Try this vegetarian spin on Shepherd’s Pie, the ultimate comfort food for cold nights.

This hearty winter dish will warm your belly with mushrooms and lentils replacing the traditional beef or lamb component.

Miraval Berkshires’ Chef Justin Taylor created this recipe with intention and love by giving us a healthy yet filling option that tastes delicious.

Get inspired and substitute the root vegetable of your choice or experiment with other options like butternut squash. Share your additions and creations in the comments below.

Prep Time: 1 hour | Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Servings: 8

Tools: Potato ricer or masher. One oven-proof Le Creuset or dutch oven. One small pot for the lentils. One medium-sized pot for the mashed potato.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lb. russet potatoes
• 1 c. whole milk
• ¼ lb. butter, unsalted
• ½ c. aged cheddar, shredded
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 c. puy lentils
• One ea. bouquet garni (small bundle thyme, bay leaf, parsley, and celery leaf)
• 2 tbsp. corn starch
• 2 lb. mixed wild mushrooms (maitake, shiitake, cremini, oyster)
• 3 tbsp olive oil.
• Two ea. earrots, peeled, and large dice
• One ea. parsnip, peeled, and large dice
• One ea. yellow onion, thinly sliced
• Two ea. garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 c. dry red wine
• 3 c. vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp. chopped rosemary

Directions:

1. Begin by making mash potatoes by peeling and large dice the potatoes. Cover with water and simmer until tender. While simmering, heat the milk to scold. When potatoes are tender, strain thoroughly through a colander, mash them, and stir in the milk and butter—season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. While potatoes are simmering, prepare the lentils. Rinse the lentils before cooking, then cover with 4 cups of water, add the bouquet garni and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then strain and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil and sauté the mushrooms in a medium-size oven-proof dutch oven. Once browned, remove from the pan and repeat with the carrots and parsnips in the same pan. Once browned, add the onions and garlic and sauté together for one minute. Return the mushrooms to the same pan and add the tomato paste. Sauté together for one minute.
4. Add the red wine and reduce it by half. Add the lentils and vegetable stock and bring to a simmer—season with salt and pepper.
5. While coming up to a simmer, combine the cornstarch with ½ cup of water to form a slurry. (It should look like heavy cream).
6. Add this slurry to the lentil and mushroom mix, combine, and bring to a simmer.
7. Shut off the heat, sprinkle the mushroom mix with rosemary, and cover the mixture evenly in the mash potatoes.
8. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top and bake in a 375-degree oven for about 30 minutes.
9. Allow it to sit for 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy.