I do love a hearty Lentil Shepherd’s Pie. It’s what comes to mind when I think of good ole down home comfort food. Sometimes that is just what we need to make us feel all warm and cozy from the inside out. A Shepherd’s Pie has been my go to dish for company, potlucks, to take to a friend who has just had surgery and even the holidays. If you like mashed potatoes you are going to devour this Lentil Shepherd’s Pie. It has a nice deep stack of mashed potatoes over a bed of deliciously seasoned lentils and vegetable’s in a lovely gravy like sauce, rich with flavor from Herbs de Provence. I am telling you, that this recipe has got it all going on.
Potatoes and lentils go together so well and are so satisfying. Simple enough for a weeknight family meal but yet elegant enough to serve at a holiday meal. A thick and hearty stick to your ribs kind of casserole dish that is classic comfort food.
I love that it fills a 9 x 13 pan and can feed a crowd. This also makes it easy to transport for office parties, church pot lucks, family gatherings and club meetings. Great for entertaining at home too because it is a main dish and side dish all in one! Everyone loves this dish – yes even those non plant eaters seem to love it.
Plus if you need to take a dish with you to someones house this one gives you plenty of food to eat. Yes, even if everyone beats you to the buffet table and digs into it before you have had a chance to get to the one plant based dish on the table. Of course if you label it “Vegan” they will all avoid it like the plague! My Breville Smart Oven Air holds a 9 x 13 baking dish so I baked it in there. Then to finish off the potatoes I broiled it for a few minutes to brown the top ever so slightly.
If you want to get all cute and fancy you can make individual Lentil Sheperd’s Pie casseroles. Everyone gets all excited about having their very own casserole!
The inspiration for this recipe came from my Hearthy Lentil Vegetable Stew recipe which has become quite poplular with our subscribers. It is a family favorite recipe as well. I had been thinking this past year that it would be awesome as a base for a Sheperd’s Pie. Then my friend Colleen Collins told me that she had used some of the Hearty Lentil Stew for a Sheperd’s Pie for a gathering and it was very well recieved! Not long after that you all started asking me what to make for the holidays so I decided it was high time to get in the kitchen and figure it out. I knew I had to down size the stew recipe and make it thicker. I have my best recipe thoughts at about 4:00 AM when I am just starting to come awake and I am all relaxed and have time to think about it but, I am still kind of asleep. Some ideas for this recipe came to mind so I got up, headed to the kitchen and guess what? I actually nailed it on my first try! I decided to use my Garlic Mashed Potatoes for the topping. The rest as they say is history – this is how the Hearty Lentil Shepard’s Pie recipe came into being.
If you have two pressure cookers you can go ahead and make the Garlic Mashed Potatoes in one pressure cooker while the lentil filling is cooking in the other one. If you only have one pressure cooker cook the lentil filling first. When the lentil filling is done transfer it to the baking dish, wash the pot for the pressure cooker and then make the Garlic Mashed Potatoes. You will be putting the casserole in the oven to heat it up nicely before serving so either method will work well.
Nutmeg Notebook’s Hearty Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Equipment
- Casserole dish, Pressure Cooker, Broiler, Potato Masher, Oven
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 cups onion, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 2 cups brown/green lentils, rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups sweet potato, peeled, diced
- 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes, no salt added
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence seasoning mix or to taste
- 1 teaspoon Sweet Paprika
- 2 teaspoons Table Tasty Salt Substitute or your favorite no salt substitute
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Add after the lentil mixture is cooked
- 1 cup frozen peas or corn
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
One Batch of Garlic Mashed Potatoes See Recipe Below
Instructions
Filling
- Plug electric pressure cooker in and turn to sauté mode. Add the onions, carrots and celery, stir occasionally adding a little water if needed to prevent sticking. When onions are translucent and the carrots and celery have softened slightly add the sweet potatoes, lentils, tomatoes, vegetable broth, Herbs de Provence, Sweet Paprika,Table Tasty and freshly ground black pepper. Shut the saute mode off or press cancel depending on how your pressure cooker works.
- Lock the lid on the pressure cooker, be sure to set the steam valve to sealing and set the timer for 10 minutes on high pressure. Let the pressure come down naturally.
- If you have two pressure cookers you can go ahead and make the Garlic Mashed Potatoes while the lentil filling is cooking. If you only have one pressure cooker when the lentil filling is done transfer it to the baking dish, wash the pot for the pressure cooker and make the Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
- When the pressure has come down naturally for the lentil filling, carefully remove the lid. Add the Balsamic vinegar and the frozen peas or corn, stir well to incorporate it. Taste the filling and make any adjustments to the seasoning if needed.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Transfer the filling into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Top with one whole recipe of Garlic Mashed Potatoes and spread them out evenly to cover the filling completely.
- Bake the pie for 30 minutes or until heated through. Make sure your baking dish is safe to go under the broiler and if so broil on high for just a few minutes watching it closely, until potatoes are lightly brown.
- Sprinkle with some chopped fresh chives for a pretty garnish.
If you haven’t already watched my video of making the Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes I put it here for you to watch. I know so many of you were wanting the Hearty Lentil Sheperd’s Pie recipe to try before the holidays. With that in mind, we didn’t want to delay posting the recipe waiting for an opportunity to record me making it. However it’s a pretty straight forward recipe and easy to make so I think you will all be able to make this dish with no problem. I have faith in you!
Nutmeg Notebook’s Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker, Potato Masher
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes scrubbed and cut into chunks – or your favorite kind of potato
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 8 cloves of garlic – or to taste
- 2-3 teaspoons Benson’s Table Tasty Salt Substitute or your favorite salt substitute
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk warmed so it doesn’t cool down the potatoes
- 1 tablespoon dried Chives or 2 tablespoons fresh minced chives
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Put the potatoes, broth and garlic cloves in the Instant Pot, secure the lid and press manual, set time for 4 minutes. When it is done cooking use quick pressure release. Open pot carefully as it will be hot, do not drain the liquid, using a potato masher start mashing making sure you get the cloves of garlic. Add all of the seasonings. Add the almond milk a little at a time – you may not need it all depending on how creamy you like your potatoes. Keep mashing and adding the warm almond milk until you have the desired consistency.
Notes
This casserole dish pairs up nicely with the New Chopped Salad with Crunchy JSP Croutons. It is a winning combination of complimentary flavors and textures. Entertaining doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t require hours and hours in the kitchen to produce a company worthy meal. Make this meal with confidence that it is going to taste delcious and be satisfying! You can make a Sheperd’s Pie all year long no matter what season it is. Mashed potatoes are always in season!
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Hi Tami,
I just subscribed to your blog and am excited to try your recipes. Monday is my shopping day so I will be trying your Shepards Pie. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. I’ve really been enjoying your videos as well. They are packed with great information. Have a fabulous weekend.
Thank you Margaret! We are so glad you are a subscrier and that you enjoy the recipes and information we share.
Happy Cooking,
Tami
Tami, Thanks so much for this one!! One little question, and please excuse my ignorance : ) but is the sweet potato already baked before you peel and dice it? or are you adding it raw…
Same with the lentils – are they cooked or raw when you add them?
Many thanks and hugs from BC!
Patricia
Hi Patricia,
The sweet potato is raw.
Happy Cooking,
Tami
Lentils are raw too.
The shepherd’s pie sounds like a perfect main dish for Thanksgiving. Can you assemble and cook the shepherd’s pie the day before serving – and then reheat??
Hi Merrill,
You can make the filling ahead of time and refrigerate it. I prefer the mashed potatoes be made fresh because they spread much easier when hot and they set up when they get cool in the fridge.
It is such a thick and dense casserole that if you made it up ahead of time I think it would be difficult to heat it all up and have it hot in the middle without drying out the potatoes in the process. But I can see making the lentil filling the day or two before. Then making teh mashed potatoes the day you are going to bake it and serve it. You can peel the potatoes in advance and keep them in cold water until ready to cook.
Happy Cooking,
Tami
I’d watched the video you’d done with the beautiful dinner spread, including the shepherd’s pie, and was so hoping you’d get the recipe posted. Thank you for getting it up so quickly…I’m looking forward to bring that dish (and a couple of the others) to our family thanksgiving dinner (I’m the only plant-based eater there…but encouraging others to “lean in”!) Love your videos!!! And say Hi to Tom! You two are just so cute!
Hello Tami and Tom
I first was introduced to the plant based /vegan from Chef AJ since a year ago, I can say I was 50% leaning towards the lifestyle. I have watch a lot of channels and still but recently I subscribed to your channel and now I am 90% towards plant base/vegan. I can say for me that saying 90% is a great accomplishment for me . Your channel is an Excellent reminder y th o stay focused on choices. I really do understand the kitchen cookware and storage makes sense to be organized brings clarity to it all. I enjoy my cooking with salads veggies grains legumes… the 10% is the mock meat even though portions are very extremely small this is where I am at. I am very happy I see and know what needs to be done. I am also realizing how much I can eat and recently started to cook at least few potatoes rice grains … batch cook small portions so that I can keep on track this does help. That’s the advise more so recipes until I get situated.
