Autumn Gardener's Pie (aka Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie)

Shepherd's Pie is traditionally made with minced lamb and vegetables in gravy, topped with mashed potatoes. (Shepherds herd sheep... makes sense, right?) What I grew up eating was made with ground beef instead of lamb, which is actually called Cottage Pie, even though it is still commonly referred to as Shepherd's Pie and I daresay that's what most people think of when Shepherd's Pie is mentioned. When I started making the dish for myself, it was always with ground turkey or chicken instead of beef, and the mashed potatoes frequently had parsnips, turnips, or cauliflower mixed in. Delicious, yes. But in the last few years, I've discovered just how easy it is to translate this dish into a vegetarian one, both as a single size casserole like today's recipe, or a larger casserole to feed a crowd as I've brought to work several times to share with the techs. Either way, it measures up to the traditional recipe, and it's incredibly easy to throw together since it's made with ingredients I always have in my pantry and fridge/freezer.

Autumn Gardener's Pie (aka Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie)

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 small onion, diced (I was out of shallots which would've been my go-to, so I used frozen instead)

eggplant, diced (I had some leftover in the freezer)

1 carrot, peeled and diced

2 sun dried tomatoes, diced (I like the sweetness these add)

1 small zucchini, diced (fresh or frozen, whatever you have on hand)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

pinch of dill

salt & pepper to taste

1 Tbs. AP flour

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

2 ounces of tofu, previously baked (I had some leftover in the fridge, otherwise I probably would've left this out)

1/4 cup sweet corn (I always have this in the freezer)

1/4 cup peas (again, always in the freezer)

dash of Worcestershire sauce

8 ounces butternut squash, diced (I had a bag in the freezer which made it super easy)

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

sprinkle of Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a saute pan over medium-low heat, cook the onion, eggplant, carrot, tomatoes, zucchini, and all spices (except nutmeg) in olive oil for 6-8 minutes, until slightly softened. Sprinkle in the flour, stir to coat the vegetables, and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes before adding the vegetable stock. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a bubble, stirring for 3-5 minutes until "gravy" has thickened. Add in the tofu, corn, peas, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, then turn off the heat and allow everything to come together.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook the butternut squash in a small amount of water (omit water if using frozen like I did) until heated through and soft enough to mash, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat, mash with a fork, and stir in the nutmeg.

Pour the veggie mixture into an individual size casserole dish and top with the mashed butternut squash. Sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the top is slightly browned. Cool for at least 15 minutes before diving in.

Enjoy!