Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie Potato Skins

square crop of a cut open potato skin stuffed with shepherd's pie filling.

5 from 1 vote

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie Potato Skins

Love shepherd’s pie? Wait until you try it stuffed inside crispy potato skins! This hearty lentil version is vegetarian, cozy, and totally crowd-pleasing.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword potato skins, shepherd's pie, stuffed, vegetarian

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 20

Resting time 10

Total Time 1 55

Servings servings

Calories 431kcal

Author Debi

Ingredients

Potato skins:

4 medium Russet potatoes scrubbed clean and dried
1 tablespoon vegetable oil for rubbing skins, more as needed
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Mashed potato topping:

6 tablespoons butter melted
2 ounces cream cheese softened
¾ cup sour cream
¼ cup whole milk
¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese (plus more for garnish, optional)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
reserved baked potato flesh

Lentil Shepherd’s Pie Filling:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 small yellow onion diced
1 cup diced carrots
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup cooked lentils green or brown
½ cup frozen green peas

Instructions

Bake the potatoes:

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper if desired.
Pierce each potato several times with a fork. Rub all over with vegetable oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet and bake until the skins are crisp and inside is tender, about 50-60 minutes. Allow potatoes to cool for about 10 minutes.
4 medium Russet potatoes, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, salt

Prepare the Potato Skins:

Set the oven to broil.
Slice potatoes in half lengthwise with a serrated knife. Using a spoon, scoop out flesh, leaving about ¼-inch border. Reserve flesh for mashed topping.
Brush the skin side of the potatoes with melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Broil skin-side up for 2–3 minutes until crisp.
salt, black pepper, 1 tablespoon melted butter
Flip potatoes over and brush the insides with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes insides up, under the broiler for a about 5 minutes until the edges just start to brown.
Fill each shell with shredded cheddar. Broil 3–5 minutes until melted and bubbling. Watch carefully.
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Make the mashed potato topping:

In a large bowl, combine melted butter, cream cheese, sour cream, milk, Parmesan, cheddar, salt, and pepper. Add reserved potato flesh. Mash and stir until creamy and mostly smooth. Set aside.
6 tablespoons butter, 2 ounces cream cheese, ¾ cup sour cream, ¼ cup whole milk, ¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, reserved baked potato flesh

Make the Lentil Shepherd’s Pie Filling:

In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil, butter, and onion. Cook 8–10 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Add carrots and cook 8–10 minutes until slightly tender. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 small yellow onion, 1 cup diced carrots, 2 cloves garlic
Add flour, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook 2 minutes to remove raw flour taste.
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Slowly stir in the broth, tomato paste, and soy sauce. Increase the temperature to high and let it come to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, for 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened. Add the lentils and peas, and simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed.
1 cup vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 cup cooked lentils, ½ cup frozen green peas

Assemble the stuffed potato skins:

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Fill each hollowed-out potato skin with the lentil stew mixture up to just below the top of the potato. Top with mashed potatoes (spooned or piped). Sprinkle with additional cheddar if desired.
Bake at 350° F for 15 to 20 minutes until heated through and lightly golden on top.

Notes

To cook brown or green lentils: Bring 2 cups water to a boil add in ½ cup uncooked lentils. Turn the heat down to low and let simmer 15- 20 minutes. Drain. This makes a bit more than the 1 cup you’ll need for the recipe. But lentils are great in bowls and for meal prep. Make sure lentils are fully cooked before adding to the filling.

For a more formal look, use a piping bag with a large star nozzle to pipe the mashed potatoes onto the filled potato skins.

For extra crispy skins, broil briefly after baking.

Makes 8 potato halves, or 8 full servings.

You can make the components ahead of time and assemble just before baking, making these great for hosting.

Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge. Reheat leftovers in a 400° F oven for 15 minutes to get a nice crispy potato skin again. Or, reheat in the microwave until hot. For extra crispiness, reheating leftovers in a hot oven is recommended.

Nutrition