Vegetable and mince Shepherd’s pie with cheesy mash

Make this recipe as a vegetable only option or with a mince of choice.

A delicious, filling meal great for dinner or lunch in winter.

This recipe is packed with vegetables and allows you to make a meal that will last a few days, or freeze well for meals in the future.

What you need (tools and utensils):

·       A spatula

·       A large mixing bowl

·       A chopping knife and board to chop on

·       A vegetable peeler

·       A large fry pan

·       An oven proof dish to bake

·       A potato masher

·       A container to save 2/3 of the mince mixture for other recipes (such as Chilli Beef, Taco mince or Spaghetti Bolognaise)

Ingredients:

·       1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

·       1 brown onion, chopped

·       1 packet Shepherds pie flavouring mix such as Continental Shepherd’s Pie

·       2 celery stalks, trimmed, thickly sliced

·       1 carrot, chopped

·       2 zucchini, chopped

·       500g Kent pumpkin, peeled, chopped

·       1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

·       800g can diced tomatoes

·       1 3/4 cups vegetable stock

·       1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed

·       400g can brown lentils, drained, rinsed

·       1.3kg white potatoes, peeled, chopped (if making and eating fresh)

·       1/2 cup milk

·       80g butter, chopped, softened

·       1/2 cup grated  light tasty cheese

·       Fresh thyme leaves, to serve

Method:

1.     Preheat oven to 220C/200C fan-forced. Grease 2.2-litre-capacity baking dish.

2.     Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Add zucchini, pumpkin and rosemary. Stir to combine. Add tomatoes, stock, red lentils flavouring and already cooked mince. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in brown lentils. Season with salt and pepper.

3.     Meanwhile, place potato and garlic in a medium saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to the boil. Boil for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return to saucepan. Add milk and 60g butter. Mash until smooth. Add cheese. Stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

4.     Transfer lentil mixture to prepared dish. Top with mash. Dot with remaining butter. Bake for 20 minutes or until mash is golden. Serve sprinkled with thyme.

Note: This makes a huge serving of Shepherds Pie. Make up a batch of this recipe and freeze the base in containers (just defrost the base in the microwave, transfer into an oven proof dish, add freshly mashed potato or mashed sweet potato to bake and a sprinkle of cheese and bake at a 180C oven for 20mins.

Another option is to add to your already cooked batch of mince and lentils, a sachet of Shepherds Pie mix, a 400gram tin of diced tomatoes, 1 cup of frozen vegetables (or what ever veggies you  have handy in the fridge) and freeze.

Thank you to www.taste.com.au for providing this recipe