A fast, easy, and meatless shepherd’s pie with a meaty secret
It’s also perfect to stash in the freezer
Welcome back, Bean Team! I normally don’t complain about being cold given that I live in Florida, but last week the temp dropped below 30. When I wasn’t at my bakery huddled in front of the double oven for warmth, I was hermiting at home fantasizing about pie. Not a fruity pie or a custardy number like pumpkin, but a big, savory pie filled with an aromatic ragù and crowned with a comforting cloud of buttery, starchy taters.
If a shepherd’s pie is made with lamb and a cottage pie calls for beef, then I’m dubbing this version—overflowing with lentils and veggies in an umami-rich gravy—gardener’s pie.
This recipe relies on a few cheat codes to get maximum flavor in the shortest time possible. I’m leaning on precooked canned lentils (I get mine at Trader Joe’s), frozen veggies, canned tomatoes, and Marmite, a go-to pantry umami-booster, to make the filling. You can totally use dried lentils and cook ’em yourself, but I’m in this for the quickest laziest comfort I can get.
If you’re the type to work ahead, you can make the entire filling a day or two in advance. Then all you have to do is make your mash, assemble, and bake. Potatoes are the obvious—and classic—topping choice, but I love to mix them with parsnips for some added earthiness and sweetness. Since there are only two people in my house (despite what our dog might think), I freeze leftovers in portions that are easy to reheat in the microwave or oven whenever I need a winter warmer stat.
Gardener’s Pie
Yield: 6 servings