Need a hearty, flavorful, meatless dinner? Lentil Shepherds Pie is simple to make (one hour start to finish!), made with real food, and you can make it vegan or add some meat and use the lentils to stretch it! <\/em><\/p>\n This post may contain affiliate links. Read my<\/em> disclosure policy here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n This cozy, frugal Lentil Shepherds Pie meets two of my goals in the colder months: <\/p>\n I first made it on a whim when I ran across the original recipe on Simple Bites<\/a> years and years ago. This is my version, and not only is it a frugal, whole \u00adfood meal for a cold winter night (or balmy southern winter night, in my case), it\u2019s also easy to whip up from basic pantry staples.<\/strong><\/p>\n Lentil Shepherds Pie is also a fairly quick, budget-friendly dinner. It only takes one hour, start to finish!<\/strong><\/p>\n Just in case you need one more reason to try it, this recipe is easily adaptable for dairy\u00ad-free<\/a> or vegan<\/a> diets. Coconut milk and almond milk work like a dream. <\/p>\n If you are not vegan or vegetarian<\/a>, but you want to stretch your meat a little further, <\/strong>try this recipe and add a little browned ground beef<\/a> to the lentil mixture! See the recipe for more detailed instructions.<\/p>\n This recipe is very carb-heavy, but you can add more veggies to it to help round out the meal! Try one or two of these ideas:<\/p>\n Yay for plant-based meatless meals that still taste hearty! The vinegar, ketchup, and other seasonings make this Lentil Shepherds Pie filling and flavorful. <\/p>\n Want to make the shepherds pie for packed lunches or just something fun? Bake it in a muffin tin. Simply line the muffin tins with paper liners, divide the lentil mixture (try adding different veggie combinations from the list above to each mini pie!) among the 12 muffin tins, then top them with the potatoes. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until warmed through.<\/p>\n If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo #cheapskatecook and <\/em>@cheapskatecook<\/em><\/a> <\/em>on Instagram.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Meat-Lover but Want to Make it Stretch?<\/strong><\/p>\n If you prefer shepherds pie made with meat but you want to stretch it a litte further, use 1\/2 cup dry lentils and use 1\/2 lb browned ground beef (we keep this beef on hand for meat-stretching meals!)<\/a> instead.<\/p>\n Don’t Have Sweet Potatoes?<\/strong><\/p>\n You can substitute butternut squash or pumpkin puree for the sweet potatoes. Or if you prefer to leave them out entirely, simply use 2 pounds of your favorite kind of potato.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"lentil](\"https:\/\/www.cheapskatecook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Lentil-shepherds-pie-pingraphic-2-500x750.jpg\")
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Vegan or Meatless Shepherds Pie<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Lentil Shepherds Pie<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\nVeggie-Loaded Plant-Based Shepherds Pie<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nThis Recipe Is:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"lentil](\"https:\/\/www.cheapskatecook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/lentil-shepherds-pie-2-cc-500x750.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nHow Lentil Shepherds Pie Helps Us Save Money & Eat Healthy<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Muffin Tin Vegetarian Shepherds Pie<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Ingredients<\/h3>\n
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Instructions<\/h3>\n
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Notes<\/h3>\n