beet & sour cream mashed potato shepherd's pie

A delicious, modern, plant-based take on a classic, crowd-pleasing dish!

‘Tis the season to cook casseroles! Fa la la la la, la la la la!

A week ago today, Christmas music hit the airwaves in the Madden household (I feel mid-November is an almost appropriate gap between Halloween and Christmas). Our tiny tree is up and twinkling, wrapping paper stands crisp and ready, and I’m churning out gingerbread cakes like my life depends on it.

I love this season and, most importantly, I love the culinary wonders it brings.

This time of year, as much of the world celebrates and socializes, you might be hosting more people than usual for dinner. Or, as the temperature drops and the mittens are exhumed, you might be craving warm, cozy meals that are served right from the oven.

Enter all the rich, creamy, and satisfying winter casseroles we’ve come to love and anticipate.

The shepherd’s pie, a seasonal star, is one meal I have on my holiday-must list.

Every. Single. Year.

It's a familiar crowd-pleaser that’s easy to veganize and make super healthy.

Last week I talked about how I have a long-standing lasagna addiction, not far behind that is my obsession with any meal smothered in creamy mashed potatoes.

Today’s shepherd’s pie is a modern spin on the classic dish (lately I feel utterly incapable of making traditional versions of anything) featuring two of my favorite seasonal veggies: potatoes and beets.

When I set out to make a new, contemporary version of the shepherd’s pie I asked myself “What’s the vegetable” as I so often do when building a meal.

The memory of this striking beet curry was still lingering as was the wonder that is grated beets, and I knew, without hesitation, that I wanted a bright beet filling! You see grating beets gives us access to recipes and flavor profiles that aren’t typical of this root veggie. I decided on a slightly conventional potato topping and the rest was an ingredient-pairing and macronutrient-balancing brainstorming session. I threw in beans for protein, cauliflower for its cruciferous superpower, and ground fennel for an unexpected pop of flavor.

What resulted was this Beet and Sour Cream Potato Shepherd’s Pie. It’s the kind of recipe I will keep in my repertoire, forever.