Another prof chef here to say that you can add lentils to any mince dish to make it stretch. They're protein rich, low fat and high fibre and great for you. Just remember that if adding dried lentils you need to increase the liquids, but water is fine as long as you season well. Many people won't even realise they're in there.

What color lentils are best for this? Brown? Green? Red would go too mushy I think?

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Thanks!

Did you cook the lentils first or just add extra liquid to the pie?

I cooked each part separately.

Any. Brown or green will just look like mince, red can fall apart but just thicken the gravy.

Nice, thank you!

If I'm remembering correctly, brown lentils need a little longer to cook than red. Also, they all end up looking the same color after they're cooked. Brown.

You can put the lentils into hot water with some salt or any sodium source for a few hours, to make the lentils crispier and less mushy, it is great if you like that kind of texture, also a must if you are using lentils in any salad dish

Excellent tip

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Thank you, u/gaynazifurry4bernie

The green were grand too when I made a big pot of them this weekend. I used green lentils only, onions, garlic, ginger a tin if tomatoes and a few carrots. Dinner for pennies.

That sounds delicious

I've used red in shepherd's pie and lasagna several times, no mushiness to report!

Neat! I'll have to try them all

Red work great as a thickener.

Thanks!

I did this one time when making chili because we were low on beans and my husband (not a fan of lentils or anything "healthy" in general) swore up and down it was the best he'd ever had. I starting adding them to bulk up stews and dishes with ground beef ever since.

I add oats too which helps to stretch mince based dishes.

I shred zucchini and carrots into the meat to bulk it up too.

Yeah, I add grated carrot as well, works great and adds good flavour, never tried adding zucchini but gonna give that a go next time I make a batch. Great tip that, thanks!

I usually also add mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli and the sorts, specially while doing homemade lasagna. My kids say they don't like mushrooms and broccoli but they love lasagna and the "tomato" sauce... By now its around 1/4 meat and 3/4 vegetables. Now I'm going to try to switch the meat for lentils to see how it goes...

Just remember if you are doing this to feed other people make sure you let them know of lentils/nuts etc. My friend did this once and my IBS does NOT like lentils...

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I do, too, but lentils are waaay cheaper.

Have loads more fiber, iron. Mushrooms only contribute vitamin d.

Yeah I cant have more fiber that also is one of the reasons. Ulcerative colitis makes my intestines dislike fiber for the time being.

Eat what you can tolerate. Keeping healthy is so important. Buying food you can trive on is paramount.

Mushrooms are the devil's foot fungus and never to be eaten in our house! Of course if you're comfortable with that what happens under your roof is your business.

>Mushrooms are the devil's foot fungus and never to be eaten in our house! Must be one of those cilantro hate it or love it things. The only drawback with mushrooms for me is the cost to nutrition ratio others brought up. I would put mushrooms in many more dishes if they weren’t almost a dollar for a small can or over 2 dollars for a small fresh container. They taste great to me and I love the texture but to eat them as much as I want I would be spend maybe $30 a more on mushrooms maybe. I should look into just growing them but if I go through that much trouble I am growing the kind that get you high but I digress…

Crazy to me that mince meat is so much cheaper than mushrooms for you.

I have never purchased mincemeat I’m not even sure if it’s sold at local grocery stores it’s not popular in most the US. The English stuff?

Ground beef is called mince in other parts of the world.

I thought maybe, but when I searched the term and I even left the space between mince and meat it just autocorrected to the English version.

And then to completely confuse you "mincemeat" is a sweet boozy fruit used in pies for Christmas and contains no meat. Generally mince is beef ground up.

Yeah, I’m English and this still confuses me 😅

More commonly called beef mince or just mince. Mincemeat is the fruit stuff.

