Lentil Cottage Pie
A vegetarian Cottage Pie made with a vegetable-packed lentil filling and delicious mashed potato
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
Lentil Filling
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- Olive oil for frying
- 1 clove crushed garlic or more if you prefer
- 15 ml dried herbs of your choice parsley, oregano or thyme or a combination
- 250 g white mushrooms, sliced
- 250 g mixed vegetables of your choice, diced e.g baby marrow, carrots, babycorn, peas
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp chutney
- 125 ml vegetable stock
- 2 tins lentils, drained and rinsed
- salt and pepper to taste
Mashed Potatoes
- 6 - 8 medium potatoes
- 2 tbsp butter, margarine, plant butter or olive oil
- 150 - 200 ml milk or plant-based milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Peel your potatoes and cut them into quarters. See note*
- Bring to a boil in salted water and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
- Fry the onion and pepper in olive oil till translucent.
- Add garlic, herbs, mushrooms and mixed vegetables and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
- Add tomato paste, chutney and stock and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Season to taste and add the lentils. Let the mixture simmer while you make the mashed potatoes.
- Drain the potatoes and add butter and milk. Replace the lid of the pot and give the butter chance to melt and the milk to warm up. Mash the potatoes until smooth and silky. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer the lentil filling to a greased oven dish. Top with mashed potatoes and make some interesting patterns on top with a fork. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until golden and crispy at the edges. Serve with steamed broccoli or a side salad.
Notes
- I never peel potatoes anymore unless the potato skins are very dirty or marked. Just give them a good wash and mash the potatoes skin and all. It adds flavour and fibre!
- You can really add anything you like to your mashed potatoes. Cream is a lovely addition, as is sour cream or even plain greek yoghurt. You can also add cream cheese or finely grated cheddar cheese. If you prefer to keep it vegan, use plant butter or vegan margarine and plant-based milk. I have made delicious mashed potatoes before using skin-on new potatoes, a big tablespoon of grain mustard and some glugs of olive oil.
- You can use sweet potatoes rather than normal potatoes for a complex carb option.