Oven Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie with Roasted Squash-Mushroom Filling + Crispy Potato Top

A bake-heavy, cozy vegetarian main: roasted butternut squash, carrots, and mushrooms baked in a savory gravy and topped with crisped potato slices. Uses winter-friendly produce common in Texas in late February.

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Ingredients

Butternut Squash ~1 lb (about 3 cups 1/2-inch cubes) $1.49/lb
Simple Truth Organic® Whole Carrots Bag, 2 lb 2 medium carrots, diced $2.79
Simple Truth Organic® Whole White Mushrooms, 8 oz 8 oz, sliced $2.50 sale (reg $2.79)
Jumbo Sweet Onions 1/2 onion, diced $1.39/lb
Spice World® Fresh Diced Garlic, 5 oz 1 tbsp $3.49
Kroger® Pork Flavored Gravy Mix 1 packet (note: not vegetarian). Substitute: vegetarian gravy mix or make quick mushroom gravy (instructions) $0.99
Russet Potato 1 large potato (about 10–12 oz), thinly sliced $0.99/lb
Neutral oil or olive oil (pantry) 2–3 tbsp
Butter (pantry) 1 tbsp (optional)
Dried thyme (or Simple Truth Organic® Thyme) 1/2 tsp dried OR 1 tsp fresh $2.49
Salt + black pepper (pantry) to taste

Instructions

Heat oven to 425°F.
Roast filling veg: toss squash, carrots, mushrooms, onion, and garlic with 2 tbsp oil, thyme, 1 tsp salt, and pepper. Spread on a sheet pan and roast 20 minutes, stirring once.
Make vegetarian gravy (quick): in a saucepan, whisk 1 tbsp butter (or oil) + 1 tbsp flour (pantry) over medium heat 1 minute. Slowly whisk in 1 to 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth or water + 1 tsp soy sauce (pantry) and simmer until thick. (Or use a vegetarian gravy packet.)
Assemble: reduce oven to 400°F. Spoon roasted vegetables into a small baking dish (about 8x8). Pour gravy over and stir gently.
Top with potatoes: toss thin potato slices with 1 tbsp oil and a pinch of salt. Shingle on top (overlap slightly).
Bake: 35–45 minutes until potatoes are deeply golden and the filling is bubbling. If needed, broil 1–3 minutes for extra crisp.
Rest 10 minutes, then serve. (Serves 2 generously.)

Health notes: Hearty and high-fiber; mushrooms add umami. For more protein, add cooked lentils or white beans (pantry) into the filling.

Drink pairing: Earthy mushrooms + sweet squash pair well with medium-bodied reds or richer whites. Wine styles (pick 1): - Pinot Noir - Côtes du Rhône (Grenache/Syrah blend) - Oaked Chardonnay

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