The perfect winter warmer for everyone. Vegan-friendly but so delicious that even the die-hard carnivores will love it. Serves 4 with a side dish or 2 very hungry people!

Ingredients

• Puy lentils – 1 tin, (can also used dried but they will need cooking first; approx 400g)
• Sweet potato – 1 large potato, washed and chopped, peeling is optional
• Red onion – 1, peeled and chopped
• Garlic – 1 clove, peeled and chopped
• Chestnut mushrooms – 5 large mushrooms, chopped
• Chopped tomatoes – 1 400g tin
• Unsweetened almond milk – a splash for the mash, (cows milk if not making for vegans)
• Vegetable stock cube, dissolved in boiling water
• Thyme – 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt and pepper
• Optional other veg – I also added spinach and sweetcorn to the mix

Recipe

Heat the oven to 200’C. Bring a large pan of water to boil and add the sweet potato. Cover and simmer until soft enough to mash with a fork.

While the sweet potato is boiling, heat a little oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they start to brown (approx 5 minutes). Next add the garlic and mushroom to the pan and cook through for roughly 5 minutes whilst stirring frequently. When the mushrooms, onions and garlic are cooked through, add the chopped tomatoes and the vegetable stock to the pan. (My extra veggies were added in here).

Add the thyme and a little salt and pepper. Cover the pan with a lid until the liquid starts to bubble and then bring the heat down to low-medium. Leave to simmer until the sauce starts to thicken (approx 20 mins).

Once the sweet potato is soft enough to mash, drain the water from the pan. Add a splash of your chosen milk and mash the potatoes with a fork until there are no lumps. You could also use a hand-whisk or hand blender if you want the mash to be super smooth. I like the mash just like this, but feel free to season if you like.

Once you are happy that your lentil and veggie mix is thick enough, have a quick taste and add salt and pepper to your taste. Now time to assemble!

Spoon your lentil and veg mix into a glass casserole dish. Layer your sweet potato mash on top, making sure to spread it evenly and cover all of the lentil mixture. Use a fork to make lines along your mash to help it crisp up.

Your shepard’s pie now goes in the oven for 20 minutes. If you like extra crispy mash, you can grill for a few minutes to finish as well.

Remove from the oven/grill and cut into quarters. Serve hot with your favourite veggies.

Well done you! Now sit down and enjoy 🙂