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Easy Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

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  • Prep 15 min
  • Total 45 min
  • Servings 4
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Who would believe you can make a hearty shepherd’s pie without meat and gravy?
Updated Sep 16, 2016
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Ingredients

Steps

  • 1
    Heat oven to 350°F. Heat water, milk and butter to a rapid boil in 2-quart saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in potatoes just until moistened. Let stand about 1 minute or until liquid is absorbed. Whip with fork until smooth; set aside.
  • 2
    Meanwhile prepare vegetables as directed on package. Stir together vegetables and mushrooms in medium bowl. Spoon vegetable mixture into ungreased 1 1/2-quart casserole; sprinkle with half of the onions. Spread potatoes over onions.
  • 3
    Bake uncovered 25 minutes; sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 3 to 5 minutes longer or until mixture is hot and onions are brown.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

  • tip 1
    Cover and refrigerate potato-topped casserole up to 24 hours. Bake uncovered 30 minutes. Continue as directed.
  • tip 2
    Try reducing the frozen vegetables to 1 cup and adding 3 vegetable burgers, chopped, or 2 cups cooked dried beans.

Nutrition

380 Calories, 20g Total Fat, 6g Protein, 43g Total Carbohydrate, 3g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
380
Calories from Fat
180
Total Fat
20g
31%
Saturated Fat
10g
51%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
25mg
9%
Sodium
1290mg
54%
Potassium
780mg
22%
Total Carbohydrate
43g
14%
Dietary Fiber
4g
15%
Sugars
3g
Protein
6g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
8%
8%
Vitamin C
20%
20%
Calcium
10%
10%
Iron
2%
2%
Exchanges:
1 1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 1 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 4 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
3
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

  • As a food lover, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

    There's no pressure to buy greeting cards, no costumes, no weird hidden agendas or twists on the "real" meaning; it's just a holiday where we get together with the ones we love to feast and give thanks. That's it.

    Of course, it wasn't always that simple. For ten years I was a vegetarian, and Thanksgiving became a bone of contention among my well-meaning but traditional meat-and-potatoes family ("What do you mean you don't eat meat, dear? You always liked my turkey.").

    For five of those meatless years, I was a budding cook that still mostly lived on boxed mac & cheese, tofu hot dogs and bean burritos. I brought meatless "chik" patties to the holiday dinners to eat with my homemade cranberry sauce. But even in my hardcore days, I found the idea of Tofurkey laughable (not to mention expensive), and eventually had to learn to cook real food. Here are a few of my successes, sure to please any vegetarian and probably all of your meat-eating friends, too.

    Super Squash

    Every year I make stuffed acorn squash that knocks everyone's socks off. It's super-easy, too: just halve an acorn squash, scoop out the seeds (you can save these and toast them if you like), then fill the holes with chopped apples, a few spoonfuls of chopped walnuts or pecans, and a pat of butter. Cover with foil and roast it for about 30 minutes at 375 or until the squash is tender, then sprinkle gorgonzola cheese on top and put it under the broiler to brown for a minute. If you want to serve these as a main course, add some cooked bulgur or quinoa to the apple mixture. To serve them as a side, just slice the roasted squash crosswise into little half-moons and arrange artfully on a platter.

    Here's a few more squash recipes your guests might enjoy:

    Acorn Squash with Butter Pecan Sauce
    Pilaf-Stuffed Acorn Squash
    Roasted Butternut Squash
    Parmesan-Butternut Squash Gratin

    Bread Pudding: The New Stuffing

    Savory bread pudding is a wonderful alternative to stuffing, and can be a satisfying main course as well. I use brioche or challah, but you can use a more substantial, whole grain bread if you prefer. Just toss cubed, stale bread with sautéed shallots, leeks, celery, chopped roasted chestnuts (buy these pre-roasted and shelled to save time) and your favorite mushrooms—I use wild chanterelles, if I've been out picking. Pour on a custard of cream, beaten eggs, melted butter, salt and pepper, fresh thyme and—if you're feeling generous—a good dribble of truffle oil. Hey, I never said vegetarian food was light. If you're not eating bread, use cubed butternut squash instead, and add a little sage. Then bake until the custard is set (an hour at 350).

    Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

    You can always go non-traditional and have a vegetarian shepherd's pie. Or should I call it a gardener's pie? Sauté carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, peas, parsnips and leeks, season with salt, pepper and fresh herbs and then add a bit of sherry and rich mushroom stock. Mix in a spoonful of butter and flour (mix together with a fork first) and simmer until it thickens to gravy. Pour into a casserole, top with creamy mashed potatoes or celeriac (maybe a bit of cheese) and bake until browned and bubbly.

    Classic Casserole

    Oh, and don't forget my guilty pleasure favorite, the classic green bean casserole — it's completely vegetarian if you use a veggie cream of mushroom soup (or make Bechamel sauce from scratch). Be sure to use fresh green beans, and top with panko (or the familiar French fried onions) for crunch. If you want to impress your guests, do what I do: call it haricots verts au gratin.

    Have a go-to Thanksgiving vegetarian dish that saves the day? Please share!
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