Healthy Shepherds Pie

4 from 3 votes

Healthy Shepherds Pie skips meat in favor of vegetables and beans for a hearty main dish or side dish. Top with creamy mashed potatoes, browning them under the broiler for nice presentation. For serving two, the recipe halves nicely. Just choose one kind of bean, or make the full batch and freeze two for later.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Bakeing35

Total Time1 10

Course: Main Course

Servings: servings

Calories: 508kcal

Author: Sally Cameron

Equipment

8x8 or 9x9 baking dish

Ingredients

Mashed potato topping

1 ½ pounds russet potatoes or gold potatoes
3 ounces milk, dairy or plant-based or more if needed for creaminess
3 tablespoons butter, dairy or plant based
½ teaspoon sea salt plus extra for potato water
¼ teaspoon white pepper or black pepper

Filling

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup chopped onion ½ medium
½ cup chopped celery 2 ribs
½ cups chopped carrots 2 carrots
2 large garlic cloves chopped fine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup vegetable broth or chicken although not vegetarian
2 teaspoons dried thyme or Italian blend
1 teaspoon paprika
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes drained, save juices
1 cup corn kernels thawed if frozen, optional
1 cup peas thawed if frozen
1 cup baby green beans
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
15 ounces canned red kidney beans
15 ounces cannellini beans (white kidney beans)

Instructions

Pre0heat oven, start potatoes

Heat oven to 350°F. Peel potatoes and cut into equal pieces (eighths) so they cook evenly. Place in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water, add 1 tablespoon sea salt, bring to a simmer, and cook until very tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife.

Mash potatoes

Drain potatoes well and return to the hot pan (heat off). Cover 2–3 minutes to steam-dry. Mash potatoes until creamy with a hand masher, hand mixer, or a ricer. Use a little more milk or butter if needed. Taste and season with salt & white pepper; cover to keep warm to use to top the pie filling.

Sauté vegetables

Gather prepped vegetables and ingredients in small bowls on a rimmed sheet for organization. In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add onion, celery, and carrot. Cook until soft, 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute.

Build the Filling

Stir in tomato paste and water, dried basil, oregano, thyme, and paprika; cook 1-2 minutes to bloom. Add diced tomatoes (with juices), corn, peas, and chopped green beans. Cover and cook a few minutes until green beans are tender and excess moisture reduces. taste and season with salt & pepper. Gently fold in kidney beans and cannellini beans; warm through.

Assemble

Add filling to an oiled square baking dish and spread evenly, then top with mashed potatoes. Spoon and swirl mashed potatoes over the top to cover completely; seal to edges.

Bake & Brown

Set baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until hot in the center (30–40 minutes) or until a digital thermometer reads 165°F. Broil 1–2 minutes to brown the top of the potatoes if desired, watching closely.
Let rest 5–10 minutes so layers set. Serve hot.

Notes

Make ahead - You can prepare this a day ahead. Allow to stand at room temperature for an hour before baking. Bake to 165°F, about 40 minutes. Timing depends on how cold the dish is.

Southwestern flavor - Use smoked paprika, smoked pepper, ground cumin and add some chili powder.

Parmesan option - For a deeper savory finish, stir 2–4 tablespoon grated Parmesan into the mashed potatoes, or sprinkle Parmesan over the top before broiling for a golden crust.

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