This is a great spin on the old faithful Shepherds Pie. You can chuck as many veggies or as few as you like. I made mine with chicken mince but you can use any mince you choose. The mash is not as heavy or stodgy as the original pie version but still makes you feel warm and comforted.
For the pie filling-
500g chicken or beef mince (I just minced chicken breasts in the food processor)
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 zucchini- diced or grated if you are trying to hide it from small people
1 carrot- diced or grated
1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)
1 tin tomatoes, including juice
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
For the mash-
1/2 head cauliflower, steamed
1 lge parsnip, washed, skin on, steamed
You can sneak in some steamed broccoli here too if you like.
2 tbs milk of your choice
1 heaped tsp sweet paprika (optional)
1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
In a pan, sauté onion and garlic. Add mince and brown. Add all other pie filling ingredients and mix well. Bring to the boil and reduce heat to a low simmer. Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Spoon into a casserole dish.
For the mash- purée all ingredients in the food processor until smooth. You can mash it all together if you like. It will be a reddish colour if you add the paprika. Spoon the mash on top of the mince and bake on 200C for 15-20 mins until it starts to brown on top.
Can i replace zucchini with cucumber?
Not too sure Viv, I probably wouldn’t but I am not a big fan of hot cucumber. I’d use grated carrot, broccoli, pumpkin or sweet potato.