Looking for a last-minute main course for your holiday dinner? This Vegan Shepherd’s Pie is the way to go! It’s allergy-friendly, hearty, and has a sneaky, lil’ twist.

One casserole dish filled with a vegan shepherd's pie, spooned into two bowls, with potatoes and mushrooms scattered around them, on a light linoleum background. Text reads "vegan / soy-free / nut-free Vegan Shepherd's Pie veganyackattack.com"

If you had told me when I first went vegan (almost 9 years ago) that there would be MANY, meaty vegan products on the market, I don’t know that I would have believed you. Yet, here we are, in 2019, with a straight-up plethora of products coming out every day. One of the newer items that has caught my attention are vegan beef grounds.

A container of Sweet Earth Foods Awesome grounds surrounded by potatoes, onion, celery, and mushrooms, on top of a cutting board.

At first look, they may be a little off-putting to some vegans, but know that they’re pea-based! Along with the pea protein, they added veggie pulp and juices for color (I assume beets). This gives the veggie “meat” a very pink hue in its raw state, and even a little bit after cooking.

Upper left: chopped Yukon gold and russet potatoes chopped on a cutting board, Upper right: potatoes in a pot with garlic cloves, covered in water, on a cutting board, Bottom left: squeezing potatoes through a ricer into a bowl, Bottom right: vegan mashed potatoes in a mixing bowl on a cutting board

I know people have varying opinions on products like these grounds, but I LOVE them! They’re the perfect thing for this vegan shepherd’s pie. And, if I fed it to my parents, I don’t think they’d be able tell that it was plant-based! As a result, this recipe is a great alternative to a vegan roast, or stuffed squash, if you’re looking at other main-course options for a holiday dinner.

1st image: raw Sweet Earth Foods Awesome Grounds in a white non-stick pan on the stove. Second: the SEF grounds broken up in said pan. Third: SEF grounds cooking with celery, carrot, and onion in a large pan on the stove. 4th image: same as above but with mushrooms added

Honestly, this shepherd’s pie is great for the rest of fall and definitely for winter! It’s so warm, comforting, and rich in flavor. Lucky for me, I ended up adding a little Stout into the filling for a nice, Irish-inspired twist. If you’re looking for an alcohol-free version, check the recipe note.

Left image: Pouring a stout beer out of a measuring cup and into a pan of shepherd's pie filling. Right image: shepherd's pie assembled in a large pyrex dish, with textured potato topping, before baking, on top of a cutting board.

Oh, and that potato ricer trick? I learned it from The Sexy Vegan! It’s a great technique for getting fluffy (not gummy) mashed potatoes.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Name: Vegan Shepherd's Pie
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Nut-free
Ingredients: 12 ounce (340 g) package of vegan "beef" grounds; 2 tablespoons (30 g) vegan butter, or (30 ml) olive oil; 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced; 3 carrots, diced with ends removed; 2 sticks celery (with leaves if they're still attached), diced with ends removed; 8 ounces (225 g) baby bella or cremini mushrooms, sliced with stems removed; 1 cup (133 g) frozen peas; 2 tablespoons (10 g) all-purpose flour; 1 cup (245 ml) stout beer, vegan; 1 tablespoon (15 g) tomato paste; 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste; 1 pound (455 g) yukon gold potatoes, washed and quartered; 1 pound (455 g) russet potatoes, washed and very large chop; 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed; 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste; 1/2 cup (120 ml) unsweetened non-dairy milk, more if necessary; 1 tablespoon (15 g) vegan butter, or (15 ml) olive oil; Pinch of white pepper

This Vegan Shepherd's Pie, is the way to go for your next holiday main dish! It's allergy-friendly, hearty, and has a sneaky, lil' twist.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

Mashed Potatoes

1 pound (455 g) yukon gold potatoes, washed and quartered
1 pound (455 g) russet potatoes, washed and very large chop
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 cup (120 ml) unsweetened non-dairy milk, more if necessary
1 tablespoon (15 g) vegan butter, or (15 ml) olive oil
Pinch of white pepper

Shepherd's Pie Filling

12 ounce (340 g) package of vegan "beef" grounds
2 tablespoons (30 g) vegan butter, or (30 ml) olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
3 carrots, diced with ends removed
2 sticks celery (with leaves if they're still attached), diced with ends removed
8 ounces (225 g) baby bella or cremini mushrooms, sliced with stems removed
1 cup (133 g) frozen peas
2 tablespoons (10 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (245 ml) stout beer, vegan
1 tablespoon (15 g) tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Instructions

To start the mashed potatoes, place them in a pot with the garlic cloves, and fill with water until just covered. Add salt and stir to combine, then cover pot and bring mixture to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, adjust heat to low, and vent the lid slightly, simmering for 15 minutes, or until they are fork tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, place a very large, non-stick, sauce pan on the stove, over medium heat. Once hot, add the whole package of vegan ground beef to the pan, and cook it for 5 minutes, while breaking it apart with a spoon, into crumbles.
Next, add onion, carrots, and celery to the pan, sauteing for 7 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Then, add the mushrooms to the mixture and saute for another 5 minutes. (Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375F [190C or gas mark 5] and get out a baking dish that's atleast 9 inches [23 cm] in diameter and 5 inches [13 cm] deep.) If the potatoes are done, drain them and set them aside.
Once mushrooms haved reduced a bit in size, add peas, and flour, stirring to combine. Then, add beer, tomato paste, salt, and pepper, sauteing for 3 more minutes before transferring to baking dish.
Once potatoes are cooked through, drain them, then put the cooked potatoes and garlic cloves and press them through a potato ricer, removing the peels after each pressing. (or remove peels and hand mash) Next, add non-dairy milk, vegan butter, white pepper, and salt to taste, stirring together until mixed.
Top vegan shepherd's pie filling with potatoes and spread them into an even layer. You can score the top of the potatoes with a fork for more crispy texture. Bake pie in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden spots begin to appear. If you'd like more browning, broil the top for 2 to 3 minutes on high. Once done, serve while warm!

Notes

Note: for a non-alcoholic version, instead of beer, add in veggie broth or vegan beef broth.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g

Also, here are other recipes using Sweet Earth products: Curry Cauliflower Burrito, Butternut Bacon Soup, and reviews.

This post is in partnership with Sweet Earth Foods, all words and opinions are my own. Posts like these help me to keep this blog going and more recipes coming your way!

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Yolanda

Friday 29th of November 2019

Thank you Jackie for this recipe! The pie was a hit with everyone (adults and kids) at our Thanksgiving table. I love sage, so toasted fresh leaves, ground some and added to the pie mix and garnished the top with whole leaves. (Photo and recipe credit are on my site.) Yummy! This is my new favorite.

Jackie @ Vegan Yack Attack!

So glad you loved it and I that toasted sage addition sounds amazing!