meatless mondays: meatless shepherd's pie

I mentioned starting a "meatless monday" regular posting previously here, and since it's monday, well, I thought I'd give it a go. I really love cooking, and since becoming a vegetarian, I still feel like I eat really, really well. The idea for this recipe came from Kelleigh's post here. This is my take on the recipe, and it's so yummy that the guys mowed through an entire 9"x13" pan, with my husband commenting later, "Wait, that was meatless?!" {Which he of course knew from the get-go - that was just his way of expressing just how good it was!}

You could easily make this recipe vegan, just by subbing in a bit of earth balance butter, omitting the cream cheese and using your favorite milk substitute when making the potatoes for the top! Everything else is already a go.

Meatless Shepherd's Pie

Pour ½ pound dry lentils into a pot, cover with water and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to use later.

Peel and dice 4 large potatoes, put them into a pot, cover with water, add a dash of salt and simmer until tender. Drain and add:

½ c. milk

 1 T. butter

 3 T. cream cheese

1 t. salt

Mix until all of the potatoes are blended to a smooth mash. You may need additional milk, depending on how starchy your potatoes are. Cover and set aside to keep warm. About this time I preheat my oven to 350 degrees, then start on the lentil seasonings.

1 T. olive oil

2 medium onions

1 bell pepper

3-4 T. chili powder

½ t. cumin

1-2 t. sea salt

2 T. brown sugar

Dice onion and pepper and add them to a heated sauté pan with the oil. Saute until translucent and glossy. Drain the reserved lentils, keeping some of the lentils and add to the pan. {Honestly? I lift them out of their pot with a slotted spoon.}  Add the additional seasonings and stir well. Add some of the reserved juices until you have a bit of a sauce.

Spread the lentil mixture in the bottom of a glass 9x13 pan. Add 1 c. frozen sweet corn and mix. Layer with 1-2 (1 pound) bags of frozen mixed veggies (Depending on how much your family loves the veg. I used one, but I think I could have added more.) Spread the hreserved mashed potatoes over the veg, and pop into the preheated oven. (At this point you could add shredded cheddar cheese, but we didn’t have any on hand, and it was lovely without!) Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until your veggies are cooked tender. Remove from the oven and let it rest a few minutes before serving. 

Enjoy!! Post questions if you have any - and if you make the recipe, please share! I'd love to see your take on  one of family's new favorite recipes!