Vegetarian Shepard's Pie

 

Yves' Original Veggie Ground is one of my favorite vegetarian protein alternatives. I use it in everything that calls for ground beef and it works.
I used this deliciousness in a yummy vegetarian Shepard's Pie, loaded with some simple vegetables and topped with Parmesan mashed potatoes. The recipe I included below can easily be made vegan with a few adjustments. Mmm, mmm, good!

Potato Topping
3 large russet potatoes or creamer potatoes, peeled, cleaned and cut into chunks
2 tsp salt

1 tbsp butter or olive oil
2 egg yolks (can be excluded for vegans, just add around 2 more tbsps of milk)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)
5 tbsp milk or unsweetened diary-free milk (soy, almond, oat, etc.)

Place potato chunks into a pot and fill with enough water to submerge potatoes. Add in salt. Cook uncovered on high heat until potatoes are cooked and can be easily mashed against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Drain and reserve potato water if you would like to use it instead of veggie broth for the filling.
Mash while still hot until smooth, and stir in the remaining ingredients.

Mince Filling
1 tbsp olive oil
half an onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 packages of Yves Original Veggie Ground*
1/2 can of corn, drained**
2 carrots, diced
1/2 cup frozen peas

1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tsp corn starch
1/2 cup veggie broth or reserved potato water
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, heat olive oil on medium high heat. Add in garlic and onion, cooking until aromatic. Add in the veggie ground and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring to break up the chunks. Add in the veggies and stir to incorporate.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, cornstarch and veggie broth until combined. Stir into the mince filling and simmer on medium heat until it thickens slightly. Stir in thyme, rosemary and season to with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Celsius.
In a casserole dish, press mince filling into the bottom of the dish and gently scoop and spread the potatoes on top. Sprinkle with 5 tbsp of Parmesan cheese (or bread crumbs) and fork the topping in criss-cross patterns.
Bake until topping turns golden brown and crispy.


*For anyone who do not have Yves or vegetarian ground where you live, 4 cups of crumbled extra firm tofu can be used as a substitute. Since tofu is bland, make sure to pat the tofu dry and season lightly after you crumble it (1 tsp paprika powder, 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1/4 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp water).

**For convenience, the vegetables in the filling can be substituted for frozen or canned mixed vegetables.