Bottom-Friendly Vegan Shepherd's Pie

For the Mashed Potatoes:

Place potatoes in a stockpot and cover with cold water. Place over high heat and once the water begins to boil, season with about 2 tbsp of salt. Boil the potatoes until soft, about 20 minutes

Drain the potatoes and add them back to the pot. Add the non-dairy milk, vegan butter, salt, pepper, and mash to combine. Set aside. 


For the Filling:

To a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add the oil. Once hot, add shallots and garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes stirring continuously. Once the shallots and garlic are browned, remove them from the oil. You now know how to make infused oil without all the gas and bloating shallots and garlic tend to bring. 

To the infused oil add the carrots and cook until slightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Raise the heat to medium-high heat and add the plant-based ground meat. Cook for another five minutes while breaking down the meat alternative. Add salt, pepper, herbs, Worcestershire sauce, and cook until fragrant, about 2 more minutes. 

Add the flour and cook for 1 minute to ensure the flour taste is cooked off. Add the dry white wine and cook down for another 2 minutes. Lastly, add the chicken stock and begin to scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Continue to stir the filling mixture for about 5 minutes, or until it has noticeably thickened. Cut the heat and set it aside. 


Assembly:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish, add the filling and spread out evenly. Top with mashed potatoes and spread out evenly, making sure to "seal" the edges as best as possible with the mashed potatoes. NOTE: If you do not have an 11x7 baking dish and you use a smaller dish, make sure to leave at least an inch of space at the top of the pan so nothing boils out in the oven.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the potatoes begin to brown. You can also place it under the broiler for about 5 more minutes for additional browning.

Remove the dish from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Serve hot. Bottoms up!