Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie with Extra-Cheesy Mash

My shepherd’s pie is vegetarian. Not lamb, not beef: vegetarian mince, chopped carrots and peas, finished with an unreasonable quantity of cheese. I’ve had to correct this more than once because apparently everyone assumes the name means lamb.

The cheese isn’t just sprinkled on at the end. I grate a generous amount directly into the mashed potato, then lay more cheese over the top in slabs so it bakes into a proper golden crust. At this point, the potato is mainly there to hold the cheese together.

Serves: 4–6 · Prep: about 30 minutes · Cook: approximately 60 minutes · Oven: 190°C fan

I didn’t record the original weights, so the quantities below are sensible repeat estimates. The vegetarian mince, carrots, peas and heavy cheese treatment are the important bits of my actual version.

Ingredients

• 500–750g vegetarian mince, depending on the brand and how full you want the dish
• 1 large onion, finely diced (working quantity)
• 2 carrots, chopped into small cubes
• 150g frozen peas (working quantity)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp tomato purée (optional working addition)
• 250–350ml vegetable stock, added gradually
• 1 tsp dried thyme, black pepper and salt to taste
• 1.2kg floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper
• 65g butter and a splash of milk for the mash
• 150–200g grated mature cheddar suitable for vegetarians, to mix INTO the mash (working estimate)
• Additional vegetarian-suitable mature cheddar, cut into thick slices or slabs to cover the top
• Optional: 2 crushed garlic cloves and a splash of vegetarian Worcestershire-style sauce

Method

1. Start the potatoes. I peel the potatoes, chop them into roughly even pieces and simmer in lightly salted water for around 15–20 minutes, until completely tender.
2. Build the filling. I warm the olive oil in a broad pan and cook the onion and chopped carrot over medium heat until softened. If I’m using garlic, it goes in towards the end so it doesn’t burn.
3. Add the vegetarian mince. I stir it through, follow the brand’s instructions for cooking it and add tomato purée if using. Gradually add vegetable stock and thyme, then let it simmer until the filling is moist and properly thick rather than swimming in liquid.
4. Peas go in. I stir in the frozen peas towards the end, let them cook through and taste for seasoning. The filling wants to be thick enough to hold up a serious amount of mash.
5. Mash first. I drain the potatoes well, let the steam escape and mash them thoroughly. Only then do I work in the butter and a little milk.
6. Cheese, and plenty of it. I fold the grated cheddar into the mash until it’s evenly distributed. The mash needs to be spreadable but not runny. If it looks like enough cheese, I’ve probably underestimated it.
7. Assemble. I spoon the filling into a deep baking dish and cover it with the cheesy mash, starting around the edges. Once it’s smoothed out, I lay additional thick slabs of cheddar across the top. This is less a garnish and more a second roof.
8. Bake. Into a preheated 190°C fan oven for around 25–30 minutes, until the filling bubbles round the edges and the cheese is properly golden. I let it stand for ten minutes before dishing up.

If the filling is thin, I keep reducing it before adding the mash. And yes, there’s a lot of cheese. I’ve been told there’s such a thing as too much, but I’ve yet to see any convincing evidence.