One of my favorite all time meals is Shepherd's Pie. Normally it's made with ground lamb, but since I'm always trying to get my family to eat more veggies, I came up with a vegetarian version that uses beans and tons of veggies.

To see my recipe, read more

What you need:

Potatoes (8 white or sweet or a mix of both, each about the size of a lemon)
1 32 oz. container of Pacific Veggie broth
2 peppers (I prefer 1 red and 1 orange)
1 zucchini
3 stalks of celery
6 mushrooms
4 big carrots
1 can of beans (I prefer black or kidney)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
2-3 tbsp butter or Earth Balance (optional)
1 clove of garlic, minced

What you do:

  1. Place a big pot of water on the stove on High heat.

  2. While the water is heating to a boil, peel the potatoes (unless you love mashed potatoes with the skins). Then dice them up and place them in the pot of boiling water.
  3. Now get another pot, pour the broth in and place it on the stove on Medium heat.
  4. While that's warming up, cut up all the veggies and place them in the broth. Feel free to add other kinds of veggies if you want. Strain and rinse the canned beans and add them to the broth too. Mix everything up and allow to cook uncovered.

  5. Check on the potatoes, and when they're soft, strain out the water in a colander, and return them back into their original pot. Using a fork or a masher, while they're still steaming hot, mash the potatoes until creamy. If you're using regular potatoes, you can add garlic and butter (or Earth Balance) for a smoother texture. If you're using sweet potatoes, they don't really need any butter (they're creamy enough). Add salt and pepper to taste.

  6. Set the mashed potatoes aside, and turn on the oven to 350°F. Now check on the veggies cooking in the broth. You want to cook them for only about 10 minutes or so, so they're still slightly firm.
  7. Now take a rectangular glass casserole dish, and using a slotted spoon place all the veggies in the dish. Now pour some of the leftover liquid over them, enough so that the veggies are covered, not swimming. You can save the leftover broth (if there is any) in a container in the freezer for a later recipe.

  8. Now carefully scoop the mashed potatoes over the veggies, smoothing them out with the back of a spoon in a nice even layer. If you like cheese, go ahead and sprinkle it on top. I did half and half so you can see what it looks like.

  9. Place it in the oven, uncovered, and bake for about 10-20 minutes. You'll know it's ready when either the cheese is melted and bubbly, or the potatoes are slightly hard on top.

  10. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. If you have any leftovers, place them in plastic containers in the fridge.

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