Why stop at breakfast in bed for Mum this Mother’s Day? Why not try a delicious cottage pie dinner as well – and this delicious recipe is plant-based and meat-free, perfect for our vegetarian and vegan families. Yum!
The Fry Family Food Co make going meat-free easy with Pea Protein Mince! It’s 100% plant-based and made from non-genetically modified ingredients and plant proteins, containing nothing but the good stuff. It’s also free from soy, onion and garlic, and as a result, it’s awesome for those with sensitive stomachs.
Use Fry’s Pea Protein Mince as a regular mince replacement – think spaghetti bolognese, lasagne, nachos, tacos, even savoury mince. You’ll find it in the freezer section of the supermarket and furthermore, YES, you can cook it from frozen – hooray!
[mc_block_title custom_title=”The Fry Family Food Co Vegetarian Cottage Pie”]
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 Fry’s Pea Protein Mince (follow the on-pack instructions to cook)
- 1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 large onions, diced
- 2 large unpeeled carrots, diced
- 2 tsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried rosemary)
- 2 smoked garlic cloves, minced (or normal garlic cloves)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup cooked brown lentils
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp vegetable stock (DIY or store-bought)
- 2 tbsp garlic and breadcrumbs (optional)
Mashed potato topping
- 9 medium unpeeled, washed potatoes
- 2-4 tbsp vegan butter
- 2-4 tbsp plant-based milk
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Method
- Soak the porcini mushrooms in one cup of hot boiled water for 10-15 minutes.
- Cut the potatoes into evenly sized chunks, and place them into a large pot and cover them with water. Bring to a low boil on medium-high heat, then generously salt, cover and cook for 20-30 minutes or until soft.
- While the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 220°C and lightly grease a baking dish or pan.
- Once potatoes are cooked, drain, and add them back to the pot to evaporate any remaining water. Transfer to a mixing bowl and mash until smooth. Add the vegan butter and plant-based milk, before seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Loosely cover and set aside.
- In a large saucepan sauté onions, carrots, herbs, garlic and olive oil over medium heat until lightly brown.
- Drain the porcini mushrooms, but keep the liquid. Set the liquid aside and chop the mushrooms.
- Add the mushrooms, mushroom liquid, vegetable stock, and tomato paste to the carrot and onion mix and stir. Bring to a low boil before reducing the heat to simmer. Continue cooking until the onions are transparent. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Stir in the lentils and Fry’s Pea Protein Mince to the vegetable mix. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed before transferring the mix to the oven-safe baking dish and carefully top with mashed potatoes. Smooth with a spoon or fork and season with garlic bread crumbs (optional).
- Place the dish on a baking sheet to catch the overflow and bake until the mash is lightly browned on top.
- Let cool briefly before serving. The longer it sits, the more it will thicken.
NOTE: The Pea Protein Mince Cottage Pie is perfect as leftovers! Let it cool completely before covering, after that, you can then store it in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat using the microwave. Easy peasy!
The Fry Family Food Co products are available at Woolworths, Coles and independent supermarkets around Australia. What say you, will you give this vegetarian cottage pie a try?