Can any of this be made in advance? and If so, how many days? I am thinking with Thanksgiving in mind..
Hi Lani,
You can make the filling ahead of time and refrigerate it. I prefer the mashed potatoes be made fresh because they spread much easier when hot and they set up when they get cool in the fridge.
It is such a thick and dense casserole that if you made it up ahead of time I think it would be difficult to heat it all up and have it hot in the middle without drying out the potatoes in the process. But I can see making the lentil filling the day or two before. Then making teh mashed potatoes the day you are going to bake it and serve it. You can peel the potatoes in advance and keep them in cold water until ready to cook.
Happy Cooking,
Tami
Thank you so much Tami for these recipes!!!
HI Deb,
You are welcome!
Happy Cooking,
Tami
I made the Shepard’s pie for dinner last night. I was surprised by how easy it was to make. And, I had never made mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot, but that is the only way I will make them in the future. Thank you, Tami, for a fantastic recipe. This will be the main course for Thanksgiving.
Hi Pam,.
Thank you so much for glowing review! This makes me so happy.
Happy Cooking!
Tami
I have printed out these two recipes and really think I will soon be making them both. That Shepard’s Pie just looks right for the Un-Turkey Thanksgiving Dinner in a few weeks. Thanks so much for the recipes, the tips and the photos!
Sabine
You are welcome! Enjoy.
Love your lentil stew recipe so of course I love this one too! My only complaint – not enough mashed potatoes 😃 thanks again – this one is another keeper!
Enjoy!
Thanks so much for this recipe. It looks wonderful. I always enjoy your recipes and know it’s going to be a hit.
I have a question about cooking the lentils in the pressure cooker on “steam”, then letting the pressure naturally release. Will the pressure cooker come to pressure if the valve is in the “steam” position? Was that a misprint?
Denise
Yes I am talking about the steam valve being set on sealing. Sorry for the confusion.
What size can of tomatoes? I am about to turn on the Instant Pot with the ingredients as in directions but it is already so thick.
Hi Brenda it’s the small can of tomatoes.
What is a small can of tomatoes? The normal cans we have are 14.5 oz. Do you mean smaller than the typical can?
Thanks so much for posting this Shepherds Pie recipe!! I’m so excited to serve it to a crowd this upcoming weekend. Will it work if I double the filling and mashed potato recipes in separate crock pots, or will that be too much heavy? And how many does your recipe serve?
Thanks Tami! You’re the best!
I have never made this recipe in crockpots so I can’t answer your question. I guess it would depends on how large your crock pots are. I think 1 recipe in a 9×13 pan makes 8 hearty servings – just depends on an individuals appetite and what you serve with it. If it’s a buffet with lots of other choices people will take a smaller serving size. Enjoy!
Do you think you can freeze this..it made much more than I realized!
It freezes very well!
Tami, thanks for the mention in your post! I really liked the flavor combo of your delicious Hearty Lentil Stew with the Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and my non-vegan family did too. Another great thing about your recipe is the lack of mushrooms – though I love them and add them liberally to lots of recipes, I’ll be making this version for my family Thanksgiving as my dad is very allergic to mushrooms. Your recipe is perfect as is!
I was going to make this again this year – thank you so much for figuring out exactly what’s needed to make your delicious Shepherd’s Pie!
Thank you so much Colleen! Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving with your family!
Hi Colleen,
You are so welcome! I am delighted to know that you are making this for your family. I think we lived near eachother
we would be close friends. I adore you! You are so positive and kind and I always enjoy your thoughtful comments. You are
a blessing in my life.
Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Tami
How sweet, Tami. Thanks for that nice comment.
I wish we did live closer together – wouldn’t that be fun?! Maybe we’ll see each other at a WFPB event sometime.
I made your Shepherd’s Pie – it was delicious – again! 🙂
I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving with your family.
Colleen
Thank you Tami for this great recipe. I made it as directed and froze 1/2 of filling for a future meal.I will make the potatoe topping fresh on the day needed.
This was absolutely delicious.
I love watching you on You Tube and learn so much from you and Tom.
Thank you Win! I love getting feedback like this – thank you so much!
So…the Shepherds Pie…YUM! I was looking for a make ahead meal to have for after Thanksgiving and this was the perfect dish. I also made Brand New Vegan’s dressing and purchased a vegan, convenient but not oil free, gravy from Trader Joe’s. Man oh man. A big scoop of the pie, a generous slab of the dressing all smothered in the gravy and kind of mixed together, was a party in the mouth!
