold weather means hearty soups, warm bread and a mug of hot tea. Shepherd’s pie is traditionally made with minced lamb, but this delicious vegetarian version will be sure to please everyone! It’s similar to the vegetable pot pie that I made last year, but instead of biscuit dough on top that bakes into a crust in the oven, a shepherd’s pie is topped with mashed potatoes to keep all the moisture and flavor in.

Recipe: Shepherd’s Pie

Source: Eating For Life PETA magazine

Get the recipe here!

Modifications, Testing and Recommendations: While I don’t agree with many of the practices of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) – click here to read about how they euthanize the majority of animals in their shelters – their free magazine always has some excellent vegan recipes.

This shepherd’s pie recipe is vegan, but I didn’t have any dairy substitutes on hand so this version contains milk and butter in the mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy. If you are using fresh carrots instead of canned, blanch them first so they are soft enough. Make sure you choose the right dish to bake it in – if it’s too shallow, the pie will dry out. I used a deep dish so that the ratio was 2/3 of the vegetables and gravy, and 1/3 of mashed potatoes on top. Because the deeper dish, I cooked the pie for about 10 minutes longer than suggested.