Name: Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie (Freezer-Friendly)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 12 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 5 cups (10 ounces) sliced shiitake mushrooms; 4 cups (10 ounces) sliced baby portabello; 1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 medium); 1 ½ cups chopped carrots (2 large); 6 large cloves garlic, minced; ¼ cup tomato paste; ½ cup red wine, such as cabernet sauvignon (optional); 2 cups (1 pound) French green lentils, rinsed; 7 cups vegetable broth; 2 dried or fresh bay leaves; 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari; ¾ teaspoon table salt; ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 9 cups peeled & chopped Yukon Gold potatoes (about 4 pounds); 2 teaspoon table salt, divided; 1 cup whole milk or alternative milk option, room temperature; 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature; ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; ½ cup shredded cheddar or parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1For the filling - Heat 5 tablespoons oil, over medium-high, until shimmering, in a Dutch oven or large pot. Cook half of shiitake mushrooms, until browned, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Remove from the skillet onto a plate. Repeat with the baby portabello mushrooms, adding additional 5 tablespoons oil, cooking until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to the plate and set aside.
2Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the large pot or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots, cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender and onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
3Add the reserved mushrooms and garlic to the large pot or Dutch oven, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir tomato paste, until darkened, about 2 minutes. Add red wine (optional), scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan, as needed.
4Stir rinsed green lentils, broth, bay leaves, soy sauce (tamari), ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then let simmer over a medium-low heat, uncovered, until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the lentils and lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.
5For the topping - Add potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt to a large pot. Cover with water (about 12 cups). Boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat, until they’re cooked through and you can easily pierce them with a fork or knife, 16-18 minutes. Using a colander drain the potatoes. Return potatoes to the pot and mash together using a fork, potato masher, or mixer with paddle attachment. Add milk, butter, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and remaining 1 teaspoon table salt to the potatoes and mash until thoroughly incorporated.
6Build the layers of the shepherd's pie into the wells of your Souper Cubes 2-cup trays. For this recipe you will need four, Souper Cubes 2-cup trays, which will give you 8 portions. Start by filling the wells up halfway (about 1 cup) with mushroom-lentil base. Then divide evenly by spooning mashed potatoes (about 1 cup per well) on top of the mushroom-lentil base.
7Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese or parmesan on top of mashed potatoes before freezing, if desired.
8Place the trays with labeled lids in the freezer overnight to fully freeze.
9Allow the trays to stand on the counter for 5 minutes before removing the lid and popping out the frozen cubes. This will allow the cubes to pop out much easier for you.
10Optional: Pop-out the cubes and transfer them to freezer-safe bags. Label and return back to the freezer.
11In the oven - When you are ready to reheat in the oven, remove your shepherd's pie from the freezer to thaw, ideally for a few hours to overnight. Preheat the oven to 350°F, then add to Souper Cubes Square Baking Dish or oven-proof container, bake until the thermometer registers 165°F and is bubbling on the edges, for about 40 minutes. Before serving, place under the broiler in the oven for 3-4 minutes.
12Alternatively, you can bake from frozen in the oven, simply place the frozen vegetarian shepherd's pie into Souper Cubes 5-inch baking dish, place in a preheated oven to 350°F, then add to Souper Cubes Square Baking Dish or oven-proof container, then bake until the thermometer registers 165°F and is bubbling on the edges, for about 50 minutes. Before serving, place under the broiler in the oven for 3-4 minutes.
13In the microwave from frozen - place in a 5-inch Square Souper Cubes Baking Dish, with cover on but slightly vented, then in a microwave at 50% power for about 5 minutes. On high heat until steaming, about 3 minutes. From thawed - place in a 5-inch Square Souper Cubes Baking Dish, with cover on but slightly vented, then in a microwave at 100% power for about 5 minutes.

Protein	30.8 g	62%
Total fat	42.2 g	54%
Saturated fat	15.9 g	79%
Cholesterol	61.5 mg	20%
Sodium	1900 mg	83%
Carbohydrates	90.3 g	33%
Fiber	13.5 g	48%
Sugars	7.73 g

Vitamin A	404 µg	45%
Vitamin C	52.9 mg	59%
Vitamin D	0.3 µg	1%
Vitamin E	3.9 mg	26%
Vitamin K	17 µg	14%
Thiamin (B1)	0.8 mg	67%
Riboflavin (B2)	0.62 mg	48%
Niacin (B3)	7.3 mg	46%
Vitamin B6	1.22 mg	72%
Folate (DFE)	331 µg	83%
Vitamin B12	0.83 µg	35%

Potassium	1886 mg	40%
Calcium	285 mg	22%
Iron	6.68 mg	37%
Magnesium	110 mg	26%
Zinc	4.68 mg	43%
Phosphorus	548 mg	44%
Selenium	20.1 µg	36%

Ingredients

Directions

Full nutrition