Shepherd’s Pie was a staple in our house when I was growing up. My mom would cook up a giant batch of it a few times every month for the seven mouths she had to feed.
We loved it. I mean, how can you not love ground beef, creamed corn, and fluffy mashed potatoes topped with a little browned cheese — all in one bite? You can’t. You absolutely cannot deny your love for the comfort of all comfort foods.
I don’t make it often at this stage in my life, though. For a few reasons — 1.) I often end up making a big batch of it, and for two people, it can be a little much, and 2.) It’s relatively unhealthy. It might taste spectacular, but I don’t have the metabolism of a child any longer. It’s harder to burn off those meat ‘n’ potatoes.
But last week I had to make it. I had about three pounds of potatoes waiting to be used for something. I had friends coming over. And I wanted to put a new, healthier spin on it — by swapping out the meat with lentils.
I was a tad skeptical at first. Would the lentils make the casserole taste bland? Will it give it enough oomph? What if everyone hates it??
But the verdict was delightful. Everyone gobbled it up and wasted no time in getting seconds.
And now it’s your turn to try this healthified version of one of the best comfort foods on this Earth 
Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Based on my mom’s recipe 
Makes one 9 x 13 casserole or two smaller ones
Printable Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked lentils
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 medium red pepper, diced
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 (14 oz) cans creamed style corn
- 3 lbs Idaho or Yukon Gold potatoes
- 2 – 3 tbsp butter/margarine
- 3 – 4 tbsp skim milk
- an additional 1/2 tsp garlic powder, salt, and black pepper
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup mozzarella or cheddar cheese
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray or two smaller casserole dishes (I used two round dishes — a 2.5 quart and a 1.5 quart).
- If you do not have precooked lentils, bring 1 cup of lentils and 4 cups of water to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes until tender, but not mushy. Drain and set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Cook the onions until they are translucent, about 5 – 7 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook until crisp-tender, an additional 3 minutes. Add the lentils, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the pan. Stir to combine.
- Meanwhile, make the mashed potatoes, Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks and boil until they are tender enough to pierce with a fork, about 10 minutes. Drain and mash. Stir in the butter, milk, and garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- In the casserole dish, put down a layer of the lentil mixture and spread evenly. Top that with a layer of creamed corn. Then place the mashed potatoes over the creamed corn and spread evenly with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the potatoes with a little more pepper and paprika if you’d like. Then top it all off with a layer of mozzarella or cheddar cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 25 – 30 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the cheese is slightly browned.
My Two Cents
I’m really happy I have a healthier version of Shepherd’s Pie — not to mention a cheaper one (you can’t beat a big bag of lentils for about 1 dollar compared to about 5 bucks for a measly pound of ground beef).
If you want to sub in a different vegetable for the red pepper, I recommend trying out peas, mushrooms, or carrots. I had a red pepper on hand, and it went great with it.
If you don’t want a 9 x 13 pan of this, simply half the recipe and use a 2 or 2.5 quart casserole dish — should fit perfectly for that size.
I looked at several recipes for lentil shepherd’s pie online before I went back to my roots and followed my mom’s classic recipe. She uses creamed style corn instead of making her own gravy. That’s way easier, especially with all the steps already involved in putting this together — why make your own gravy or sauce?
To make these even healthier? Swap out the potatoes for sweet potatoes! You could also try putting a pastry crust or biscuits on top to make it a lentil pot pie 
The possibilities are endless!
Enjoy
