Serves: About 6-8
Prep Time: 15-minutes; Cook Time: 40 mintues
Total Time: 55-minutes
Recipe developed by: Shannon Costello, RDN, LD with CFW
Ingredients:
Potato Topping:
- 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (optional to peel), halved
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil (or unsalted butter)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Beef & Lentil Filling:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 ounces 93% lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup uncooked red lentils
- 2- 2 ½ cups low-sodium beef or vegetable broth
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (corn, green beans, peas, carrots, etc.)
Preparation Instructions:
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water.
- Place potatoes in a large stock pot and fill with water until covered by 1 inch. Heat stock pot over medium-high heat and bring to a low boil. Once boiling, add ½ teaspoon of salt and continue to boil for about 15-20 minutes or until a fork can easily pierce the potatoes.
- Once potatoes are cooked, drain the water from the stock pot leaving the potatoes in the pot. Add olive oil, remaining salt, and black pepper. Use a potato masher or large fork to mash the potatoes until smooth.
- While potatoes are boiling, make the filling. Heat a large rimmed skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil. Add onions and saute for 4-5 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds. Add ground beef and break up any large chunks into smaller grounds. Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until completely browned and no longer pink.
- Add optional tomato paste, dried thyme, black pepper, and salt and stir to incorporate. Add uncooked lentils and 2 cups broth, and stir. Allow broth to come to a low boil, then cover the skillet and reduce heat to medium-low or until liquid is just simmering. Let lentils cook for about 12-15 minutes or until tender, but not mushy. Add additional broth if liquid evaporates before lentils are softened. Once lentils are tender, remove lid.
- While mixture simmers, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Reduce heat to low if not already adjusted. Add frozen vegetable mixture to the skillet and stir to incorporate. Cover skillet allowing the mixture to thaw for about 4-6 minutes. If the filling is still too thick, add a splash of broth. If too thin, add 3-4 tablespoons of mashed potatoes and stir to thicken. Filling should have a gravy-like consistency and shouldn't bee "soupy".
- Transfer filling to prepared baking sheet. Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the filling and evenly spread the potatoes with the back of a fork until the filling is completely covered.
- Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned. Let slightly cool before serving.
- Allow leftovers to completely cool before storing in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.