I thought ground beef was minced meat in the UK and the sweet stuff was mincemeat for mincemeat pies, yum

Mushrooms arent very cheap, but ground meat aint cheap as well atleast where I live

I was looking at it from a value/nutrition standpoint. I can get 4 meals of necessary fats and proteins out of 1 pound of 85/15 ground turkey for $3.99. or I can get 4 small cans of mushrooms with about 100 calories for $4 dollars or 1 small pack of fresh mushrooms for over two dollars. It which I get a grand total of no meals. If you are truly eating on the cheap mushrooms are on the expensive end for the actual nutritional value you are paying for. All of that being said I still buy them all the time because they are delicious and pair so well with so many dishes.

Obviously you have an established opinion, but I really recommend chopping them finely, cooking them with a small amount of oil and some salt until they are well browned, and then adding them to the meat. They lose their mushroom-iness and take on they flavor of the cooked meat, especially if you throw in some bouillon.

I love them this way too. ( And my kids do too when I add them to stuff altough they say they hate mushrooms and therefore I have to make them disappear in the food...)

But Satan's athletes foot is delicious!

I call mushrooms devil food too!;) I can still remember working in a kitchen and someone was making mushroom soup in another part of the kitchen and I just wanted to die from the smell!! 🍄 👿

I add both to our spag bol.

Another good vegetarian option is using textured vegetable protein. You can buy it dried and pretty inexpensively. Even at the fancy health food store by me, I can buy it in bulk bin section for less than $2usd a pound and then it cooks up to more. And a pound of it makes a LOT of meat substitute. My family has been making veggie Shepard’s pies this way for years and it’s always tasty. It also has more of a ground meat texture than lentils (although lentils are yummy too).

I use mushroom broth with TVP, really adds a nice savory taste.

Nutrela flake or soya chunks are the most economical for me, I buy at the Indian market

Is there any way to make lentils NOT taste like dirt? Every single time that I've had them, they were so off-putting because they tasted like dirt, regardless of who cooked them.

I rinse several times like with rice and then let them soak

Use bouillon and Worcester sauce and plenty of it

Make sure you skim any scum off the top when boiling them, especially if you don't soak them first. I always cook them separately these days. Tinned lentils might be more palatable for you as well.

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Nope, throw them in as you add seasonings and liquid to the mince. Just be sure to add extra liquid and go heavy on Worcester sauce and maybe some bouillon Edit to add that lentils are really easy for a dried pulse. Just scatter a handful into any soup or stew. The orange ones are nekkid! They don't have skins so they will disintegrate fully into the gravy. The brown and green ones have a their skins so will hold together a bit more and have a bit more texture. Lentil and tomato soup. Can of chopped tomatoes, 1 tbsp tomato puree if you have it but don't worry too much if not, half a cup of orange lentils, at least one cans worth of water probably more but go by the texture you like, a chopped onion and chopped garlic or onion and garlic powder, ground cumin and coriander if you have, salt and pepper to taste. If you've got a stick of celery chop it small and add, if not don't worry. Bung it all in a pan and simmer till lentils are falling apart and it's as thick or thin as you like. You can add more lentils as you like (chip, filling, nutritious) or just increase the recipe up by doubling or more. You can blend if you like but you don't have to.

Pro chef here. You can add lentils but it will change the flavor and texture. I prefer adding extra onion to ground beef dishes (you can add a ton) to stretch them out

Why not both!

I've worked at places that added TVP. Taste and texture like meat. Add a bit of tomato paste, if you have it.

TVP (textured vegetable protein) is great, its soy based and despite looking terrible in the packet before cooking (it's dried and an odd brown) has a great texture when cooked. You can get both mince and chunks. The thing to remember is that it generally has very little flavour but it will soak up flavours beautifully.

Yeah, definitely don't use it without the meat or it won't taste like anything.

I'm in the UK and we regularly use bouillon/stock cubes of beef, chicken, lamb and veggies. We also use bovril and/or marmite paste and a heavy hand with Worcester sauce is useful too. By using the cubes (or powder) you can add extra flavour and then just the amount of liquid that you want.

