Meatless Shepherd's Pie

waste not, want not...use up leftovers in a different way

Thanksgiving is only 2 days away and all I can think about are the leftovers. HA! I can honestly say that after all of the cooking on the day of, I'm exhausted and just want to rest. Plus I'm not usually that hungry because I've been tasting things all day as I cook. I find that the best part of Thanksgiving is the leftovers. Sure, the meal that day is wonderful, but reinventing and using up all the leftovers gives me great satisfaction.

This meatless shepherd's pie uses up quite a bit of what you might have left after your Thanksgiving meal. From the mashed potatoes, to the roasted root veggies, to the gravy, this pie can be a cinch to make. I've listed out all the steps to make this from scratch here though. So, make this with leftovers or make it from scratch, I suggest just making this dish, period. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 6
2 lbs. Russet Potatoes, peeled & cubed
2 T Prepared Horseradish
1/2 C Half & Half

1 Egg Yolk
1 oz. Package Dried Assorted Mushrooms
Olive Oil
2 Carrots, diced (about 12 baby)
1 Yellow Onion, diced
1 Clove Garlic, pressed
2 (8 oz.) Boxes Mushrooms (suggest baby bella or button)
2 T Unsalted Butter
2 T Flour
2 tsp. Soy Sauce (low sodium okay)
1/2 C Frozen Peas
Salt & Pepper
Parsley, for garnish

Directions
Begin by bringing the potatoes to a boil in a large pot. Salt the water when it begins to boil. Cook for about 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and return to the hot pot. Set aside.

While the potatoes are boiling, combine the dried mushrooms with 3 C of water in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes, reconstituting the mushrooms.

Meanwhile, heat a large skilled over med-high. Add 2 T olive oil, the carrots, onion, and garlic. Sweet for 2-3 minutes and then add in the sliced mushrooms. Cook for 5-7 minutes more, or until the veggies have softened. Reduce the heat to med-low.

By this time the dried mushrooms have reconstituted. Remove them with a slotted spoon to a cutting board. Roughly chop and then add to the large skillet with the rest of the veggies. Reserve 1 C of the mushroom broth, discard the rest, and wipe out the small pot.

Return the small pot to the stove over medium heat. Melt the butter and then add in the flour to make a roux, whisking to ensure no lumps form. Cook for about 30 seconds and then add the soy sauce and reserved mushroom broth, whisking well. Allow the gravy to cook for another minute, until thickened.

Add the gravy to the large skillet with the veggies. Stir the gravy into the veggies, stir in the peas, and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed. Turn off the heat, set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mash the potatoes in the large pot until there are no lumps. Stir in the horseradish, half and half, and egg yolk. Mix well.

Assemble the pie: pour the veggie mixture into a large baking dish. Then spread the potatoes over top. Try to keep the potatoes from mixing with the veggies and leave a little room around the edges for steam to escape as the pie cooks. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the dish is hot and bubbly. Remove from the oven and garnish with torn parsley. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then serve. Enjoy those reinvented leftovers!