Vegan Cottage Pie!

Do you know the difference between Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie?

I didn’t, until very recently.

Turns out, the two are actually very similar which explains why many people tend to use the names interchangeably.

There is a difference though and it has to do with the meat source. Shepherd’s Pie is traditionally made with ground lamb while Cottage Pie is made with ground beef.

Or in the case of this recipe, a plant-based vegan ground beef substitute.

So there you have it.

This vegan version of a classic cottage pie is pure comfort food.

Table of Contents

What Should I Serve with Cottage Pie?

Because this casserole already has a lot going on flavor-wise, I like to keep it simple and serve biscuits on the side.

Time-saving tip:

Use leftover mashed potatoes! Along with Easy Cheesy Mashed Potato Soup, this cottage pie is one of my best tricks for repurposing leftover mashed potatoes into a whole new meal.

Ingredients for Vegan Cottage Pie:

You will need:

For the potatoes:

Yukon Gold potatoes – Russets also work well
vegan butter
sea salt
ground black pepper

For the filling:

vegetable oil
yellow onion
garlic
vegan ground beef substitute – I use Beyond Beef or ground Impossible
sea salt
ground black pepper
all-purpose flour
tomato paste
vegan chicken-style broth
vegan Worcestershire sauce
dried rosemary
dried thyme
frozen corn
frozen peas

Vegan Cottage Pie - This plant-based version of a classic cottage pie is pure comfort food!

How to make Vegan Cottage Pie:

For the potatoes:

STEP ONE: Into a large saucepan, add potatoes and cover by 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes, until potatoes are very tender. Drain potatoes then return them to the pan. Add vegan butter, salt, and pepper.

STEP TWO: Mash with a potato masher until smooth or at the desired consistency. Stir well and adjust seasoning to taste.

For the filling:

STEP THREE: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

STEP FOUR: Into a large skillet over medium-high, add oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and carrot slices. Saute 3 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and continue cooking another 1 minute.

STEP FIVE: To the skillet, add ground beef substitute, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until nicely browned and cooked through.

STEP SIX: Sprinkle flour over the top. Toss to evenly coat.

STEP SEVEN: Stir in tomato paste, chicken-style broth, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and thyme. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the corn and peas, stirring to combine.

STEP EIGHT: Into an 8′ x 8″ baking dish, spread mixture in an even layer. Top with mashed potatoes and spread to completely cover the filling.

STEP NINE: Bake, uncovered, 25 minutes and serve hot.

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