Commonly known as Shepherd’s Pie, this twist on a cottage pie includes rich mushroom and flavourful, nutty wild rice. Add tempeh, kidney beans, or crumbled tofu after the rice cooks, if desired.
Mushroom-Wild Rice Cottage Pie
For the potatoes:
Salted water, to cook potatoes
6 to 8 medium yellow-flesh potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1/2 cup mushroom broth (below)
For the filling:
1 .5oz/14g package dried porcini mushrooms
5 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 pounds (680g) cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 turnips (not rutabaga), peeled and finely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
2 teaspoons ground sage
1 cup wild rice
3 tablespoons roasted cashew butter
2 tablespoons tomato paste
For the potatoes, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes. Cook until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the dried mushrooms in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water and let stand 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the onion, mushrooms, celery, carrots, and turnips. Cook until softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and sage, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes longer.
Strain the mushroom liquid into the pot with the vegetables, reserving 1/2 cup. Rinse the mushrooms and finely chop, adding them to the pot. Add the rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook 40 minutes. Stir in cashew butter and tomato paste. Let cook an additional 10 minutes, until thickened.
Meanwhile, drain the potatoes. Add the olive oil and reserved broth. Mash well. Stir in the chives and season with salt and pepper to taste. Preheat the oven to 375F.
Once the mixture on the stove top is finished, carefully pour it into a 9×13 casserole dish. Spread with the potatoes. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the potatoes start to brown and become crispy. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Laurie Sadowski 
Mmmmm! Looks delicious, Laurie! This looks like a great dish that you can make ahead for busy nights and heat just before dinner.
Definitely! And super adaptable to whatever you like.
MMMMM,…Laurie! What a wonderful comforting dinner,…Yum Yum Yum! Love it too!
Anything “comfort” related (IE eat with a spoon from a bowl in one big mish-mash) is my favourite!
I made this tasty dish today & my mom & dad were visiting me & they both loved it too! Me, included! 😉
Great! So glad you enjoyed it.
😀
Holy crap that sounds good! I bet it would make an excellent thanksgiving dinner meal =)
Do you celebrate both?
This looks like something my hubby would love!
Oh, great, Mary! Let me know if you try it 🙂