These Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Peppers are a delicious and fun plant-based spin on classic Shepherd’s Pie (or Cottage Pie). This version is made vegan with hearty lentils, onion, and lots of veggies and herbs stuffed inside bell peppers and then topped with dairy-free mashed potatoes for a healthy, comforting lunch or dinner! They’re customizable too, so you can add in your favorite protein and they make a great meal prep!
Healthy Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Peppers: A Nutritious Twist on a Classic Comfort Food
If you’re a fan of the comforting flavors of shepherd’s pie but want a lighter option without sacrificing taste, look no further than these Healthy Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Peppers. This recipe takes everything you love about the traditional dish—savory lentils (or ground meat), flavorful vegetables, and creamy mashed potatoes—and makes it extra nutritious! This recipe is perfect for anyone looking for a healthier spin on a classic.
Shepherd’s Pie stuffed peppers recipe video
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Customizable: This recipe is naturally vegan and high fiber thanks to the lentils, but you can make it higher protein and use ground meat of choice if you aren’t plant-based!
- Packed with Veggies: Bell peppers are full of vitamins and antioxidants. By using them as the base, you’re adding a healthy dose of nutrients to each serving. Plus, you get the benefit of extra fiber to keep you feeling full and satisfied.
- Lean Protein & Healthy Fats: Lentils, or even ground meat like turkey or lean ground beef provides high-quality protein, while a dash of olive oil adds brain-boosting, healthy fats!
- Meal Prep-Friendly: These stuffed peppers can be made ahead of time and reheated for a quick and easy meal during the week. They also freeze well, making them perfect for busy days when you need a homemade, healthy option.
How to make Shepherd’s pie stuffed peppers
Full recipe is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post! But here is an overview:
Equipment
- Larger pan
- Small saucepan (if having to make the mashed potatoes)
- Square baking dish: I love my non-toxic Caraway baking dish!
Ingredients
- Bell peppers: Any color variety work! Use your favorite!
- Lentils: I like to use canned lentils to make this recipe even easier. You simply drain, rinse, and throw into the pan! If you don’t like lentils, you can use ground meat or another bean of choice! However lentils are an amazing source of protein and fiber!
- Frozen veggies: I like to use a mix of carrots and peas.
- Spices & herbs: Garlic, parsley (dried or fresh), dried thyme, dried rosemary, sea salt, pepper
- Tomato paste
- Coconut aminos or soy sauce: I use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
- Worcestershire sauce: I use a vegan Worcestershire sauce with quality ingredients (most are made with lots of preservatives! Just something to be mindful of!).
Steps to make shepherd’s pie stuffed peppers
The mashed Potatoes
You’ll want to start by making the mashed potatoes! This is also a great recipe to make if you already have leftover mashed potatoes that need to be used up. You can skip having to make them and just prep the peppers, making this an even easier meal!
Assembling the peppers
- Prepare the Peppers: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds and membranes.
- Cook the Filling: In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic, and sauté for about 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the lentils and mix well to combine. If using meat, add the ground meat and cook until cooked through.
- Add the Veggies and Seasoning: Stir in the chopped carrots, frozen peas, tomato paste, coconut aminos (or soy sauce), parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt, & pepper. Pour in the broth and let the mixture simmer, until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has reduced slightly.
- Assemble the Stuffed Peppers: Spoon the cooked filling into the hollowed-out bell peppers. Be generous, pressing down gently to ensure the filling is packed in. Top each stuffed pepper with a mashed potatoes – I like to use a piping back to make it neater, but this totally isn’t necessary!
- Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes. The potato topping should be slightly golden and the peppers should be tender and the filling hot throughout.
- Serve: Once done, remove the peppers from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes before serving. These stuffed peppers are hearty enough to be a meal on their own or can be paired with a side salad or steamed vegetables for an extra boost of nutrition!
Tips & Variations:
- Swap in Different Proteins: For a different flavor profile, you can use ground chicken, beans, ground tofu or tempeh, etc.
- Add More Veggies: Feel free to get creative with your veggie mix. Zucchini, mushrooms, or spinach can be great additions to the filling!
- Meal Prep & Freezing: These stuffed peppers freeze wonderfully! Once baked, let them cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, simply pop them in the oven at 375°F (190°C) until heated through.
More healthy lunch & dinner recipes to try
- Copycat Cava bowls with date balsamic dressing
- Green goddess soup
- Creamy anti-inflammatory soup with carrots and ginger
- Chili cornbread casserole
- Vegan broccoli cheese soup
- Healthy chicken broccoli rice casserole
- Healthy chicken pot pie soup
- Japanese carrot ginger salad dressing
- Viral TikTok egg breakfast sandwich
- One-pan enchilada breakfast skillet
- Breakfast egg stuffed peppers
Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think in the comments below! I’d love to hear how you make it your own. Tag me in your creations on Instagram @danishealthyeats!
Sheperd’s Pie Stuffed Peppers
These Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Peppers are a delicious and fun plant-based spin on classic Shepherd’s Pie (or Cottage Pie). This version is made vegan with hearty lentils, onion, and lots of veggies and herbs stuffed inside bell peppers and then topped with dairy-free mashed potatoes for a healthy, comforting lunch or dinner! They're customizable too, so you can add in your favorite protein and they make a great meal prep!
Ingredients
Mashed potatoes
- 24 oz gold potatoes
- 1 1/2 tbsp dairy-free or grass-fed butter or ghee
- 1/4 cup dairy-free sour cream (or regular!) or plain yogurt *I like the brand Kite Hill
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2-1 tsp sea salt, to taste & pepper, to taste
Stuffed peppers
- 4 bell peppers, halved
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 can lentils, rinsed & drained
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas & carrots
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (vegan or regular)
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped or dried
- 1/2 tbsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tbsp dried thyme
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsp veggie broth or water
Instructions
Mashed potatoes
- Boil the peeled and cubed potatoes until soft, about 15-20 minutes. They should be fork tender.
- Drain, add the potatoes back to the pot and add the milk, dairy-free butter or ghee, sour cream or yogurt, & spices, to taste. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or fork until you reach desured texture. (cheat code – you can also add the boiled potatoes and remaining ingredients to a food processor & pulse them – just be careful not to over-process or they'll get gummy).
Peppers
- Preheat oven to 400f. Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds and membranes. Lay them in a square baking dish.
- While the potatoes are cooking, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the frozen vegetables, lentils, soy sauce, tomato paste, worcestershire, parsley, & seasonings. Mix well and cook for a 2-3 minutes. Add the broth or water, stirring well and let the filling simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. You can taste the mixture and adjust any seasonings you'd like.
- Add some of the filling to each pepper, really stuffing it in. Then add some of the mashed potatoes to the top of each, I like to add the potatoes to a piping bag and pipe it over the peppers for a cleaner look, but this is totally optional!
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, remove the foil and broil the peppers for an additional 5-7 minutes – watch them closely so they don't burn! Serve with chopped chives or anything you like!
How much tomato paste should be used?
Hi Kriss! Oh, no i’m so sorry that was left out! I just updated it. 2 tbsp!