This fantastic dish is vegetarian. But it's not easy to tell!! We are dedicated meat-eaters but after having the three bean version of the hash, we will never again use ground meat. This bean version of ground meat is too good. Of course, it could be made like regular shepherd's pie in a casserole with the potatoes on top. But we love separating the "meat" and potatoes.
Here's this was made. Once the bean mixture has been put together, form it into patties and fry them til crispy in a little olive oil. (These are great for hamburgers.)
Make onion gravy - onions, thyme, stock (use vegetable stock if you are serving vegetarians), pepper, salt and a tiny bit of cocoa powder.
Break the cooked patties up into smallish pieces and make a hash by frying them with onions, peas, carrots and corn.
Make mashed potatoes, steam wax beans (or whatever vegetable you like), heat up the plates and serve.
Add a sprig of parsley and dig in!
