Guinness Shepherd's Pie With Roasted Vegetables- A Vegetarian Recipe (2024)

Jennifer Hanes MS, RDN, LD

“Let’s have shepherd’s pie tonight.”

Followed by, “You’re not going to put peas and carrots in it, are you?” While we were already in the grocery store.

So we decided to switch up the recipe completely.

Instead of tempeh, we went for vegetarian crumbles for the ground beef, and instead of peas and carrots, we decided to try roasted veggies.

And man, did we stumble upon a great new version of this classic comfort food!

This version of Shepherd’s Pie does take a bit longer than my original Tempeh Shepherd’s Pie recipe because it does have a few more steps. Nor is it a traditional Irish recipe.

But I promise it is so worth it!

Ingredients

For the roasted vegetables:

• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

For the filling:

• Olive Oil
• Onion – I used a sweet onion, but a yellow onion would work too
• Garlic – I buy the jar of minced garlic rather than chopping it myself
• Mushrooms – I like cremini best for this recipe, but you’ll see button mushrooms in the pictures because the grocery store was out of cremini mushrooms.
• Vegetarian Beef Crumbles – just pick your favorite brand. Alternatively, you could use canned black beans or green lentils, crumbled tempeh, or seitan chopped very small.
• Guinness stout
• Vegetable or mushroom broth
• tomato paste – I buy the paste in a tube so I don’t waste a whole can.
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh rosemary. You could also use dried, but use more than the recipe calls for.

For the potato topping:

• Potatoes, I like Russet potatoes for shepherd’s pie, but you can choose whichever you want. Chop them small, so they’ll cook faster
• 2% Greek yogurt
• salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder
• Cheddar cheese, pre-shredded, is fine.

As you can see, not the simplest of recipes. But it’s great to feed a nice cozy meal on a cold or dreary day. And there are usually leftovers!

Making the pie

To make this, we are basically making three different dishes and then piling them together.

To time it right, first clean and chop your vegetables. I used broccoli and Brussels sprouts, but you can pick your favorites; just make sure they have a similar roasting time. Add oil and seasoning and put it in a super hot oven.

As soon as they’re in, wash and cube your potatoes and add them to a large pot of cold, salted water; no need to wait for the water to boil. I actually usually start potatoes in cold water. I prefer potatoes with the skin on, both for flavor as well as for nutrition.

There’s more potassium in potato skin than there is in a banana!

Next, start your base. This will be the most hands-on part of this meal. You’ll be sauteing onions, garlic, and mushrooms and simmering a gravy. You’ll also watch for the potatoes to make sure they don’t overcook.

But it won’t be that bad, promise.

Pie Filling

Preheat your oven to 425°F.

Wash and chop your broccoli and Brussels sprouts into bite-sized (or smaller) pieces, making sure they are similar in size.

Drizzle them with olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread evenly, in a single layer, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for ~25 minutes.

Start your potatoes at this point!

Add olive oil to your skillet and start heating it up to medium heat. Clean and dice your onions and add to the hot oil. Saute for 5 minutes or until soft.

Add the minced garlic and cleaned, sliced mushrooms to the pan and continue to saute until the mushrooms release their water.

Add the remaining filling ingredients, mix well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer until your filling has the consistency of a thick gravy, usually about 20 minutes.

You can reduce the cooking time by adding 1 Tbsp of flour to the onions before adding the mushrooms and mixing well before moving on. Or you could mix in a 1:1 mixture of cornstarch and cold water and add to the gravy.

However, I prefer to let it cook down instead. This gives the ingredients time to meld together and makes a much better final dish.

While the gravy is simmering, move on to your mashed potatoes. Also, make sure to keep an eye on your veggies so they don’t overcook. Caramelized veggies are good, but burnt ones are not!

Remove them from the oven and reduce the heat to 350°F.

Mashed Potato

When your potatoes are fork-tender, drain them and return to the pot.

Add Greek yogurt, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Mash with a potato masher. I prefer to have some texture to them, so I don’t mash them until smooth. If you prefer smoother mashed potatoes, go ahead and peel them first and put them through a ricer.

These mashed potatoes will have a drier consistency than you are used to, but it’ll work out, I promise! You’re going to be putting them on top of a gravy base, so they’ll soak up some moisture during the final stages of cooking.

