Homemade Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie Recipe

One of my husband's favorites, Shepherd's pie is a traditional English dish, but is also a favorite dish in America. Basically, it is a casserole recipe that requires ground beef to be covered in gravy and then finally topped with mashed potatoes. Although the taste is favored by many, it is not the best solution for vegetarians and heart healthy conscience chefs. Therefore, I have created a great recipe that combines this English dish with a healthy flare. It contains lentils, garlic and bulgur wheat which are three primary heart-healthy ingredients.

Ingredients:
8 oz uncooked lentils
16 oz water
1 bay leaf
16 oz boiling water
8 oz Bulgur Wheat
½ tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp sea salt
8 oz mozzarella, grated
1 medium onion, finely chopped
16 oz tomatoes, diced
24 oz mashed potatoes
Flax seed (optional)

1. Mix the bulgur wheat, garlic and salt together in a medium sized bowl. Pour the boiling water over the mixture.
2. Cook the lentils in water with the bay leaf according to the package. It should take around 15 minutes in length or until tender. Drain.
3. Remove the bay leaf from the lentils.
4. Mix the bulgur wheat, garlic and salt together in a medium sized bowl. Pour the boiling water over the mixture and let rest for 10 minutes. I like to place a clean kitchen towel over the top of the bowl to assure that nothing gets in the mixture.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8x8 baking dish (usually the same pan that is used for lasagna). Since the mixture is a little on the dry side, please make sure the pan is coated evenly.
7. On the bottom of the pan, make layers of bulgur wheat, lentils, mozzarella, onion and then tomatoes.
8. On top of these layers, spread out the mashed potatoes in an even layer as one would do with original meat Shepherd's pie. Then, place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are lightly browned on top.
9. For an added benefit, we prefer to sprinkle freshly ground flax seed on the top before serving. Flax seed is a great heart-healthy ingredient that has been known to help reduce body fat, decrease cancer and decrease cholesterol problems. Make sure to sprinkle it on top after you have finished cooking as it will get too warm in the oven and will not be as beneficial.

*This recipe usually serves four people.