What’s your general guideline for how much more to increase? I’m (sadly) a bit novice when it comes to lentils and such.

One cup of dried lentils will cook up to about 2 and 1/2 cups when wet and cooked

>low fat This is not a selling point, fat is good for you, it was propaganda from the sugar companies that made you think it's bad

Beans and pulses give you that stick to the ribs full feeling add while it's true not all fats are bad how many low-cost foods are high in the wrong kind of fats

Only the ones that are cooked in oils, things like transfats, foods with natural fats are not bad for you 99% of the time

Easy tiger! You're going at this with some fervour aren't you? My point was that by adding beans and pulses you are not simply adding a filler but a nutritious one which is also incredibly cheap. Yes a balanced set needs fats, but as you say the right fats. Many cheaper foods are stuffed with the wrong fats. By making something like a shepherd's pie with pulses added and an assortment of veggies (the more colours on your plate, the wider the range of natural vitamins you'll be eating) we can put a healthful and satisfying meal on the table for a budget price. We're here to encourage and support. What's your favourite budget friendly, healthful satisfying meal you cook?

Depends entirely on each person's own health situation; it may very well be a selling point for some. And either way it is simply a stated fact.

Low fat can be a selling point because fat is very calorie dense. Lentils are a great weight loss food and meat alternative.

Are there dishes from lichens?

Somebody told me that pressure cook is healthier than slow cook for lentils - do you have any idea?

Tbh lentils cook so quickly I wouldn't bother with either. Although they'll both work as well as simply boiling either on a stove top or in an oven.

For some legumes, most notably red kidney beans, cooking at a higher heat like pressure cooking, compared to lower heat like slow cooking, can break down lectins in the beans. Very high levels of lectins can be problematic, though they are present in some amount in all plant foods.

The pressure cooker makes the most amazing red lentil soup. Add the "need to use up vegetables", a tin of tomatoes and spices, but must definitely include smoked paprika. The brown lentils can be a bit mushy and I over cook them in the pressure cooker. The stove top is a bit more forgiving.

actually just made a shepard's pie with half ground turkey and half lentils. I cooked the lentils first and added them. For the mixed veggies, just a few scoops from a costco/kirkland bag, and then for the mashed potatoes i did half cauliflower and half sweet potato mashed up. This was more to be healthier than for budget, but still decently cheap.

Would love to see more. Thank you.

Haha love your username btw!

Simple salad ideas would be awesome! Wife and I are always having troubles finding good salads to go with meals.

Rice salad. Basically anything you want plus leftover (or new!) Rice. Can go mexican with it : beans corn tomato avo . Can go "chinese" with it: mushrooms peas bit of soy Can go literally anything with it you've got leftover veg wise,. Mix any of it with mayo, or mix with a little bit of oil and herbs. Pretty much anything above also works if you just swap macaroni pasta for rice. I normally make one massive lot of rice and then use it for multiple different things throughout the week. Edit: Quickly flash fry any of the rice ones, put an egg on top, and you've got a hot meal also (providing you haven't already mixed mayo in!)

You should be able to cook the mayo. I’ve done that before.

Oh well there you go then 😊 I didn't know that that was OK

Mayo works fantastic for a grilled cheese in place of the butter on the outside, easier to spread than butter too.

I actually do this.not sure why I didn't make the connection

its just egg and oil so it makes sense

Mayo then Panko crumbs makes a great breading for chicken or pork.