Assembling The Guinness Shepherd’s Pie

In your pie dish, add your finished gravy filling.

Top with the roasted vegetables.

The layer on the mashed potatoes and spread until even and smooth. Cook in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes. Top with the (optional) shredded cheddar cheese.

Switch oven to broil and broil your vegetarian Guinness Shepherd’s PIe for about 5 minutes until the cheese is browned in spots. Keep a close eye on it!

And you’re done. Sprinkle with sliced green onions or chopped chives, if desired, and serve while still hot.

Tips and Tricks

I always try to bring you recipes that are easy to adapt to your tastes, and this one is no different.

Choose different vegetables if you want; I love broccoli and Brussels sprouts, but maybe you don’t. Choose something else instead. Just make sure that you chop the vegetables you use to bite-sized or smaller and that they have similar roasting times.

Or start roasting one vegetable, and add the other(s) later.

I recommend roasting the vegetables until they are pretty dark. You are going to put them on top of gravy and under mashed potatoes, so they will soften some.

Get them as crispy as you can, without burning them, during the roasting process so you can get the difference in texture later.

Alternate protein Options

I’ve made this recipe with a couple of different vegetarian “beef” crumbles, and it always turns out pretty well. Just choose your favorite brand, and make sure it’s enough to equal about 1 lb of beef.

If you’d prefer not to use mock meat, you can try cooked brown or green lentils, black beans, or crumbled tempeh.

I know that the potatoes on their own are dry. If you can’t get past it, make your favorite mashed potato recipe instead.

However, the gravy in the filling steams and softens them in the final cooking steps, and their texture becomes what you actually want to eat.

I like to simmer the liquid down to a thick gravy. Alternately, you could whisk in 1 Tbsp of all-purpose flour to make the gravy thicken faster and give it a bit creamier consistency.

Totally up to your preference, but you won’t be in a hurry to get the gravy to thicken, as you’ll still have to wait on the roasting veggies.

I like the Irish Guinness beer in this recipe. However, you can eliminate it and use more vegetable (or mushroom) broth.

Finally, the amount of liquid you need will vary depending on the amount of liquid your mushrooms release. You can see from my pictures in the recipe that I didn’t get much water out of the mushrooms this time around.

Sometimes you don’t get more than a tablespoon, and sometimes you can get over a half cup! Alter the fluid added depending on the amount of liquid your mushrooms give off, or just cook it a bit longer

Adjusting for Dietary Needs

Gluten-Free – This recipe is already gluten-free, as written. If you prefer to use a thickener rather than letting the gravy thicken while cooking, you can use a cornstarch slurry.

Alternatively, make the potatoes ahead of time and use 2-3 Tbsp of the finished potatoes as a thickener instead.

Vegan or dairy allergy – replace the Greek yogurt with soy yogurt and omit the cheese on top, or use a vegan version that will melt.

Serving Suggestions

Allow the pie to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Garnish with fresh herbs, such as chopped chives or sliced green onions.

Serve with a cool side, such as a spinach salad, cucumber salad, or a medley of winter fruits.

This meal is screaming for a hearty drink, such as more Guinness beer, robust red wine, or rich hot chocolate.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Guinness Shepherd’s Pie stores well in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days.

The best way to reheat the pie is to put it back in the oven at 350°F until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

A quicker way is to zap it in the microwave. However, you’ll often have a hot outside and a cold instead, meaning you’ll have to stir the pie. It’ll still taste fantastic, but you won’t have the pretty separate layers anymore.

Making the Guinness Shepherd’s Pie Ahead of Time

If you want to make this pie ahead of time, I would go through all of the steps up until you put it in the fridge. So make all 3 components and layer filling, roasted vegetables, and then the potatoes. Cover well.

You can make this 1-2 two days early and store it in the fridge. Just be sure to increase the baking time so that the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Then top with cheese and melt, then broil as usual.

You could store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat it, allow the pie to thaw in the refrigerator, then follow the cooking instructions above.

YUM!

If you didn’t watch that super short video, go back. No way can you watch that sizzling cheese and not want this recipe!

So are you willing to try a Roasted Vegetable Guinness Shepherd’s Pie? Let me know in the comments!

Need help finding more recipes to cook for your multivore family? You could try my 7-Day Vegetarian Cooking Challenge to get you going!