My mom is an excellent cook who always fed us dinners from a variety of cultures and specialized in rib-sticking meals that could feed a crowd. One meal in common rotation was a traditional shepherd’s pie made with ground beef that evoked her British Isles heritage (and got no complaints from my father’s potato-and-beef loving German-Polish side). I first learned to cook from my mom but had to develop my skills even further when I became vegetarian at age 21. I adapted my mom’s shepherd’s pie recipe to still get that comfort-food-feeling but in a way that aligned with my values. I’m grateful for all she taught me about cooking and that I’ve been able to find ways to still eat many of the foods from my childhood.

The vegetables for the stew can be changed based on what you have and what you like. In my house, there was a rule that I always found puzzling that shepherd’s pie had either corn or green beans but not both. I say, do what you like. This can be made vegan by skipping or using a plant-based milk in the mashed potatoes and leaving off the cheese or substituting a vegan cheese. You could also play with different cheeses such as parmesan, or spice combinations in the stew to make it taste more Italian-like or Indian-like, etc.

Ingredients: serves 4-6

Directions

• Make the stew
  • Heat the oil in a large pot, dutch oven, or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. (Pro-tip: if your pot is oven-friendly, you can keep this an almost-one-pot meal)
  • Add the onions and cook until they are just starting to soften, 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the carrots and celery, stir with the onions and a light dusting of salt until starting to soften, 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the rest of the vegetables and the garbanzos/vegetarian protein until they are just heating up, 1-2 minutes
  • Last, add the garlic and dried herbs, if using. (Save fresh until just before putting into the oven) and cook for 30 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
  • Add the broth, enough to just cover the vegetables and bring to a simmer.
  • Add the tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
    • Note: the tomato paste adds depth of flavor and thickening. That said, if it’s not your favorite, you can leave it out and add more seasoning for flavor and more thickener (see below) to get to the right consistency.
  • Add in the cornstarch or flour pre-slurried in a little bit of water and bring to a simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken. Add more if you want a thicker base and add additional seasonings. If it gets too thick, add a bit more broth or water. You’re aiming for something that’s a thick stew with a broth that still stick to the back of spoon.
  • If needed, allow to simmer until vegetables are soft but still give some resistance when you bite and then turn off until ready to assemble.
• Make the mashed potatoes
  • Peel (optional, I never do) and dice the potatoes, add to a pot, fill with water, and bring to boil. Boil until the potatoes are quite soft.
  • Drain the potatoes in a strainer and add back to the pot. Add fat (butter or oil) and liquid (milk and/or broth) to the potatoes and mash with a potato masher until it is quite smooth. Lightly season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add more liquid or fat, as needed, to your preference. For this dish, you want lighter, wetter mashed potatoes so they’ll spread on top of the stew.
• Make the shepherd’s pie
  • Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • If needed, transfer stew an oven-safe casserole dish.
  • Dollop on mashed potatoes in spoonfulls until the entire top is covered. Spread as needed but try not to push too hard or your mashed potatoes will just sink into the stew.
  • Sprinkle top with grated cheese, if using.
  • Cover with tinfoil or an oven-safe lid and bake for 45 minutes.
  • After 45 minutes, remove foil/lid and return to oven for the cheese to brown and stew to get bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. You can speed up this step using the light/low broiler setting and keep a close watch on it.
• Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes to set up and cool down slightly. (The stew will be and will remain hot for a while; FYI for people with small kids in particular.)
• Scoop into bowls and enjoy.