Name: Lentil & Mushroom Shepherd's Pie
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: One 9x13-inch dish
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion, diced; 2 carrots, diced; 2 ribs celery, diced; 12 oz cremini mushrooms, chopped (340 g); 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed (200 g); 3 cups vegetable broth; 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar; 1 cup frozen peas; 1 tsp kosher salt; 2½ lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut in 2-inch chunks (1130 g); ⅓ cup olive oil, plus more for the top; ½ cup unsweetened plain oat milk, warmed; 1 tsp kosher salt

Method

Cook the onion, carrots and celery in the oil in a large pot over medium heat 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring now and then, 8 to 10 minutes.
Look forThe mushrooms release their liquid, it cooks off, and they start to brown.
Stir in the garlic, tomato paste and thyme for 1 minute. Add the lentils and broth, bring to a boil, then simmer partly covered, stirring now and then, 30 to 35 minutes.
Look forThe lentils are tender and most of the liquid is gone. It should look like a thick stew, not soup.
Meanwhile, cover the potatoes with cold salted water, boil 15 to 18 minutes until very tender, and drain. Mash with the oil, oat milk and salt.
Look forSmooth and spreadable, not runny.
Heat the oven to 400°F. Stir the vinegar, peas and salt into the lentils and spread in a 9x13-inch dish. Spread the potatoes over the top, rough it up with a fork, and drizzle with oil.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, then rest 10 minutes.
Look forBubbling at the edges and golden on the ridges.

Make ahead

Assemble up to 2 days ahead and chill, covered. Bake from cold, adding 15 minutes, until steaming hot in the center.

Holding

Covered in a 200°F oven, at 140°F or above in the center, up to 4 hours. Add a splash of broth around the edges if it starts to dry.

Allergens

Contains check the oat milk for gluten if needed. Always check labels on packaged ingredients.

Notes

Oat milk is gluten-free only when the label says so. Any unsweetened plant milk works, or use the potato cooking water.

Tavern Night

This dish's twist table (d6)

1–2	The classic stands. No twist. Cook it as written.
3	Herb swap. Fold chopped chives into the potatoes
4	Acid strike. A splash more balsamic in the filling
5	Plating challenge. Bake in ramekins, one per player
6	Host's boon. The Host picks any twist above, or the table invents one. The safety rule still applies.

Roll before you start cooking. No twist ever changes a time, a temperature or how done something must be.

Lentil & Mushroom Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

Filling

Potato crust