My oh my, it's Vegan Shepherd's Pie!

Hello everyone! Sorry for the long delay. Many life events had happened but all is well now!

I'm going to introduce you guys to my shepherd's pie I created on the fly one day. 100% vegan!

I like to use Gardein meat crumbles, because the texture, when cooked, is pretty similar to a ground meat. The vegetables used in the "meat" mixture can depend on what you like, don't like, can handle and is available to you. Traditionally shepherd's pie has potatoes, coen, peas and possibly green beans. But for this recipe, I stuck to pantry goods by using a can of mixed veggies.

This meal is very low cost and can feed 4-6 people. The most expensive item would be the meat grounds which were about $4.50ish at Whole Foods. They do go on sale from time to time. If you do not want to use a meat substitute, you can use lentils, mushrooms, or walnuts.

Also inside the casserole is a little bit of vegan cheese. This part is optional. I added this to create depth within the meal, add some gooey-ness to the "meat" mixture and create an incredible flavor profile. The gravy packet is optional, but gravy is needed to bind the "meat"mix. You can do a homemade gravy if you do not want to use store bought.

This recipe is very comforting and is perfect for the fall/winter time. A casserole dish full of warmth, love and amazing, harmless food!

Vegan Shepherd's Pie
-------------------
1 bag of Gardein meat crumbles
1 can of mixed vegetables
1 vegetarian gravy packet (or you can do homemade gravy)
Vegan cheese shreds
Salt and pepper
Italian seasonings
Instant mashed potatoes
Butter
Almond milk

1. Prepare mashed potatoes as package says, but you want them to be a bit thick, so they are sitting on top of the mixture without running off the sides when you cut into it.

2. Put skillet on medium heat, add oil to pan and cook meat grounds until they are brown. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then add Italian seasonings.

3. Start making gravy mix on the side according the the package instructions

4. Open canned veggies and pour off the excess liquid. If needed, rinse them using a colander.

5. Mix veggies into the crumbles then add the gravy next. Use a pot if the skillet is not big enough. Mix altogether and get warm.

6. With a casserole dish, pour in mixture flattening it with a spatula. Then add mashed potatoes on top. Flatten them as well.

7. Place casserole dish into oven and put oven on broil. Watch very carefully as the broil feature is just for browning the top. Once brown, remove, let cool, serve and enjoy!