Vegan shepherd's pie

I got the idea to make this from a vegan meal kit I bought from Greenling, a local, organic food delivery service. They have a few vegan meal kits you can order that are delicious and easy, and the ingredients are pre-measured and ready to go. I made this one from scratch, but I used similar ingredients.

First, I made basic mashed potatoes by boiling four russet potatoes. I cut the potatoes in half-inch cubes, combined them in a large pot with chopped garlic and fresh rosemary, and covered them with water. I boiled the potatoes for about 20 minutes, and then I mashed them with a fork and added a little sea salt and some of the cooking water as needed.

While the potatoes were boiling, I heated a little oil and some garlic in a skillet. I added chopped onion, sliced mushrooms and fresh green beans (cut into one-inch pieces). Once the veggies were tender, I added a drained can of lentils and a can of plain tomato sauce. I added some Italian seasoning to the mixture and allowed it to simmer for a few minutes. 

To make the pie itself, I added the mushroom/green bean/lentil mixture to a large casserole dish and covered it evenly with the mashed potatoes. Then, I baked it for 45 minutes at 400 degrees, 30 minutes covered with foil and 15 minutes uncovered (allow potatoes to brown).

I like to make it ahead of time or let it sit for a while, not only to cool down but to allow it to solidify a little. Then, just cut it in sections and serve!

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