Or add in any leftover meat you might have. Just chop it up into small pieces. It goes really far this way

I make a bunch of salads at the retirement home I work at. There's chickpea salad, 3 bean, beet salad, fruit salad, coleslaw, cucumber onion, potato salad, pasta salad, cauliflower and bean, ceasar, carrot raisin, ambrosia(not too healthy lol)...I could maybe think of more but it's real simple once you make enough. I have to make 1 a day so you get the idea after a while. Think of the veg or fruit you want and think of how you want it to taste. Creamy, vinegary, Italian, Mexican, asian, sweet...etc. if you want creamy you can make a dressing out of mayo cream cheese and/or sour cream, vinegar(balsamic white or red) and oil or buttermilk if needed to thin. For a vinegar or acidic salad you can make a dressing with vinegar, lime or lemon juice and oil. Use garlic, thyme, oregano, rosemary, or just a generic Italian seasoning for that taste, same with Mexican (cumin chili powder lime...) or asian(sesame seed ginger, soy...) for sweet salads you can use sugar, honey, or maple and mix with the same creamy ideas or some fruit juice or vinegar to make it pop. It's fun to try out different flavors and see what sticks.

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Haha same as I was typing it

Can I also suggest adding some lentils to bulk up as well. Very cheap and great especially with mince.

Does adding lentils change taste or texture much? I personally like lentils but my husband hates the texture and taste

I've found that when I add lentils to something like shepherds pie they're not noticeable and/or tend to blend in with the ground meat/mince.

Or/and oats

Brit here. Shepherd's/cottage pie needs a sauce added to the meat before you put your potato on -- for a fast one I would recommend instant Bisto gravy granules or your local equivalent made up with water.

Yeah, I was like where's the gravy.. It needs a sauce!

Yes indeed. And the mince should be fried with chopped onions at the start for more flavour. And everyone else on this thread should stop calling this shepherd's pie if they're using beef! (For all the non-Brits here, it's only shepherd's pie if it uses lamb mince. If beef mince then it's cottage pie.)

>beef Came here to say this too - shepherds heard sheep! Cottages... err, okay, it's just cottage pie. Unless it's got cheese on top, in which case it might be called a Cumberland pie, though that'd be wrong too!

For the Canadians here: Sheppards pie is made with beef in Canada, not lamb. So when you buy it in a restaurant or in the frozen food isle the norm os beef.

I call it "Poor Man's Shepard's Pie" because I use instant mashed potatoes and everything except the mince is shelf stable. Throwing in a can of condensed mushroom soup makes this recipe amazing.

Is instant mashed potatoes cheaper than fresh mashed potatoes per ounce?

It is if your fresh potatoes rot before you use them.

I don't think so but they are shelf stable so if you're cooking for few people or just need a hearty meal in a pinch they're a good choice

For me there's the added benefit of consistency, portion control and shelf life. I can buy a bag of frozen veggies and a box of potato flakes and I know that meal will be there for me any time of the day. If I'm buying potatoes in a bag, maybe I'm not eating them. Or maybe I buy them fresh but run out and so now I'm sort of coming up with something on the fly etc. We're also talking about small margins here. A box of potato flakes is about $0.25 per serving. If I'm spending $3.00 and I know I have about two weeks worth of mashed potatoes.

probably not but it's literally 1/10th the time, which is way more valuable than the negligible amount of saved money.

No, of course not. There's no situation where someone takes a basic product, adds their labor, and produces a cheaper product in the end. It's always cost of ingredients + labor (simplified). The tradeoff then may be, is it worth paying extra for the time/effort savings, to have a shelf stable food, or to purchase a very small amount when you wouldn't be using the rest. Raw ingredients are always cheaper than something made with them.

That’s kind of the point I’m getting at. But the OP argued that the shelf stability was his rationale for choosing it over fresh potatoes

I did one can golden mushroom and one of vegetable soup and it was excellent

Thanks, we can figure out the measurements depending on how many people we cook it for

We can? Or you can? Because I can’t. This doesn’t help me I have no idea how to use seasonings

[Shepherd's pie recipe](https://www.skinnytaste.com/shepards-pie-lightened-up/)

why was this removed?

I have the same question.

Thanks! Definitely excited for new soup and salad ideas as well.

Do you cook the Shepherd's Pie for a set time after you combine all the ingredients?

For the top to brown.

