I am so excited that it’s comfort-food season!! As much as I adore the fresh local produce and cool and light dishes of the summer, there is something about the hearty, hot and comforting foods of the winter that are so enticing. A good comfort food meal will leave you feeling like you just got the biggest, warmest hug from your favorite loved one! Even better when it can be healthy comfort food! What’s your favorite comfort food?

Although this isn’t technically a one-pot meal, since it requires some prep, it is in theory and in it’s final state. I love a meal where it’s all inclusive. One big scoop and you are all set. Plus, a meal like this is perfect for leftovers. For some reason, I find meals like this even better as leftovers, I am not sure if it’s because I didn’t spend all the time prepping just before, or if it just really allows the flavors to come together to their fullest.

Please keep in mind, I used what vegetables I had on hand and what I would like best for the filling, but feel free to have some fun and add in whatever you’d like. Other wonderful add-ins for the filling would be squash, cauliflower, corn, green beans, asparagus, peas, lentils, beets, turnips, meat or tofu, etc, etc. The possibilities are endless. You could make this many times, each a totally different way. Another thing to note, you don’t have to roast your vegetables if you don’t want to. You could simply sautee them in a large pan on the stove top, I just personally love the flavor of roasted vegetables.  I didn’t exactly accurately measure, so use my measurements below as a guide, but don’t get too hung up on the specifics, there really is no wrong way.

[print_this]Roasted Veggie Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato Topping – Vegan + Gluten-free
Serves 4-6

Filling:
(please keep in mind you can really use whatever veggies you would like and prefer, this is just what I had on hand.)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets
• 1-2 cups pearl onions, peeled and halved, if need be (I used fresh, not frozen)
• 1 small bulb of kohlrabi, peeled and sliced
• 2 cups brussels sprouts, halved
• 1 leeks, rinsed very well, slice thinly white and light green parts only
• 2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, thinly slices
• 1 15 ounce can of organic white beans
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Fresh or dried herbs, to your liking – I used both fresh rosemary and fresh thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste

Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock (or other stock like chicken or mushroom, etc)
• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch (potato or corn starch would also work)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence

Sweet Potato Topping:

• 4 medium organic sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons oil or butter (olive oil, coconut oil, butter, vegan butter, ghee, etc)
• splash of non-dairy milk (I used a bit of coconut milk)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Toss all of your vegetables, leaving out the white beans, mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes, together with olive oil, fresh herbs, salt and pepper in a roasting pan. Place in the oven and roast for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and beginning to brown. While the veggies are roasting, quickly sautee the mushrooms with a small drizzle of olive oil over a medium high heat. Take the roasted vegetables out when they are ready and toss in the white beans, sauteed mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes.

Lower the oven temperature  to 375ºF.

In a small saucepan heat the stock for your broth plus your herbs, over a medium-high heat, once simmering, carefully whisk in your starch to thicken. To avoid lumps, sprinkle it in lightly a little at a time or add some stock to a small bowl with the starch in and whisk quickly to fully incorporate. Once the veggies are done and all together, pour the sauce over, don’t add it all at once, you may not want it all, depending on how many veggies you have.

Pour the filling evenly into a very lightly greased glass baking pan and set aside. Meanwhile boil the sweet potatoes with the garlic in a medium saucepan full of water over a high heat. Once boiling, continue simmering for about 10-12 minutes until the sweet potatoes are nice and tender. Quickly drain the potatoes and then add back to the pot, add your oil or butter (or vegan butter) and mash with a potato masher, a hand mixer, etc. until smooth and creamy. Add a splash a non-dairy milk if you need a bit more liquid or to give just a hint of creaminess. Salt and pepper to taste.

Smooth the mashed sweet potatoes over the filling, using a spatula to spread evenly. Place in the 375ºF oven and bake for 30 – 35 minutes until the filling is bubbling. If you wish to get a bit of crispy brown goodness on top, place your shepherd’s pie under the broiler for a few minutes.

Let cool for a few minutes then serve while hot.

[/print_this]