Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Recipe Credit

Stuffing:

* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 med. white onion finely chopped
* 1 cup celery finely chopped
* 8 cups of whole grain bread cubes (I cheat and buy them
pre-seasoned in the bulk section but if you don't then use the full
amount of spices below. If you DO buy them already seasoned...please
1/2 the spice amounts or it will be toooo strong.)
* 2 tsp ground sage
* 1 tsp savoury
* 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
* 1/2 tsp dried thyme
* 1/2 tsp celery seed
* 1/2 tsp salt (I NEVER use salt unless I have to in baking...you
can leave this out)
* Fresh ground pepper
* 1 tbsp fresh parsley (dried will do too) minced
* 1 vegetable bullion (or use two cups of homemade /bought low
sodium (that is me again with the low sodium) chicken broth. If you
use already constituted broth you won't need the water below.
* 2 cups boiling water

Mashed Potato Crust:

* About 10 medium to small potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes (8 - 10 cups.
* 1 stalk celery with leaves
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 large clove garlic
* 3 tbsp butter
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* salt and pepper to taste

Peel potatoes and put in pot with cold water, celery, bay leaf and
garlic. Bring to boil, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender.

While potatoes are cooking, you can start the stuffing. Melt the
butter and saute the onion, celery. Saute until they are softening.
Add your bread cubes, and spices mixing well. Add the bullion in 2
cups boiling water...or your heated broth. Mix well and steam covered
over very very low heating for about 15 minutes or so.

Turn your oven on to about 350. In a separate small saucepan melt the
butter and add the cream. Heat until it is hot without boiling. Mash
your potatoes (having drained and removing the garlic and celery) in a
food processor or normal way you prepare. Add the butter cream mixture
and salt and pepper to taste.

Put the stuffing in an oven-proof casserole dish. Top with the mashed
potatoes. Bake in oven for 30 - 35 minutes (depends on the depth of
the casserole dish) until crust is golden. While it is baking prepare
the Mushroom Cream Gravy.


Mushroom Cream Gravy:

* 2 tbsp butter
* 1 lb mushrooms, sliced
* 2 tbsp butter
* 2 tbsp flour
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 2 veg bouillon (again I use homemade/canned low sodium chicken
broth) and then eliminate that water)
* 2 tbsp heavy cream
* 1/4 tsp garlic salt
* salt to taste (come on...ya don't need it!)

In a large frypan melt 2 tbsp butter. Add the mushrooms and saute till
tender and juicy. Can you smell that wonderful smell?!!!!! Keep
sauteing until a dark brown juice comes from the mushrooms. Remove the
mushrooms with a slotted spoon. Pour the juice in a measuring cup and
save.

In the same frypan melt the other 2 tbsp butter. Add the flour and
stir with a whisk to combine. Add the mushroom liquid and continue
stirring with a whisk as the gravy thickens. Add the water and bullion
stirring continuously. Add the cream and salt and garlic. At this
point you can add the mushrooms again or you can serve them separately
over or on the side of the Shepherds Pie. This is not a lot of
work...just a lot of words and it is delish!!!!!!!