How much meat do you eat in a week? I am a vegetarian so I don’t eat any meat, which makes Meatless Monday pretty, well, the same as every other day for me. I do understand, though, that this isn’t the case for everyone else. This is why I was excited when I saw the Meatless Monday hashtag on Twitter. Not only is eating less (or no) meat better for the environment, but it’s also better for your health. I hope that you are challenging yourself on Mondays to find vegetarian options for you and your family. Last week I asked if you would like to see a recipe as part of my weekly Meatless Monday post and the answer was definitely, yes. It was kind of tricky because I didn’t just want to share something that we already eat from a cookbook or internet recipe, but rather, I wanted to create my own “original” recipe for you all. I kept it very simple as far as flavors because I know with kids sometimes it can be a challenge to get them to eat more unique vegetables. I am fortunate that my boys will eat pretty much any vegetable I prepare and can name them, too. Let’s get right to it.
First the ingredients:
~ about 8 medium potatoes(peeled and cut into equal sized cubes)
~ 1 medium onion
~ 1/2 head fresh cauliflower (you could use frozen as well)
~ 1 package Yves Meatless Ground (12 oz.)
~ 1 package shredded cheese (time saver, but you could shred yours fresh) – I used sharp cheddar
~ handful fresh dill – chopped
~ about 1/2 cup frozen peas
~ about 1/2 cup frozen corn
~ about 1/3 cup olive oil
- Start by preparing the potatoes, place them in a pot of cold water and heat to boiling. Boil for about 20-30 minutes (or until fork tender)
- Meanwhile, prepare cauliflower and steam for 20-25 minutes (again until fork tender) *frozen will take less time
*At this point, preheat the oven to 325 degrees*
- Heat a skillet to medium and pour in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Finely dice the onion and add to the pan, heating on medium low to medium heat. After about 10 minutes add the Yves Meatless Ground. Heat for a minutes and turn off burner.
- Cook peas and corn (only for a few minutes because they will be going into the oven to cook a bit more) set aside
- Chop the fresh dill
Once ready, drain the potatoes (retaining a bit of the water) and pour them into a LARGE bowl. Add the 1/3 cup of olive oil, dill, cauliflower (just the florets because they are best for mashing), cheese, and salt and pepper. Use your muscles and mash it up, baby!
After you mash up the mixture, spread it into a 9 X 13 pan. Next, spread the Meatless Ground/onion mixture over the potatoes and the peas and corn on top of that layer. Place in the over for about 10 minutes just the heat it all through a bit.
I hope you all like this recipe and will give it a try! Of course, let me know what you think if you do. Also, any questions or comments about the recipe? I love that, too!
While sitting at dinner last night, my family and I were brainstorming what the name of this dish should be. I came up with Not so Shepherd’s Pie, but what do you think? Have an idea of what we should call this?
Oh, just one more thing…..I promise. You can actually make this dish vegan if you substitute the cheese for a vegan substitute (maybe nutritional yeast) or leave it out all together.
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