Thanks for all you do and share with us, Tami. I have learned so much from you. The chopped salads are a daily staple. Your Tuesday videos are always informative. Happy Thanksgiving to you, (sometimes) Tom and your family. Many Blessings. Cindy
It all sounds amazing Cindy! Thank you so much for your kind and supportive comments-they are greatly appreciated!
Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!
Hi Tami and Tom. I have been binge watching your very informative videos and I amazed how much I have learned from you. Thank you for your unselfish spirit in giving us this info for free. Im sure that you will help many live much more satisfying lives from feeling stronger and healthier. I look forward to implementing everything you suggest. One meal at a time lol.
Hi Tami and Tom, I made the Hearty lentil shepherd’s pie tonight and it was delicious. Thank you for sharing the recipe. It’s a keeper.
Hi Bev,
I am so delighted to know you tried this recipe and liked it! It’s a family favorite around here.
Happy Cooking,
Tami
I would appreciate being taken on a grocery shopping trip. I enjoyed your pantry and fridge show. Are there any WFPB groups in Modesto, CA?
Hello Tami. I’ve been looking and looking for a Sheperd’s pie recipe and this looks awesome! Two questions: one, I have a major nightshade allergy and would like to know what I could sub for the tomatoes. Secondly, how many cups of canned lentils does this recipe equate to? Thanks so much 🙂
Hi CJ,
Since I don’t have a nightshade allergy I have never had to sub anything for tomatoes in my recipes so I am afraid I don’t have an answer for you. I would Google it and see if another blogger who has a nightshade allergy has already addressed this issue. I don’t know what the equivalent of canned lentils would be as I have never measured how many cups of lentils this recipe yields. Again you might try to do a Google search and see if you can find out how many cups of lentils does 2 cups dry yield when cooked. It will take a little research but hopefully you can find some answers!
Happy Cooking,
Tami
Thank you for the previous reply. Also, if you don’t have a pressure cooker, could the veggie mix be done in a slow cooker? Fyi, when I googled, it was suggested to sub the diced tomatoes with zucchini.
This was a hit, even with my son who’s not a PBWF eater. He didn’t even notice the lack of milk, butter, sour cream etc in the mashed potatoes. He did add some salt but that was it. Thank you!
That makes me so happy Hanna! Good food is good food – ours just happens to be plant based!
This Shepard’s pie looks incredible and I want to make it for Christmas dinner. I don’t have a pressure cooker though. Could I make the filling on the stove top without too much adjustment ? Thanks!
I am sure you can cook it on the stove top. I haven’t done that myself. Just saute the veggies, add broth and the rest of the ingredients and bring it to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender. Cook the potatoes and garlic on the stove too and then mash.
Happy Cooking,
Tami
Thank you! I’m working on the Shepard’s Pie right now!
Can this be divided and cooked in individual aluminum pans instead of one large casserole dish? I’d like to give several to family members.
Sure – go for it!
Saw the chef AJ video you did on this recipe & followed your instructions per video this turned out EXCELLENT SO GOOD! also we vacuum sealed the leftover & have since reheated in microwave it freezes & reheats perfectly! Thanks so much for the detailed video luckily I have a 8qt. & 3qt. & the potatoes fit fine in the 3qt. I’m considering if I can double the batch next time seems like there would be room in both to do so?
The only difference we did is we don’t use as much onions (hubby likes onions but his tummy doesn’t) I also think next time I may try adding mushrooms to add even more nutrition…. I also had no plain balsamic so used a Hickory flavored from Olive on Tap very tasty & excellent with side dish of broccoli.
Hi Linda,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I do think you could double the recipe with good results.
Happy Cooking,
Tami
This recipe has it all. Fresh ingredients, easy to make and delicious. We had been searching for a Thanksgiving main dish to replace our traditional lasagna meal. This recipe hit a home run. We usually make recipes as written before we make any modifications. The next time we will drain the liquid from the garlic mashed potatoes and use more milk. This change is just a personal preference. Looks like I will need to keep fore roasted tomatoes on hand. This recipe will not disappoint.
Help! I don’t have a pressure cooker or instant pot.
Any stovetop directions?
I made this recipe for the Instant pot and only have tried the recipes in the Instant pot so I don’t have directions for making it on the stove top.
This is the most delicious shepherd’s pie I’ve ever made! We will put this one on our two-week rotation.
That makes me very happy! Thank you so much Tica.
Shepherd’s Pie w garlic mashers turned out super yummy! I made a few tweaks to lentils – added sautéed mushrooms, couple of tbsp tbsp tomato paste in place of canned tomatoes, 1 tbsp low sodium tamari, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast. The spuds needed twice the time in my IP. Thanks for a winning recipe!
I love your recipe tweaks! Thank you for the kind review!