Seitan Shepard’s Pie

In trying to think outside of the box to ignite an everyday dinner, I decided to create a vegetarian version of Shepard’s Pie. It is traditionally made with lamb or beef but I wanted to try seitan, a wheat-based product you can find next to most tofu products. The texture of seitan is very much like that of beef–it holds up well in dishes like mongolian beef and stroganoff so I thought why not try it in Shepard’s Pie!

To begin, let’s make mashed potatoes. Boil the potatoes until soft. Once drained, add back to pot and mash.  Mix in the fat free sour cream, butter and skim milk. If needed, adjust consistency by adding a little milk at a time. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil slowly adding carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms, red peppers and fresh garlic. Saute until tender, about 10 minutes or so.

Next, add your ground seitan and one teaspoon flour  to vegetables. While the vegetables and seitan are simmering, add Worcestershire sauce, vegetable broth, tomato paste, and a healthy dash of each: paprika, oregano, basil, thyme, ground rosemary, salt and pepper.

Heat until thickened (roughly 10 minutes) and spoon seitan/vegetable combo into the bottom of casserole dish.

Top with your freshly made skinny mashed potatoes. Using a fork, even out the top of the potatoes leaving a nice visual imprint. Sprinkle with paprika and put in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. Serve immediately with a nice green salad and hearty red wine. See if anyone notices it’s not really beef……

Ingredients:

For mashed potatoes:
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes
2 tablespoons fat free sour cream
2 tablespoons butter
⅓ cup skim milk
salt and pepper to taste
paprika

For seitan/vegetable mixture:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium carrots, sliced
½ red onion, diced
6-7 mushrooms, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 packages ground seitan
1 teaspoon flour
2 tablespoons worstershire sauce
½ cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Healthy dash of each: paprika, oregano, basil, thyme, ground rosemary, sea salt & black pepper

Serves 4-6 depending on portion size.

Tips for Success

The biggest secret to a great shepherd’s pie is a filling that is thick, not soupy. Let the seitan and vegetables simmer until the broth has really cooked down and coats everything. If you spoon a runny filling into the dish, the potatoes will sink and the whole thing gets messy when you serve it.

Cut your vegetables about the same size so they cook evenly. I like the carrots sliced fairly thin because they take the longest to soften. And go slowly with the potatoes. Mash them while they are still hot and add the milk a splash at a time. You want them fluffy and spreadable, firm enough to hold those pretty fork lines on top.

• Dry the drained potatoes for a minute in the hot pot before mashing. They soak up the butter and sour cream so much better.
• Taste the filling before it goes in the dish. Seitan loves seasoning, so do not be shy with the herbs.
• Set the casserole on a baking sheet in case the filling bubbles over.

Ingredient Swaps and Variations

This is a very forgiving recipe. If you cannot find ground seitan, buy seitan strips or chunks and pulse them a few times in a food processor. Russet potatoes work in place of Yukon Golds, though I find the Yukons creamier. Frozen peas or corn stirred into the filling at the end are both lovely additions, and a sweet potato topping makes it feel extra cozy in the fall.

For the meat eaters in my house I have made this same filling with lean ground beef or ground lamb. Brown the meat first, drain it, then carry on with the recipe exactly as written.

Make Ahead and Storage

You can assemble the whole pie a day ahead, cover it tightly and keep it in the refrigerator. Add about 10 to 15 extra minutes to the baking time since it starts out cold. Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm the whole dish at 350 degrees until hot all the way through. The pie also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before baking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is seitan?

Seitan is made from wheat gluten, so it has a chewy, meaty texture that holds up beautifully in a saucy filling. Because it is made from wheat, it is not a good choice for anyone avoiding gluten.

Can I make this dairy free?

Yes. Use olive oil or a plant based butter in the potatoes, swap the sour cream for a dairy free version and use your favorite unsweetened plant milk. Just double check that your Worcestershire sauce is vegetarian if that matters to you, since many contain anchovies.

Why is it called shepherd’s pie?

Traditionally the name refers to a pie made with lamb, since shepherds tend sheep. With beef it is often called cottage pie. Mine is neither, but it tastes every bit as comforting!

Mandy

Seitan Shepherd's Pie

A vegetarian take on classic shepherd's pie with a savory ground seitan and vegetable filling under a blanket of light, creamy mashed potatoes.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the mashed potatoes

• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes
• 2 tablespoons fat free sour cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup skim milk plus more as needed
• salt and pepper to taste
• paprika for sprinkling

For the seitan and vegetable filling

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium carrots sliced
• 1/2 red onion diced
• 6 to 7 mushrooms sliced
• 2 stalks celery sliced
• 1 red pepper diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 packages ground seitan
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• paprika, oregano, basil, thyme, ground rosemary, sea salt and black pepper a healthy dash of each

Method

 

1. Boil the potatoes until soft, then drain them and return them to the pot.
2. Mash the potatoes and mix in the sour cream, butter and skim milk. Add a little more milk at a time if needed to adjust the consistency. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the carrots, onion, celery, mushrooms, red pepper and garlic. Saute until tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the ground seitan and the flour to the vegetables.
5. While it simmers, stir in the Worcestershire sauce, vegetable broth, tomato paste and a healthy dash each of paprika, oregano, basil, thyme, ground rosemary, salt and pepper.
6. Cook until thickened, about 10 minutes, then spoon the filling into the bottom of a casserole dish.
7. Spread the mashed potatoes over the filling and use a fork to even out the top, leaving a pattern of lines.
8. Sprinkle with paprika and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes

Serve with a green salad. The pie can be assembled a day ahead and refrigerated, just add a few extra minutes in the oven.