This variation of traditional Shepherd’s Pie is less heavy, but just as comforting as the cold night staple I was craving on a warm night. And with the availability of fresh produce from the farmers’ market, you don’t have to rely on frozen vegetables. This dish does not include meat, and I find it is best left overnight in the refrigerator to add depth of flavor before the final cooking.

I’m all for complicated recipes where precision is key, but this recipe is entirely forgiving. Barely a recipe at all, this post is more of an outline for steps and construction. Many things could be tweaked, that’s the beauty of this very simple dish. You could add parsnips to the mashed potatoes, throw in a few unexpected vegetables, make individual pies…it’s all up to what you have available and what sounds good!

If you do opt to leave the pie in the refrigerator overnight, you will probably notice a little moisture on top of the potatoes, this can easily be absorbed with the corner of a paper towel, or you can just add the potatoes right before you cook it. I also find that after cooking the pie, a couple minutes under the broiler (and maybe a little parmesan cheese) adds just the right finish to the potatoes.

As far as vegetables, it doesn’t really matter how much of each you use, as long as your final total is around four cups, or enough to fill the pie dish.

Vegetable Pie
Here is a rough idea of what I used:

filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 ear fresh corn, kernels removed
1 carrot, peeled and cut into small sticks
green beans, each cut into 3 sections
frozen peas
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
thyme
salt
pepper

potato topping:
2 pounds potatoes, suitable for mashing, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup milk
olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt
pepper

Prepare a large pot of boiling water, add potatoes and cook until tender 15-20 minutes. In a small saucepan combine milk, butter, and 2 tablespoons olive oil, heat on low until milk is warm and butter is melted. Drain potatoes and mash while combining with milk mixture…follow up with a hand mixer to infuse air into the potatoes and whip to a lighter consistency, season with salt and pepper. If the potatoes seem too dry, add a little more milk. You could also use your mashed potato recipe of choice; just remember that the potatoes need to be light so they don’t sink into the filling.

Over medium heat, in a large saucepan, heat olive oil and add onion, cook until translucent. Add garlic, continue to add the rest of the vegetables, except for the tomatoes, and stir to lightly cook them for a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste, herbs (if you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, use the dry herbs of your choice), and salt and pepper to taste. Add about 1/3 cup of water, and if you notice there is not enough liquid from the vegetables, add a little more water until it reaches the consistency a very heavy (not watery) stew. Remember, these vegetables do not need to be completely cooked as they will finish in the oven, under the potatoes. Remove the vegetables from heat, and spoon them into a glass pie dish, or whatever container you wish to bake in.

Using a spatula, evenly distribute mashed potatoes on top of the vegetables. Either place directly into a preheated 400 degree oven, or cover and refrigerate until you are ready to heat. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until brown and juices are boiling within, on a parchment topped baking sheet to prevent spills. If you desire a deeper golden top, you can place the pie under the broiler for a couple of minutes. Allow the pie to cool for 15-20 minutes and serve.