Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie
By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by The Mushroom Council and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.
The first time I had Shepherd’s Pie, I was hooked – I mean – what’s not to love about saucy meat and vegetables blanketed by cheese and hearty, buttery, garlic infused mashed potatoes?
Zilch – right?!
But…this Runnin Srilankan has a hard time running after a dinner of indulgent Shepherd’s pie! That heavy, weighed down feeling stays with me for at least 24 hours; slowing me down and making me feel tired -and I am not a huge fan of being tired! So…much like the way I healthy-fied these Chocolate Scones, I set out on a quest to healthy-fy Shepherd’s Pie.
After experimenting with versions using ground chicken, cubed eggplant and smooshed tofu (my daughter threatened to go on a hunger strike if I made her eat more than a bite of that latter version); I found a winning version using meaty portabella mushrooms.
My daughter is my main guinea pig taste tester and if she doesn’t give a recipe a thumbs up, it doesn’t make it here on the blog. There have been many times when she has taken one bite and has given me a look that doesn’t require her to actually say the words “trash it”- like last week, when I made quinoa muffins with mango puree and applesauce!
But then, there are other times when her tastebuds are ignited and her teenage appetite makes it’s debut and what I thought was enough to last us 4 dinners, ends up vanishing in one?!
And that’s what happened when I made this Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie! After I cut a piece of it to photograph, I went to find my camera and when I got back – the plate was empty! When I fished for an explanation – her justification was that I asked her to taste it – my math skills must be rusty because I don’t remember a teaspoon equaling a whole piece?
Though, I cannot really blame her – this version was insanely, epic-ally, dopingly, fantabulous!
With a meatless base loaded with meaty portabella mushrooms, garlic, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, and ginger, and a topping of cauliflower, red potatoes and garlic mash separated by a layer of cheese, this healthy-packed-with-flavor version of Shepherd’s Pie is well worth a try!
As a member of Recipe Redux, I had the opportunity to enter my Shepherd’s Pie into the “Trend is to Blend” contest sponsored by the Mushroom Council, who are also sponsoring another contest on Facebook (open to all), titled “The Swap It or Top It Contest“! Please check out their page and enter to win 5 big ones! My math skills are not off on that one – you read right – it’s 5 BIG ones!
Ingredients
For the base
- 1 onion chopped
- 6 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 inch piece of ginger chopped
- 2 portabella mushrooms chopped
- 1 carrot chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 1 green pepper chopped
- 3 sweet peppers chopped red/orange
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- salt and pepper
- 3/4 cup Cheddar/Monterrey cheese or cheese of your choice
For the topping
- 1 cauliflower head boiled - for 30 mins
- 4 red potatoes boiled - for 30 mins
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
For the base
- Saute the onion, garlic and ginger till onion caramelizes (about 30 minutes on a low/medium flame - it takes a while, but the flavor combined with the mushrooms is well worth the time)
- Add the mushrooms and saute about 5 more minutes
- Then add the peppers, celery, carrot, canned tomatoes and salt and pepper
- Layer this in a baking glass/pyrex dish
- Layer the cheese on top of the mushrooms/veggies layer
For the topping
- Pulse the boiled cauliflower, potatoes, garlic and coconut milk in a blender or food processor
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Then layer this on top of the cheese and mushrooms and veggies
- Bake for 30 mins at 375
- Serve warm with a side salad
This veggie filled shepherd’s pie is brilliant lady! I love how you lightened it up with the mushrooms and all those veggies. I am drooling over the sound of that cauliflower/potato mash with coconut milk and all the flavors in here! Haha I don’t want to have a hard time running after my 3 year old after dinner so this lightened up pie needs to happen – pinning 🙂
Thanks Kelly – that cauliflower/potato/coconut milk mash was so good! I made something similar with beets and cauliflower and coconut milk and it was so so good too!
What an awesome way to lighten up shepherd’s pie AND make it meatless! I love this! I’m such a fan of mushrooms so I know we would love this one!
Thanks Ashley!
LOVE this – so clever and so colorful too! Going try this one out on the hubby who claims he doesn’t like mushrooms but he sure likes Shepherd’s Pie
Haha – I hope you were able to trick him! my daughter loves shepherd’s pie, but she is not a huge fan of beef…the opposite of your hubby!
Thanks so much Deanna!
I love your spin on Shepard’s Pie! I must try using all veggies coconut milk next time.
Thank You Cindy!
In my book as well 1 teaspoon = 1 portion – but only when the food looks this delicious. So don’ t expect any justification thereof, she did what was right 😉
Anywayssss, I love that you made it with mushrooms; I’m like obsessed with mushrooms, so this is a total winner!
Haha – I read your comment out to her, Mike, and now she is on cloud nine!
I am a little obsessed with mushrooms myself – made some lentil-mushroom burgers last night – they were so good my daughter ate 4 – this time her justification was that she had been existing on mashed and pureed food for almost 4 days – these were her initiation back to real food!
My hubby would LOVE this…and so would my sister, so I am totally sending her this recipe! Pinning this right now! :)-Ashley
Thanks so much Ashley!
That looks utterly fabulous Shashi! The men in my life love mushrooms and I’m sure this would fill them up and make them happy. 🙂
Have a marvelous Monday!
Thanks so much Melanie! Hope you are having a wonderful weekend
I’m trying out vegan for a while so this looks right up my street (minus the cheese, of course) I love how flavourful and colourful the filling is. Mmm!
Thanks so much Aimee!
So, I actually don’t like shepards pie, because I don’t really like ground beef (unless it’s in a burger) it just has a weird texture. BUT, you made one with WITHOUT MEAT. YES. I <3 this! Pinned!
Taylor, I am not a huge fan of beef – period! I think I’ve had beef only a handful of times …I was taken to a butcher-house back in Sri lanka and it kinda killed my beef love!
Thanks so much sweet lady.
If it’s good enough for your teenage daughter, it’s good enough for me! Sounds great!!! Love the idea of a veggie mushroom shepard’s pie!
Thanks so much Chris!
What a great idea for a vegetarian version of shepard’s pie. I need to give it a try. 🙂
Thanks so much Ramona
GOrgeous colors Shashi! I love using portabella mushrooms as a meat alternative so I have no doubt this version of Shepherd’s Pie is as delicious as it looks. I love that you subbed some of the potatoes for cauliflower- such an easy way to get in an extra dose of veggies :)!
Thanks so much Khushboo!
I am all about sneaking in veggies! When my daughter was younger she went through a face where she did not want to try anything colorful, so we made a deal to try one new vegetable a week – well…the days between, I had to come up with creative ways to sneak veggies in 🙂
Such a lovely recipe, I am a fan of healthy-fying recipes myself. Good job and I hope you will win this contest.
Thanks so much Amira!
Hey Shashi!
I like what you did with shepards pie. Mushrooms are good in so many dishes. And I agree, caramelized onions are definitely worth the wait!
Hey Christine – thanks so much!
Portobello mushrooms are the best! Love that you combined cauliflower and potatoes with coconut milk for the topping. Yum!
Thanks Christin – that topping was so good indeed, but I have noticed, without butter or oil, it doesn’t get as crispy – but it still tastes great!
This indeed looks very delicious, Shashi, esp. that colourful filling! And I do want to see the quinoa muffins!!
Have a wonderful week ahead!
Angie
Thanks so much Angie! I didn’t take a picture of those quinoa/mango muffins – they were truly blech! I have to give them a go again…soon…