Despite the name, traditional Shepherd’s Pie does not contain a crust, so it’s fairly easy to make a gluten-free version for chilly evenings. My family also can’t have dairy, so I replaced heavy cream with oat milk and conventional parmesan cheese with vegan. Perfectly spiced, comforting and nostalgic, it’s just as good as the original.
Get yourself a gluten-free stout and enjoy!
Equipment
- Large saute pan
- Large stock pot
- Colander
- Casserole crock or baking dish
Ingredients
Filling:
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced small
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound ground beef or lamb
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp gluten-free flour
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth or stock
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 1 cup frozen corn
Mashed Potatoes:
- 2 pounds russet potatoes (about 4 or 5 medium potatoes), peeled, rinsed and cubed into one-inch pieces
- 4 tbsp soy-free, nut-free butter substitute, such as Soy-Free Earth Balance
- ⅓ cup full-fat oat milk
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup parmesan substitute, such as Violife Just Like Parmesan (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Make the filling:
- Place olive oil into a large saute pan and turn burner to medium heat.
- Add diced onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent and mixture is fragrant but not brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add ground meat. Break it apart with a wooden spoon and season with salt and pepper.
- Add parsley, rosemary and thyme and stir to evenly distribute throughout the meat mixture. Cook until the meat is browned, about 8 minutes.
- Sprinkle in flour and stir to coat meat evenly, then add tomato paste and stir until incorporated.
- Add broth and frozen vegetables, and bring liquid to a boil.
- Lower heat to simmer and set timer for 5 minutes, then turn off heat.
Make the mashed potato topping:
- Note: You can get started cooking the potatoes while cooking the filling to save time.
- Place the peeled, cubed potatoes into a large stock pot and cover with water.
- Place the stock pot on the stove and bring the heat to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and allow to cook until the potatoes break apart when removed from the water and pressed with a fork (this will take about 10-15 minutes).
- Drain potatoes, then return them to the hot pot.
- Add vegan butter, oat milk and garlic salt, then use a hand mixer to whip until smooth.
- Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired.
- Add vegan parm if using and stir to combine.
Assemble Shepherd's Pie:
- Pour the meat mixture into an oven-safe casserole dish, and spead it out to create an even layer.
- Top with mashed potatoes and spread to create an even layer.
- Place in the oven and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes, until the top is lightly golden brown.
- Serve!
