Vegetarian Casserole, in the style of Shepherd’s Pie

 

The casserole queen has done it again, this time with a vegetarian number in the style of a Shepherd's or Cottage Pie. Quinoa replaces the ground meat, and goat cheese is added to a potato/parsnip topping. Flavourful mushrooms form the middle of this layered dish.  A really delicious recipe for a multi-tasker to undertake.

Ingredients for the bottom layer:

- 3-4 cups cooked quinoa

- 2 onions, finely diced

- 2 stalks celery, finely diced

- 2 carrots, finely diced

- 1 small zucchini, finely diced

- 1 cup frozen peas

- 1 tsp mustard powder

- 2 tbps. ‘better than bouillon’ mushroom in 1 cup water

- 1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped finely.

- pepper and chopped fresh herbs to taste. 

- a few dashes Worcestershire sauce
- a handful of chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
 

Ingredients for the middle layer:
- one onion sliced thinly
- 2 cloves of garlic chopped
- about 3 cups of chopped/sliced mushrooms
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- pepper to taste

Ingredients for the top layer:
- 4 large potatoes
- 4 medium-sized parsnips
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 4 ounces chevre
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
- 1 cup of white cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Then construct the casserole. If you're a well-organized type A personality, you can work on preparing the ingredients for the 3 layers simultaneously.

Bottom layer

Sauté the onions in a tbsp. of olive oil for several minutes, then add all of remaining ingredients and cook until the carrots are just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cooked quinoa and a large handful of chopped parsley. Put the quinoa/ vegetable mixture in the bottom of a large buttered casserole dish and spread flat.

Middle layer

Sauté the onion, garlic and mushrooms 2 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil until brown. Add freshly ground pepper. Spread the mushrooms over the quinoa base.

 

Top layer

As you are sautéing the bottom and middle layers of the casserole, boil the potatoes and parsnips in salted water in a medium-sized pot on the stove until tender, then drain and let ‘dry’ for a couple of minutes. Mash the vegetables with 2 tbsp. butter and 4 ounces of chevre. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread the potato/parsnip mash over the mushroom layer.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the scallions and cheddar on top. Bake the casserole for an additional 30 minutes until bubbling at edges and the cheese is a little crispy.

Sylvia's Tex-Mex Casserole... using up the leftovers

My sister Sylvia is a casserole queen. In fact, she's the queen of many original recipes. I'm not exactly sure why I'm the one with the food blog? At any rate, she suggests this casserole is great when topped with a spoonful of sour cream. Serve it with a green salad.

Ingredients:

- 1/2 leftover roast chicken
- 1/2 jar of leftover salsa
- 1/2 bag of leftover unsalted corn tortilla chips
- 1/2 bag of shredded Tex Mex cheese
- 1 tin baked beans in tomato sauce
- 1 onion, quartered, thinly sliced
- 1 red pepper, quartered, cut into thin strips
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- chopped parsley or cilantro (optional)
- big splash of Frank's Red Hot sauce
- 1 tsp. chili powder

Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Pull the meat from the chicken carcass and cut into small pieces. Crush the chips and place them in the bottom of a casserole dish. Sauté the onion in about 1 tsp. of oil for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic and pepper. Stir in the beans, hot sauce, chili powder, chicken and cilantro or parsley. Pour the mixture over the chips. Cover with 2 cups of shredded cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.