This is not your traditional Shepherd’s pie. It’s vegan with a delicious twist. This Vegan Sheperd’s Pie recipe is a one-pot meal that is layered with sweet creamy goodness. Moreover, it’s perfect for any occasion and everyone will enjoy.
What is Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie?
These two pie recipe varies widely, but all has the same layered structure. Believe it or not, it is noted that Cottage Pie originated in the 1700s. Moreover, Shepherd’s Pie is like the nephew or cousin of Cottage Pie and came about in the late 1800s.
Cottage Pie and Shepherd’s Pies are both used interchangeably. However, the main difference between the two lies in the protein layer. Cottage Pie is made using minced beef while Shepherd’s pie was originally made using pieces of mutton or Lamb.
Cottage Pie is said to receive it’s name from the people who lived in little cottages in Scotland that were said to developed and sphere headed the Cottage Pie recipe.
Back in the days, cottage pie was very cost effective because the ingredients were very cheap. Cottage cooks would use leftover scraps of meats and cooked them down in gravy and onions; sounds delicious right? A thick blanket of mash potato was then layered on top. However, some recipes today call for the mash potatoes to be at the bottom as well. Vegetables such as celery, corn, carrots and peas are most times added to the meat mixture.
Where Did Shepherd’s Pie Originate?
The British and Irish both claim the origin of shepherd’s pie. Based on my research, shepherd’s pie was birthed in Scotland. The meat pie was originally baked in a pastry crust. However, the pie later made its way to Ireland where they used mashed potato topping because potatoes were a cheap delicacy.
I don’t care where these pies originated, the dish has made its way across different nations and cultures. As a result, It has taken on many different variations in it’s original recipe.
There are not many Vegan 
Shepherd’s Pie recipes available today. Food Explora’s Vegan Shepherd’s Pie recipe is one of a kind, finger-licking one-pot comfort meal. Vegans, Vegetarians or anyone who love a flavorful home cooked meal will appreciate this recipe. I have used several of Beyond Meats products and love them.
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Vegan Shepherd's Pie
Here are all the Vegan Shepherd's Pie ingredients You Will Need .
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Beyond Beef
Garlic
salt
black Pepper
Cassava
Complete Seasoning
Rosemary
Canola Oil
Ripe Plantain
Smoked Paprika
Peas & Carrots
Scallion
Canned Yams
Olive Oil
BBQ Sauce
Vegan Shepherd's Pie: A Sweet and Creamy Surprise!
Equipment
- Oven
- Pyrex Baking Tray (4 x 15)
- Sauce Pans
- Cast Iron Pan
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Garlic Press
Ingredients
Fried Plantain
- 4 medium Extra Ripe Plantains
- ½ cup Canola/Olive Oil
Beef Alternative
- 16 oz. Beyond Beef
- 16 oz. Frozen Peas and Carrots
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp. Complete Seasoning
- 2 tsp. Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp. Rosemary
- ¼ cup Scallion (green onion), Sliced
- 2 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Black Pepper
- 3 tsp. Olive Oil
- ⅓ cup BBQ Sauce
Cassava Sweet Potato Topping
- 4 medium Cassava Roots
- 1 29 oz. Sweet Potato (yams) In Syrup
Instructions
Let's Fry The Plantains
- In a cast-iron pan, heat oil over medium flame for about 3 minutes. Here I used a canola-olive oil blend.
- The riper the plantains, the higher the sugar content and the sweeter they taste when fried. In addition, the skin of the plantains becomes blackened and is an indication that they are extra ripe and sweet. Moreover, medium ripe plantains with a little blackening on the yellow skin can also be used.
- Peel ripe plantains by cutting off each end, and make a slit along the length of each plantain. Peel the skin from the plantain.
- Slice each of the 4 peeled plantains lengthwise; about 3 mm thick. It does not matter how you slice the plantains, they will be layered as the base of your Vegan Shepherd's Pie.
- Gently lay sliced into hot oil away from you to avoid splashing and getting burned. Cook on each side for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. However, if you want to cut back on calories by not frying them, you can choose to bake the plantain in an oven or air fryer for 10 -15 minutes and slice length-wise after they are slightlu cooled.
- Remove fried plantains from oil onto a plate. You can drain in sheets of paper towels to remove the excess oil. For this recipe, I opted not to remove the excess oil. The oil on the surface of the plantains will play a role as a lubricant that will prevent them from sticking to the base of the baking container.
Let's Jazz-Up The Beyond Beef
- In a large saucepan, heat 3 tbsp. olive oil over low flame. Add the crushed garlic and rosemary leaves. Stir and cook for about 1-2 minutes to sweat their natural flavor oils.
- Empty the 16 oz pack of Beyond Beef onto the oil mixture.
- Use a spoon to break up the minced "meat" and stir together over medium heat.
- Add sliced scallion, salt, pepper, paprika, and complete seasoning. Mix together and stir occasionally to avoid burning.
- Add your defrosted sweet peas carrots and mix them together.
- Add BBQ sauce and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes over low to medium heat.
Let's Make the Cassava Sweet Potato Swirl
- Cassava or Yuca is one of my favorite starchy root vegetables. I have made a number of dishes using Yuca: chips, fries, salad, cassava mash. The skin is thick, but easy to peel from the white starch beneath.
