Leek and Mushroom Cottage Pie

By David Tanis

Leek and Mushroom Cottage Pie
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
1½ hours
Rating
4(1,688)
Comments
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Traditionally, shepherd’s pie is made with minced lamb and vegetables, and topped with mashed potatoes instead of pastry. If made with beef, it is called cottage pie. So it should follow that a vegetable version could be named gardener’s pie. Filled with a saucy, savory leek and mushroom stew, it’s a pie that will please vegetarians and carnivores alike.

Featured in: When Shepherd’s Pie Loses the Lamb

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

    For the Filling

    • 2tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 1large onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
    • Salt and pepper
    • 4medium leeks, tender green and white parts, split lengthwise and cut in 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
    • 2tablespoons olive oil
    • 1pound medium-brown or white mushrooms, quartered
    • ½pound shiitake mushrooms, caps only, sliced ¼-inch thick
    • 2teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
    • 2small garlic cloves, minced
    • 2tablespoons chopped parsley
    • 2tablespoons white miso (optional)
    • 2cups whole milk
    • 2tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water

    For the Topping

    • 3pounds russet or yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and cut in 2-inch chunks
    • 6tablespoons unsalted butter
    • ½cup heavy cream
    • Salt and pepper
    • 1cup homemade coarse dry bread crumbs
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

491 calories; 24 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 61 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 1058 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to color, 5 to 7 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add leeks, a little more salt and stir to combine. Cook mixture for about 5 minutes more, until leeks have lost their crunch, but are still green. Turn off heat.

  3. Step 3

    Cook the mushrooms separately (work in batches if necessary): Put olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is wavy, add both kinds of mushrooms and sauté 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and stir in thyme, garlic and parsley, and toss to coat.

  4. Step 4

    Add mushrooms to onion-leek mixture, and turn heat to medium-high. Add miso and milk, and bring to a simmer. Stir cornstarch and water, add to mixture and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring, until sauce thickens. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and leave at room temperature.

  5. Step 5

    Meanwhile, boil potatoes in salted water until very soft, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and mash with 4 tablespoons butter, then stir in cream and beat until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

  6. Step 6

    Spread mashed potatoes evenly over surface of vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Bake for 45 minutes, until bubbling and nicely browned.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,688 user ratings
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Comments

A tips from London

The secret to getting the topping right is to use cold, leftover mash. If it’s hot when you bake it, it can turn into a sludgy mess. But if it’s cold, this is when it crisps up nicely into a golden brown in the oven. Also a note on veganising recipe, cashew nuts soaked in water and then blitzed make a fine cream replacement.

Debby

I haven't made this yet, but when I do, based on the reviews here, I'm going to roast my mushrooms rather than sautee them. Roasting mushrooms at a high heat makes them chewy and meaty-tasting, plus one can do them all at once, so it's less work, and there are fewer pans taking up stove space. I'll slice them, toss them in olive oil, s&p, and a pinch of sugar and roast at 500 for 20-25 minutes, turning once. While they are in the oven, I can get the rest done while mushrooms are cooking.

Karen

Tip from a Brit: (A few dashes of) Worcestershire sauce should be as good an addition to a veggie pie as it is traditionally to Shepherd's Pie.

Katie

As ashamed as I am to admit it to New York Times gourmets like yourselves, I made this with instant mashed potatoes. It tasted great and transformed it into a weeknight dinner. Instant mashed potatoes come in all sorts of varieties for different flavor profiles. Also, to make it a bit more budget friendly, I skipped the shiitake the second time I made it — I couldn’t taste the difference. The miso, on the other hand, really adds a great touch of umami. I’ve made this three times this month and can’t get enough. Freezes beautifully as well!

Eddo

Delicious. Will add beans next time because every veg dish is better with beans. Added a splash or two of balsamic and soy before the milk and miso.

Tonia

Wondering if I can use Cannellini beans instead of Mashed Potatoes. They have slightly less potassium which I need to reduce in my kidney diet. Going to give it a try.

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