Baked Potatoes with Shepherd's Pie Filling
By the Gracious Vegan
Sometimes shepherd’s pie seems daunting. At the very least you have to be willing to turn on the oven and make whipped potatoes. This clever solution gets you all the same flavors but skips the oven and the whipping. Stuff baked potatoes with shepherd’s pie filling! It works so well and comes together much faster than its fancier cousin.
Makes 3 cups of sauce, enough for 4-5 baked potatoes
Start the lentils. You’ll need one cup of cooked lentils, but you can cook more and freeze the leftovers for another purpose. If you’re just making enough for this recipe, start with 1/3 cup lentils. Put them in a saucepan, cover with water by 2”, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until they are soft but not mushy.
Bake the potatoes. You can bake the potatoes in the microwave or oven. There are many, many online sources for how to bake potatoes if you don’t have a favorite way. I usually microwave them unless I have the oven turned on for something else.
Make the filling. Water-sauté the following ingredients in a Dutch oven or other large pan on the stove until the onions are transparent and the other vegetables are tender to your liking, 8-12 minutes or so. (What is water-sauté?)
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 small onion, diced
1 large stalk of celery, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
2 cups mushrooms, sliced or diced
Add the following ingredients, stir well, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
1 cup cooked lentils (any kind)
2 Tablespoons parsley, well chopped
1.5 Tablespoons any type of flour
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
Ground fresh pepper to taste
Add the liquid, stir, turn the heat to medium, and heat until the mixture is bubbly and thick, about 3-5 minutes.
1 cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Remove the mixture from the heat. It is ready to spoon onto baked potatoes.
Timing: About 30 minutes
Gluten-free if gluten-free flour used