- Bring to boil 2 quarts of water in a deep pot.
- Peel the cassava roots. Cut cassava roots into medium size pieces. Make sure to devein or cut off the vein that runs along the center of cassava. This is very fibrous and inedible.
- Add pieces of cassava to boiling water and cook for 10 -15 minutes until tender or fork gets inserted easily.
- After the cassava pieces are cooked, strain and add to a food processor. Open the can of yams and also add them to the food processor. However, do not discard the syrup liquid.On medium, blend until smooth and creamy. If it becomes too thick, you can add some of the yam syrup or almond milk to help smooth it out.
It's Time To Layer The Vegan Shepherd's Pie
- Set oven to 375 ° F.
- Lay each slice of the fried plantain along the base of the pyrex baking tray. Make sure that the base of the tray is completely covered with the plantain slices.
- On top of the bed of fried plantain, spread the Beyond Beef mixture to form a blanket over the plantains.
- The last step is to top with the sweet potato cassava swirl mixture. Evenly spread on top. Unlike potatoes, cassava has a more waxy and pasty texture when cooked and mashed. This is perfectly fine and adds a lot of character to this delicious dish.
- I used a cake decorating blade to make a wavy design on top. You can use a fork to do this. However, this step is totally optional.
- Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Use a metal spatula or knife to cut into 8-10 servings. I promise you will be asking for more.
Vegan Shepherd's Pie.
Click HERE or on the picture for the recipe.
This looks amazing! I love the combo of plantains with ground beef (or beef alternative!) It is such a weird sweet/savory delicious combo that is uniquely delicious! Thanks for sharing a dinner recipe I can make for any friends!
Looks awesome! Would be perfect for this weekend :)
I’ve been a vegetarian for many years and I have never had Shepard’s Pie before! I’m glad to have found your recipie so I can finally make it and try it for myself! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for dropping by. You will love this dish. Hope to see you again.
Shepherd’s Pie is such a comfort food.,but I never made it Vegan. Love your suggestions and incorporation of plantains.
I appreciate you dropping by. I can honestly say, while this is not your traditional shepherd’s pie, the plantains at the base gave the dish a unique flavor and texture. I loved it and enjoyed it.
this will be great for thanksgiving! glad to see a vegan recipe
Thank you Jean for dropping by. This Vegan Shepherd’s Pie is perfect for any holidays, special occasions or any day; everyone will enjoy it.
I am a vegan and I will surely try this recipe. Thanks for publishing it!
Eve, I appreciate you dropping by. You will not be disappointed when you try my Vegan Shepherd’s Pie.
Love making Plantains! I love the tostones! yumm.
Hi Cassandra. I appreciate you dropping by. I think you meant to comment on my Stuffed Tostones cups with ground Turkey recipe blog. However, this recipe calls for fried sweet plantains.
This is a delicious recipe for a vegan shepherd’s pie. I like that you’ve added cassava and plaintain; I wouldn’t have thought of this before. I’ll give this a try!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I’m going to cook it this week for my family!
~Michelle
https://michellescrazybusylife.net
Thanks for dropping by Michelle. Hope your family enjoys making it and eating it.
Nice post :)
Such a unique combo! I love that this is a yummy vegan alternative for holiday get togethers!
Yummy! I always want to try shepherds pie. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thank you Fadima.
This looks really tasty! I don’t mind vegan options! You have shared a great and easy to follow recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Lauren.
Thank you Lauren for the comment and star rating.
Fried plantains! Wow what a great addition.
Christine, plantain is one of the stars of the recipe.
Great vegan alternative for a Shepherds Pie. I’ve heard great things about beyond beef – will have to try it!
Debbie, you will love Beyond Meat products. Hope you get to try it someday. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and star rating.
Shepherd’s Pie is sooo good. Love this take on the classic and the fact that it’s vegan. Thanks for sharing!
Thank You Flawlessworld.
Frankly, I wasn’t aware of the historical origins of Vegan Shepherd’s sweet pie. Thank you for sharing the historical anecdotes and the ingredient list! I will try it at home!
Thank you Ambuji.
This sound awesome, I cannot believe it’s with bananas. Sounds so healthy..
Thanks for dropping by Underflowesky. It is not really a banana, plantain is a part of the banana family. The recipe calls for ripe plantains.
Growing up this was my favorite recipe to make. Thank you for showing me how to take it to the next level.
Thank you Dominique
This is so interesting and something I really want to try. Thanks for sharing this!
Thank You Katie. Hope you get to try my Vegan Sheperd’s pie.
Awesome!!! I have a friend that is vegan and I would enjoy this as well.
I may have to make this soon. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Kelly for the Comment and star rating.
Sounds delicious, when i was vegetarian i use to love making shepherds pie
Thank You Tianna.
This looks and sounds so yummy. I’m trying to introduce more vegan/vegetarian meals into my diet and this would be great, especially over the winter months
Thank You, Kat T.
Oh wow!! That looks like a yummy meat alternative to Shepard’s pie! Love that you added plantains! Nice receipt thank you for sharing :D
Appreciate you dropping by. Thank you.
Oh wow!!! A vegan shepherds pie. I love this! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Fadima