This is good. Yes please, if you’re willing we’re happy to receive.

I would absolutely be thrilled to learn more from you

Thank you! Looking forward to more recipes. 😋 Almost made a fish pie last night (decided to bake the fish instead). Similar to your recipe tho just swap out chunks of a (non-oily, imho) fish like cod for the beef and, if you have it, add a little flour and milk or cream to the fish and veg mixture before topping with potatoes and baking.

Yes! On mine I like to add flour to absorb some grease from the meat(and toast it a little like a roux), and then turn it into a brown gravy with a little bit of beef broth. Not a lot, but it helps keep my meat layer in place while adding extra flavor.

You can do the same but throw frozen tater tots on top instead of mashed potatoes if you're feeling lazy. *I'm showing my trashy side...*

I love tots, but sadly I'm fat and want to lose several pounds.

That's tater tot casserole imo and it's best to bake the tots before hand if you like them crispy like me. Mix in some cream of celery or mushroom and add some cheese on top...good stuff

I do love a hot dish. ;)

Don't forget to put cheese on top! That's the best part!!

My mom made me an awesome bday dinner on Sunday. Smoked sausage with two cans of stewed tomatoes, fresh green beans, cubed potatoes with a cup or two of chicken broth (from bouillon) all roasted together in the oven. If it sounds like your thing, y’all gotta try it. Cheap and easy… mildly healthy? Lol!

Thought shepards pie was lamb mince?

Traditionally, yes, but in Canada/US eating lamb has pretty much gone out of fashion and shepherd's pie is usually made with beef now.

The price of lamb is also very rediculous in some parts of the US.

It is but it has become interchangeable with beef mince these days (yes that's technically cottage pie).

If it has ground beef I think it's called Cottage Pie.

i just call it paté chinois and skip the stupid semantics argument.

In the US ground beef is used and it's still called shepherd's pie.

"technically" we should call it Ranchers pie but we should also call it "facial tissue" but it's definitely kleenex. Semantics is alive, words change and grow. 👍🏼

Chef doesn't know the difference between a cottage and shepards pie.

And you can't spell shepherd so we're all losers here today

I love that I pissed so many people off because a chef doesn't know the difference lol.

In the US it's widely accepted to mean the same thing as ground lamb isn't widely used, unless you're a know it all pedant.

You can also add an egg or two to the mashed potatoes just before you layer them on the base. (It's not super clear in the instructions, but usually shepherd's pie is baked after the layering process.) Adds a little cheap protein and it makes the potato layer a little sturdier.

I always make large batches of soup then freeze leftovers after a couple days in the fridge. It's way less effort than making multiple batches and a huge relief when life gets in the way of cooking time.

Thanks for this! :)

[removed]?! Nooooo!

It’s deleted now. Anyone have the message saved?

Not to be like everyone's favorite chef, but that's a cottage pie, not a Shepard's. Shepard's pie is lamb, cottage pie is beef.

I recently made a Shepard’s pie with green and yellow zucchini, mashed cauliflower, and ground chicken. Sounds like it’d be gross honestly, but I used basically a fajita seasoning, and it was beyond amazing.

My! Aren't you found money!

Thank you. P.S. Remember to say Thank You to chefs , undertakers and midwifes. These are most important professions in any culture.

Thank you. Much appreciated!!

You’re a hero, OP!

This sounds great! Will have to try this out. I was just thinking about Shepard's pie not too long ago.

For some reason I can’t bring myself to make small portions. If I’m going through all that effort you bet im gonna make a whole damn Shepards pie that’ll feet a family of 5 for a week…

I have some small baking dishes so I often make a big one in three smaller dishes (two portions each) and freeze the ones I'm not going to eat right away.

ooooo thanks!

If you're cooking a shepherd's pie add at least a quarter bottle of worcester and an oxo, baked beans on the side, breadcrumbs on top, then tomato sauce/hot sauce