Sarah's Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Vegetarian version of the original comfort food classic. A mixture of veggies in an herbed tomato broth topped with a layer of Cheddar cheese, creamy mashed potatoes, and French's® Fried Onions. Skip the cheese and fried onions for a healthier version of this recipe.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 55 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 434 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 cups water
• 1 ½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 (4.5 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 ½ cups sliced carrots
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can peas, drained
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 (11 ounce) can corn niblets, drained
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can cut green beans, drained
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
• 2 (4 ounce) packages 4-cheese instant mashed potato mix
• 1 (6 ounce) can French-fried onions (such as French's®)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Remove from heat; pour in mashed potato mix. Stir thoroughly with a fork to moisten all potatoes.

Step 3

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onion and carrots until onion is translucent and carrots are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add kidney beans, peas, green beans, corn niblets, and mushrooms; stir until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Step 4

Pour tomato-bean mixture into a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese evenly on top. Spread mashed potatoes carefully over cheese until completely covered.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling on the sides, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle French-fried onions on top. Continue baking until top is golden brown, about 10 minutes more.